Elfknitter.# Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 I see posts touting how great the classes are. Do you use these to help with teaching or are they for your children? Or is it family learning? I have an almost 10 yo and 8 yo and often wonder how we might incorporate it into our schedule or if the instruction would be for me. eta: iPad typos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 This is how we are using it. My dc's are taking their first Coursera class. Cryptography 1. They have never done an outside course before, so the opportunity is free and easy for me. For ds he is having to work. The schedule is what it is. The topic fascinates him so he keeps going but it is hard and time consuming. He will get a certificate at the end because he is handing his work in etc. I will put it on his transcript in some form. Dd is enjoying it overall. This is my math loving but computer hating child. It has given her confidence with computers. She might be willing to do a programming course later. Yeah! Doing the work, certificate, etc. She just found a Greek lit course for the fall on Coursera. It goes well with our plans so will be added in. Lectures and schedule for free is a great deal. They also have links to the books for free, so I am actually saving money from my original plans. If we don't like it back to the original plan. If she earns the certificate we have a bit of outside validation so a bonus. The possibilities with how to use this are numerous. I think it comes down to what you need it to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 I watch the videos for myself, though Ms Square Eyes will sometimes watch with me. I'm not sure what the appeal is to a 6 year old, but she once refused to speak to her great grandmother on the phone because she was "very too busy" watching physics lectures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Down_the_Rabbit_Hole Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 I am taking courses in my quest to keep educating myself. The courses I pick are things I am interested in and if they might help in homeschool then great, but that is not my goal when picking. There is a class coming up that I am going to take alongside my son, something to do with video games and literature with a focus on The Lord of The Rings. this will be the first class my ds will be doing, so i will see how it goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 Right now my kids and I are taking a course together (History of Rock). My daughter signed up for, but ultimately left, an art course recently. Check it out to see if there are courses you are interested in. It can be used however you want to use it. I suppose like anywhere else, some courses are great, and some not so much. I think my daughter said the projects in the art course were too complicated and needed too many materials for her to deal with right now. They are college/adult level classes which is not to say younger people can't get something out of them. There's no risk to trying it out. I need to check out that video game/literature/LotR course! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 I'm using it for my own self-education at this point, as well as previewing courses that I might use for the kids in the future. I love that I can be as involved as I want to - I can do the whole course, reading, quizzes, assignments, or I can just audit (watch the lectures). I can watch the lectures while I'm cooking, doing chores, laundry, etc. They help me to become a better-informed, more thoughtful and knowledgeable person, which makes me a better teacher. They give me a insights and perspectives that I can use during discussion with my dd, even if the course itself would still be above her head. I've done two world history courses and the Modern & Postmodern course, and it's helped immensely as I prepare to teach the modern era to dd next year. It's an easy, free, and painless way to keep learning. Me watching these lectures to learn more about things that interest me models this lifelong learning/passion for my kids: they see me watching the lectures while I'm doing other things. Sometimes they stop and watch for awhile. Sometimes they ask me questions about what I'm watching, and I pause the lecture and we have a discussion. Sometimes I tell them, "When you're a little older, you can take this class, too" and it gives them something to be excited about. They watched several of the How Things Work lectures with me, and it got them both waaaayyy more excited about Physics than I've ever been. I'm definitely having dd10 do that class when it comes back around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanetC Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 Things to know about Coursera: 1. The classes are all done by different universities and professors. If something doesn't fit, drop it, but don't write teh whole website off. 2. The classes are aimed at adults -- your 8 and 10 y.o. probably can't keep up with the assignments or pace. However, you might use parts, watching a few videos and not trying the homeowrk, if it's related to a topic they are interested in. For older kids, a lot of times classes start off slow and get harder by the 4th week or so. 3. The classes are free, and you can participate at whatever level you like. I'm "just lurking" on one class, watching the videos and peeking in on the forums once in a while, and I'm "taking" a second class as well, where i do the homework, etc. You can earn a certificate for some classes, but there is no "F" on your report card for the classes you just browse on. 4. The classes are new. I see people posting about whether a class would be good for their high schooler. In most cases, the answer is, the class has never been offered before, so how would the hive know? 5. The classes are huge. There is a forum, but no personal interaction with the instructor. Assignments are graded either by a computer or by your fellow students. In the latter case, grading is often very random, and some courses are working really hard at training students to be good graders and others just don't seem to care. Between #2 and #4, I think a good rule of thumb is "don't count on Coursera as a way to outsource a required high school credit." At the very least, have a back up plan if the course doesn't work out. Item #5 means that you may or may not want to use the grade given by Coursera as your letter grade if you do use it for an elective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbeym Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 DS is taking the History of Rock course right now. I have him screenshot quiz grades to log in my grade book, and will keep electronic copies of his certificate once he receives them. For both parts of the course, plus a few weeks of music theory, he'll get 0.5 credit for Music Appreciation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoverdavid30 Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 Sorry, never heard of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted July 19, 2013 Share Posted July 19, 2013 video games and literature with a focus on The Lord of The Rings Um. Please give more information. It sounds kinda interesting and I can't find it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted July 19, 2013 Share Posted July 19, 2013 Um. Please give more information. It sounds kinda interesting and I can't find it... I had a hard time finding it too. It is called Online Games......offered through Vanderbilt. We are now signed up. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trulycrabby Posted July 19, 2013 Share Posted July 19, 2013 Awesome classes! I signed up for a class on virology-geek heaven, and it's free! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted July 19, 2013 Share Posted July 19, 2013 It is called Online Games Thanks. I am a huge LOTR fan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishMum Posted July 19, 2013 Share Posted July 19, 2013 My eldest DS14 takes coursera courses out of interest. He has taken 5 at this stage, and keeps signing up for more! He is learning a lot doing them, not just content but managing his time to get everything done by the deadlines There have been a couple of late nights just before deadlines, which has been a great lesson for him too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishMum Posted July 19, 2013 Share Posted July 19, 2013 This is how we are using it. My dc's are taking their first Coursera class. Cryptography 1. They have never done an outside course before, so the opportunity is free and easy for me. That is a pretty challenging course, how are they going with it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2OandE Posted July 19, 2013 Share Posted July 19, 2013 So if I want to do a class with my child we would all need to sign up separately or are we able to watch the lectures and do the work together? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishMum Posted July 19, 2013 Share Posted July 19, 2013 So if I want to do a class with my child we would all need to sign up separately or are we able to watch the lectures and do the work together? If you want a certificate each you need to sign up separately, otherwise one account and work through it together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeninok Posted July 19, 2013 Share Posted July 19, 2013 I am taking courses in my quest to keep educating myself. The courses I pick are things I am interested in and if they might help in homeschool then great, but that is not my goal when picking. There is a class coming up that I am going to take alongside my son, something to do with video games and literature with a focus on The Lord of The Rings. this will be the first class my ds will be doing, so i will see how it goes. We are so going to have to try this at our house this fall! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted July 19, 2013 Share Posted July 19, 2013 I'm mainly using it for my own education. If I can teach dd what I've learned all the better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elfknitter.# Posted July 19, 2013 Author Share Posted July 19, 2013 Interesting. This sounds similar to the courses offered through iTunes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted July 19, 2013 Share Posted July 19, 2013 That is a pretty challenging course, how are they going with it? To be honest I would probably say it is probably the worst and the best thing I have ever let them do. It has completely taken over the last few weeks. But at the same time they both got thrown in and are passing their quizzes and are still in line for a certificate. For dd she is proving she can survive a tough college level class where her interest at the beganning was not high. She just passed week 4's quiz first go (77%) and is super proud of herself. Other then her kindle fire she did not "like" computers. Feeling better now. She is a perfectionist (used to cry if she got one wrong) and has learned passing can be great! For ds it has been eye opening. He has literally spent the last year sleeping with my begging him to finish something. He is very bright and thinks he will just automatically set the programming / game world on fire by his presence in 10 years or so -- he simply did not get that there is going to be work for him envolved in that goal. This course has been an attitude adjustment for him. He is struggling big time. So much I suggested just auditing the course(my original intention). He told me no because he is "not a quitter". Appears to be managing his time better which honestly isn't saying much but he is learning. This was a course he really wanted to take. He also seems to be learning that he needs to learn some of the other topics I am trying to help him learn. Things like writing a really good proposal are important and he does need to start at the beganning - a respectable essay. Lol I have given you way to much of an answer. :lol: The short one is survival has been really enlightening so good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted July 19, 2013 Share Posted July 19, 2013 Interesting. This sounds similar to the courses offered through iTunes. Some of the courses are originally itune courses. The virus course was originally I believe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Down_the_Rabbit_Hole Posted July 19, 2013 Share Posted July 19, 2013 Um. Please give more information. It sounds kinda interesting and I can't find it... Here is the link https://www.coursera.org/course/onlinegames Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saddlemomma Posted July 19, 2013 Share Posted July 19, 2013 Ok, just signed up for my first class - Foundations of Virtual Instruction I think I'll audit it first and see how it goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellifera33 Posted July 19, 2013 Share Posted July 19, 2013 I am in the middle of my first Coursera class, and I am loving it. The instructor is active on the discussion board, answering questions and giving suggestions for the computer-graded assignments. It is much more efficient than online courses for which I paid. The quality will of course vary by instructor, but there is nothing to lose by signing up and trying it. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishMum Posted July 19, 2013 Share Posted July 19, 2013 Lol I have given you way to much of an answer. :lol: The short one is survival has been really enlightening so good. Not at all, it is great to hear how others fair! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Running the race Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 Here is the link https://www.coursera.org/course/onlinegames Forwarded this one to my sons. You guys are a great resource. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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