naturalmom Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 Which of the following resources would you think are best to use with Foerster's, in order (because I can't afford all of them!). Math without Borders CD's* Solutions Manual Teacher's Manual * I did find a series of lessons on HippoCampus that correlates to Foerster's. They've taken their lessons and matched them to the Foerster's chapters - so it's not ideal, but it is a nice free resourse:) If you could get only one resources, which would it be (and why)? If two, which two and why? If I could afford all three, I wouldn't be posting this, so I won't ask about your third choice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaJuana Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 ...I would purchase the Teacher's Edition. It is an excellent resource for teaching the course. It tells how long each section should take, which problems to assign, how to teach the lesson, and what kinds of pitfalls the student might encounter. It also includes the answers to all the problems. It is the one essential support resource for teaching Foerster's. I'm not sure which of the other two resources would be best for your circumstances. I am confident about teaching math, and my children do not like video lessons, so the Solutions Manual is the best second choice for my circumstances. I have used it rarely, though. It has only been really helpful when I have not been around to help the student with an especially tough problem or when I have had so little sleep that my brain is as effective as a bicycle without a chain: No matter how hard I pedal I can't seem to get anywhere! Usually the right answer from the TE is enough to help me help my child. I can imagine circumstances, though, in which a parent would find video lessons to be the better second choice: when many younger children make consistent lessons impossible or when the parent struggles to understand the math, for example. Still, I think that in those circumstances, the Solutions Manual might also be important, since if the parent isn't available to teach the lesson, he or she also might have a tough time helping the student to figure out what went wrong in working an especially tough problem. So, the less the parent is able give to teaching the course (in time or in mathematical understanding), the more those extra resources will be helpful. I can't imagine teaching Foerster's without the TE, though. It provides essential framework for the course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naturalmom Posted September 2, 2008 Author Share Posted September 2, 2008 Are there tests or quizzes in the TE? I know it has "chalkboard problems". Are there step by step solutions to these, like the examples in the text, or are they just extra problems (that the teacher has to work out) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon in MD Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 For Al I we used Jacobs, which doesn't have a solutions manual, just an answer key. I found that for AL I, all I needed was the answers, I could usually figure out where ds went wrong from there. I know that Foerster has good explanations in his student texts, so I think you will probably be okay without a solutions manual as long as you have the answers to all the problems. You will want to find out if the TE has answers to all the problems. IF it does, then I'd spring for it first and the solutions manual second. I don't think you'll really need the videos for Al I....I'd save that money for later, tougher courses where the video might be really handy. His more advanced books have chapter tests at the end of each chapter, so, if Al I is the same, you would even have all your tests incorporated for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaJuana Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 ...include the answer, but no detailed solution. At the end of each chapter, the book includes a Chapter Test in both the student's and the teacher's editions. I have always used those as the exams for each chapter. I seem to recall hearing about tests published separately before, but I have never seen them nor used them. After Chapter 6, the texts also include a Cumulative Review Test, which can be used for a semester/cumulative exam. hth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 I can't imagine teaching Foerster's without the TE, though. It provides essential framework for the course. Would the video courses also provide the essential framework for the course, if it was hoped the student could do the course mostly on their own? Meaning, could the student watch the video, do the assigned problems, and just look to the parent for assistance with difficulties, or would the teacher's edition still be necessary? Also, I'm guessing the solutions manual has all the problems worked out, not just the answers? Does the TE have the answers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaJuana Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 ...has all the answers to all the problems, and the Solutions Manual includes each step involved in solving the problems in the text. I am not familiar enough with the videos to say whether they could be used exclusively, but the question I would ask is whether the videos include the suggested assignments for each day, suggested second assignments if the student has trouble, etc. By 'essential framework,' I mean instructions for the teacher explaining how long to take on each section, which problems to assign on each day, which problems might give the student difficulty, and what to do if the student encounters trouble on certain problems. From the samples on the Math Without Borders website, it appears that they substitute for a parent teaching the lesson, but I didn't see where they assigned problems or did any of the other things mentioned above that are included in the TE. Foerster's isn't set up to teach straight through with one lesson completed each day. It's more flexible, with plenty of extra problems for the student who struggles and suggestions for a faster pace for the student who is able to move ahead more quickly. Some days one lesson is assigned, and sometimes a lesson is taught over three or more days. The TE helps the parent to know how much work to assign and how long each section should take to complete. Some lessons have more than one option for time to teach, giving the teacher flexibility to select a lesson best suited to the student's mastery of the material. hth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 I taught it the first 2x w/o the TE. I bought it last yr. I didn't find it that helpful other than having a few extra examples. I couldn't have taught it the first time around w/o the solutions manual. Some of the word problems are tricky unless you are extremely solid in algebra yourself. I would definitely vote for the solutions manual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SusanAR Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 If I could have only one resource, I would choose the Teacher's Edition. It includes assignments, gives a suggested time frame for each section, and contains 'Problem Notes" which highlight tricky problems and common student mistakes. It also contains the answers (but not complete solutions). If i could choose two, I would choose the solutions manual. I didn't use it often, but it was nice to have My children do not study math independently; I teach it everyday; however, I must review the lessons before I teach them:001_smile:. Susan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan P. Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 Hi, I own all of the resources. I think you could use just the videos as long as you only have the students do the odd problems in the books. The answers to the odds are in the back. When I first purchased my student text, I had no resources! We made it through several chapters with me sometimes working out the even problems when I needed extra problems for my child. It wasn't always easy. Here is the order of which I bought my resources: 1. Teacher's Manual 2. Math Without Borders Video 3. Solution Manual. Now, that said and done, I only received mys solutions manual today, but I also just started my dd with Algebra I today too. Today was our first day of school for the year. I only had the TM with my son. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan P. Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 The Teacher's editions do not have the problems worked out step by step. Only answers are provided. If you want to see the problems worked out step by step then you need to buy a Solutions Manual. HTH, Jan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaNY Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 Would the video courses also provide the essential framework for the course, if it was hoped the student could do the course mostly on their own? Meaning, could the student watch the video, do the assigned problems, and just look to the parent for assistance with difficulties, or would the teacher's edition still be necessary? Also, I'm guessing the solutions manual has all the problems worked out, not just the answers? Does the TE have the answers? Yes, a student could do this. The TM has all of the answers, but I believe the SM does as well. I watch the videos with my dd, and she does the exercises on her own. I am watching the videos ahead of my dd, so I can help her as best I can. Someone more proficient at math probably does not need to do this. The video course offers more instruction than you will find in the TM. The lesson is presented by a math teacher, much like you would find in a classroom setting. He works through several of the problems from the text, showing different ways to solve the problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaNY Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 ...has all the answers to all the problems, and the Solutions Manual includes each step involved in solving the problems in the text. I am not familiar enough with the videos to say whether they could be used exclusively, but the question I would ask is whether the videos include the suggested assignments for each day, suggested second assignments if the student has trouble, etc. By 'essential framework,' I mean instructions for the teacher explaining how long to take on each section, which problems to assign on each day, which problems might give the student difficulty, and what to do if the student encounters trouble on certain problems. From the samples on the Math Without Borders website, it appears that they substitute for a parent teaching the lesson, but I didn't see where they assigned problems or did any of the other things mentioned above that are included in the TE. Foerster's isn't set up to teach straight through with one lesson completed each day. It's more flexible, with plenty of extra problems for the student who struggles and suggestions for a faster pace for the student who is able to move ahead more quickly. Some days one lesson is assigned, and sometimes a lesson is taught over three or more days. The TE helps the parent to know how much work to assign and how long each section should take to complete. Some lessons have more than one option for time to teach, giving the teacher flexibility to select a lesson best suited to the student's mastery of the material. hth I have the CD series, and there are no scheduling suggestions/plans included. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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