Dmmetler Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 I just got a catalog, and I'm drooling over some of them myself. Would these be good to get for in the car (since once it thaws, fieldwork will pick up speed)? DD really hasn't done well with DVD-based programs (like Latin for Children) in the past, and isn't a documentary-loving kid, but has done well with online classes that have video components. I'm not worried about her handling college level content-it's more whether it will keep her interest enough to be worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azucena Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 Maybe you could try some of the free video courses on iTunes U before you spend money on the Great Courses. For example, Walter Lewin's MIT Opencourseware lectures on physics: https://itunes.apple.com/us/itunes-u/physics-i-classical-mechanics/id341599916?mt=10. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughing lioness Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 ds 13 watched Physics and Your Life with ds 18 last year and loved it. He was in a pre-physics class at Tutoring Center at the same time, though and had a great teacher. My younger 2 (ages 10 and13) have watched the How to be a superstar student. Ds 10 thought it was great (she's MIss. Organized). ds 18 loved the Shakespeare GC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quark Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 It would depend on the subject matter and presenter style me thinks. The Geometry title (DVD) was well received but DS preferred more explanation and detail for proofs so we stopped part of the way -- DS was 9. The Impossible Physics (DVD) was very well liked but Particle Physics for Non Physicists, not so much -- DS was 9 and 10. Linwood Thompson's High School World History (DVD) was an eagerly watched taster course but only because DS likes goofy and corny presentations, not for the subject matter itself (I personally didn't think this GC title was good) -- DS was 10. We enjoyed the Jazz and Public Speaking courses (we bought the audio CD)--listened in the car several times to and fro outside classes -- DS was 9 I think. We have some Vandiver DVDs (Iliad, Odyssey, Mythology) but have not started watching them-- quite highly regarded in these boards We are currently (DS is 11) a few streaming lectures into Ancient History by Garland and also the one by Aldrete and both seem good so far. The live streaming itself is a little wonky at times (skips the sequence part way through a lecture for e.g.) but I'm not sure whether it's just our web connection. HTH! ETA: Zeitz's Art and Craft of Problem Solving is also very good but quite over DS's head (definitely mine too) atm so we've paused after the first handful of lectures (DVD, started watching at age 10) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 It depends entirely on the subject. I have used history and literature lectures with mine as early as age 11. Great lectures were all lectures by Elizabeth Vandiver, and the Middle Ages lectures by Philipp Daileader. OTOH, I would not use any of the science lectures for young students. My DS used some of the the Particle Physics for Non Physicists at age 13, and that was OK but not stellar. He also used the astronomy lectures by Filippenko, but IMO the level of material needs supplementation with a textbook and if possible a physics background to get the full benefit, so I can not recommend them. We are listening to the lectures on audio in the car (I find I have no patience to sit and watch a lecturer lecture at a lectern - it bores me to death) ETA: The only lectures specifically for high school students that I have are the chemistry one, and these were the only TC lectures I found utterly disappointing, because we felt that the professor treated us like imbeciles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted January 6, 2014 Author Share Posted January 6, 2014 Has anyone done the Mathematics of Music one? This is one of my pet interests (I wrote a thesis for musicology that had two math professors on the committee because the music folks couldn't understand what I was trying to say), and the topics listed look like ones DD has the math to manage without trouble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
La Texican Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 Omg grr.., my tablet deleted my post before I posted. Dmmetler, this isn't to you, as much as just in reply to the topic. I sat with my 6yr old, a little each day this week. We got through the first disk of "mastering the fundementals of math.". It was very obviously made for kids. The professor said, "you can do all of this math. It's just following steps." My kid does not have mastery from watching this one video, but I helped him make notes and do the problems. They were simple, simple. The long division was like 5 into 225. They had him doi g a lot of. Multidigit multiplication. They had him simplifying fractions. He was able to do the work on almost every problem. This course is definately meant for kids. Some are made for kids.I tried the ancient history one. The beginning was almost all Bible so I wasn't at all interested. My sister is intersted in history, ut said it was too dry for her. She also didn't like the unusual way the professor pronounced ancient names, but would have got over that if he wasn't so dry. I almost couldn't return it, because when I called and asked to trade it in if I didn't like it, the lady said I couldn't trade it in. I got an email survey later asking about my opinion, so I answered. They said you can exchange it if you don't like it, there must have been a misunderstanding. I think she thought I meant "trade-in" a used video for credit, because I said "trade" instead of "exchange". Anyway, yes, you can trade in any video you didn't like. It just costs you shipping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 Our library carries some. It can be a good way to try some out and see if they're a good fit. Look under SUBJECT: Teaching Company or Great Courses I now have a bit of an addiction... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 I agree with both Dana and Regentrude. First try some from th library to see if they are well received. The format can be completely boring for younger kids. They are adult style lectures. That said, my language/lit/history loving dd enjoyed a couple back in 6th. The science really does require more understanding than many posters on this forum suggest. Definitely agree with R here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 We're giving the Filippenko astronomy lectures a try beginning this week to supplement the studying she's already done for the astronomy Science Olympiad event. I found them in our library system after trying various search terms. The library also has the Vandiver lectures which we might use next year :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 We're going to take a stab at Great Ideas of Classical Physics later this year - with an 11 yo - after doing Bloomfield's Coursera course on How Things Work and labs with the Stop Faking It Force & Motion book. I decided to hold off on the various Astronomy courses, despite dd's interest, because after previewing them i realize she needs more basic physics before she'll get much out of them. I do plan to try Vandiver and some others next year, in 7th grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 TC lectures we enjoyed: Physics in Your Life (while working through Conceptual Physics) at age 12 Understanding the Universe (while working through The Cosmos) at age 14 Big History (prior to reading The Human Odyssey series) at age 12 TC lectures we did not enjoy: Chemistry (while working through Conceptual Chemistry) at age 13 Meteorology (while working through Visualizing Weather and Climate) at age 13 TC lectures that I enjoyed but my son didn't: History of the United States (while reading An American Odyssey) at age 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 My dd has enjoyed a number of the music related ones (I can't remember the exact titles at the moment...but theory and history) on CD. We have been listening to the lectures on car rides for a couple years so she was a late 9yo or just around 10yo when we started. The older she gets, the more she enjoys them. I have a pile of the DVDs on different topics like History and the Joy of Science and Math plus a Mental Math one and we are currently watching Human Pre-History. It is a little dry but the material is interesting to her so she keeps watching. I am waiting on a few of them until she is a little older and will enjoy them more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EndOfOrdinary Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Do you have access to a library? Our library has a few Great Courses for check out, but it also allows us to use the Interlibrary Loan system (free) to access dozens more. It would give you a chance to preview them. In many instances my son (age 9) will be so interested we don't need to purchase the course because he will just check it out and listen to it over and over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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