Gratia271 Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 I would appreciate some advice regarding Stanford's Online High School program for my son. I have come to the end of what I can do for him in respect of Maths and Sciences and am looking for opportunities that take into account both his chronological age (12) and his advanced intellectual abilities. Does anyone have any experience they can share? Thanks so much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike in SA Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 Don't know OHS, other than it being very spendy. How advanced is your son in each area? DS12 is using MIT online courseware, and it has been great. I have a few suggestions if you choose that route. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gratia271 Posted November 25, 2014 Author Share Posted November 25, 2014 He is fairly advanced across the board (at least around here :) ). He will complete Algebra based Physics and Precalculus in early Spring. For Humanities, he works out of college texts with me and with language tutors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike in SA Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 If you haven't looked at AOPS for math, do so. Number Theory and Counting & Probability are worth doing while you can. From there, MIT OCW will cover math if your child can self-study. MIT also has introductory chemistry and (only AFTER chemistry!) biology, and after calculus, lots of physics. When you use MIT, though, shop for the correct textbooks, study guides, and solutions. You will need them. Many study guides are available online if you search a bit. One last thing - filter your search on MIT to those with video lectures.. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in Richmond Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 The only EPGY class we tried was Number Theory, and the class materials were quite good. The support left something to be desired in 2009, but that is supposed to be fixed now that the university level math is under the OHS umbrella. Unfortunately, when they moved those uni level courses from EPGY to OHS, the already high prices skyrocketed. We received financial aid back then, so you might want to inquire whether it's still available. I've heard mixed reviews about OHS's upper level sciences. Yes to Mike's advice above. Look at AoPS intermediate number theory and counting & probability courses if he hasn't done them. The Intermediate Alg and Precalculus texts and classes are loaded with extra topics that he wouldn't have seen yet if his math has been out of more standard US texts. The AoPS calculus text is more theoretical than most, and he could work through on his own with the solutions book. WOOT class is good if he's interested in advanced problem solving or competition math. Maybe they'll run their Abstract Algebra class again; I bet he'd like that one if they do. In addition to looking at MIT OCW, look at the MITx MOOCs offered through edX. I've done 6.041x Probability and 8.01x/8.02x Mechanics & EM, and they were all extremely well taught and challenging above what you'd find from other online providers. Neither is currently on the upcoming edX calendar, but they may be offered again soon. You can either work through them on the class schedule & earn a certificate, or take them self-paced, which might work well for a younger student. Look also at Coursera's offerings. I was pleased with their Game Theory course, and it was lots of fun, too. He'd be ready for that whenever he's mastered basic calculus. I let my son have my copies of Apostol's Calculus in high school, and he was able to work through parts on his own. It includes multivariable calculus, linear algebra, and differential equations, all with lots of theory. Very good when they've exhausted the other texts on your shelf! Middle school is the age when I also shipped them out to MathPath for the summer to give them exposure to other points of view and lots of advanced topics. There are lots of science camps, too, depending on his interests. See Hoagies or CTY Cogito for comprehensive listings. Sometimes just hooking up with other families of advanced learners IRL through these camps opens doors to other possibilities or opportunities you might not have heard about elsewhere. CTY Imagine magazine had some good ideas for us, too, at that stage. Good luck finding something that works! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gratia271 Posted November 25, 2014 Author Share Posted November 25, 2014 Thank you for the wonderful ideas! I will look into them. I am trying to teach him a work ethic, and so far the only one tapped out is me. I really want him to rise to the challenge, so maybe I can get him moving with some of these ideas. The biggest struggle for me, quite honestly, is that I have to get behind my son and work alongside him every step of the way. He is a completely typical (and silly) 12 year old boy who just happens to be really smart. So he is not self-motivated but can accomplish amazing things with a mentor. I cannot be that mentor for higher level maths and sciences, so I am trying to find something (with limited financial resources) that will strike that balance. I will definitely check out those resources! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quark Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 We didn't take the OHS route ourselves due to cost but I know someone who applied for her tween and this child really likes the program. If you like, PM me with your questions. I am quite certain the mom will be willing to answer them for you. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 I have nothing but wonderful things to say about ChemAdvantage's AP chem class offered through PAH homeschoolers. Great class with a great teacher. Another AoPS fan. Ds loved the classes. Even yrs later, he constantly attributes his success in math and physics to AoPS. Another possibility to not discount is a local mentor. Kathy was our ds's mentor for yrs and she really offered him far more than anything purely academic. :) There are adults out there who want to help inspire bright kids who really want to learn. A few of my kids have also done a ton of self-studying. That route was successful bc even at 12 they were self-motivated and I wasn't having to monitor what they were doing. I agree that with the scenario you describe for your ds that accountability is a huge factor. Just from my experience, IRL mentors are going to be far more motivating than virtual ones. A lot of online classes are "flat." The syllabus is there. Assignments are given, etc. But blackboard and drop box are not motivational. For kids who struggle with organization, due dates, time lines, self-regulation, etc, online classes can be difficult management-wise and kill the love for a subject. (our oldest dd detested online classes and found them distracting. She needed people to people IRL interaction to get into material.) 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1053 Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in Richmond Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 There's your answer right there. The Stanford online programs (with tutor) are very expensive. They used to offer very generous financial aid (5 years ago), so it's worth at least asking if they still do. My dd took the number theory class at a fraction of the advertised price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gratia271 Posted November 26, 2014 Author Share Posted November 26, 2014 I have nothing but wonderful things to say about ChemAdvantage's AP chem class offered through PAH homeschoolers. Great class with a great teacher. Another AoPS fan. Ds loved the classes. Even yrs later, he constantly attributes his success in math and physics to AoPS. Another possibility to not discount is a local mentor. Kathy was our ds's mentor for yrs and she really offered him far more than anything purely academic. :) There are adults out there who want to help inspire bright kids who really want to learn. A few of my kids have also done a ton of self-studying. That route was successful bc even at 12 they were self-motivated and I wasn't having to monitor what they were doing. I agree that with the scenario you describe for your ds that accountability is a huge factor. Just from my experience, IRL mentors are going to be far more motivating than virtual ones. A lot of online classes are "flat." The syllabus is there. Assignments are given, etc. But blackboard and drop box are not motivational. For kids who struggle with organization, due dates, time lines, self-regulation, etc, online classes can be difficult management-wise and kill the love for a subject. (our oldest dd detested online classes and found them distracting. She needed people to people IRL interaction to get into material.) I have been working on trying to find a local mentor for him. Right now it is my oldest daughter, who is helping her harried mom (G is such a blessing!) He does alright with self-study, but the interaction with others would be beneficial and would keep him accountable. I think the best case scenario is likely a mentor or smaller classes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gratia271 Posted November 26, 2014 Author Share Posted November 26, 2014 They used to offer very generous financial aid (5 years ago), so it's worth at least asking if they still do. My dd took the number theory class at a fraction of the advertised price. Thanks! I am going to look into it. DS took the SAT this month so that we would have the results lined up for application in case we pursue the online route. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gratia271 Posted March 14, 2015 Author Share Posted March 14, 2015 DS will be attending Stanford OHS full time this fall. I am so relieved and he is so excited! I hope, hope, hope he will find like-minded kids at last. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaConquest Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 DS will be attending Stanford OHS full time this fall. I am so relieved and he is so excited! I hope, hope, hope he will find like-minded kids at last. That's very exciting! Can't wait to hear how he likes it! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyforlatin Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 DS will be attending Stanford OHS full time this fall. I am so relieved and he is so excited! I hope, hope, hope he will find like-minded kids at last. If it were cheaper, I would love for Dd to enroll, especially since I have an acquaintance whose kids will have all graduated from there in a few years, and the kids seem to thrive and love OHS. I'm not sure if they entered as 7th graders or as high schoolers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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