Grantmom Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Does anyone have any opinions comparing these two? Rigor, how comprehensive they are, etc, in comparison to each other? Many thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grantmom Posted March 2, 2015 Author Share Posted March 2, 2015 I don't see a lot of discussion here about VideoText Interactive, but the premise of it seems to make a lot of sense to me, that it's very intuitive and a more logical flow of introducing algebra. The RightStart math folks used to recommend it as their next step. I just don't see it discussed here that often, so I was curious if it maybe wasn't as rigorous or complete. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dereksurfs Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 I remember when I first looked at VideoText before using TabletClass. I found mixed reviews including a number of posters who were unhappy with it for various reasons. You may want to do a search for some of those older threads if you haven't already. Here is a recent one which seems mixed as well: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/517339-videotext-algebra/?hl=%2Bvideotext One more: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/383005-videotext-algebra/?hl=%2Bvideotext I would imagine it would be hard to find someone who has used both to compare the two. I compared them separately. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest2 Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Video text Alg and Geometry worked well for DS1. He completed Singapore Primary math 5/6 then started. He went through the entire program and it worked very well for him. It begins with preAlg. The last module (has most of the trig) wasn't completed, so we had to find another Trig program for him. So he spent a few months teaching himself trig and then started AP Calc. Dd1 needed a more spiral approach and likes Saxon. We tried Videotext for her for a year, then repeated Alg 1 with Saxon. I cant speak to the other program you mentioned , so can't compare the two. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grantmom Posted March 4, 2015 Author Share Posted March 4, 2015 Yes, I think it's odd that I don't see a lot about it here, because I really like the way they describe it. The approach makes a lot of sense to me. Most of the posts about it here are old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momto6inIN Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 My son loved loved loved the Video Text Algebra. He's a mathy kid and he flew through it in 1 year. I'm most decidedly *not* mathy, and to my surprise I learned a lot and enjoyed it too. (I just watched the videos and discussed it with him, I didn't do any assignments or anything.) I so wish I'd been taught math like this when I was in school. He's on the Video Text Geometry now. The first few modules were rough, lots of logic. Which he enjoys, but he just wasn't getting the connection to math, so it just seemed like busywork stuff he already knew intuitively. But now that we're done with the first few modules and heavily into the proofs, he's enjoying it much more and getting a lot more out of it. I hope that the last couple modules will be done by August so he can finish up Trig/PreCalc, but I'm not optimistic. He'll probably go on to Chalkdust Precalculus instead. Never used Tablet Class. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grantmom Posted March 4, 2015 Author Share Posted March 4, 2015 Thanks! So, I don't get this. The modules are not complete? I don't see this mentioned on the website at all. It says Geometry A Complete Course includes a credit for geometry, trigonometry, and pre-calculus. But when you go to the shop section, you can purchase all of them except for the very last module, Module F. However, there is no mention of it elsewhere, or any note about when it is expected to be out. Am I missing that info somewhere? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grantmom Posted March 4, 2015 Author Share Posted March 4, 2015 But you can get Module F in the online package. So it must be finished? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Togo Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 VT is comprehensive and probably more rigorous than TC, but TC is also comprehensive and rigorous. VT worked very well with mathy dc who used it as a review prior to ACT - flew through it and enjoyed it. For youngest dc, VT was not a good fit when we tried it several summers ago. You can purchase the first Algebra module for online use at a reasonable cost to see if your dc connects with it. Actually, now that dc has gone through the TC core courses, VT might be a good fit, and I am considering it for pre-calc. With math, like composition, you often have to try a few curriculum. It has taken lots of errors to find the correct fit for youngest dc. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grantmom Posted March 5, 2015 Author Share Posted March 5, 2015 Thanks so much for sharing! I think I will call tomorrow to ask if the final modules actually are completed already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Togo Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 You are welcome. If you have a mathy student, VT is a very good choice. Our mathy dc said the VT explanations had depth but also said that there was nothing taught in VT that had not been covered in Saxon. For math dc, we used Saxon through Calculus with VT as a prep before ACT & SAT because dc finished Calculus early. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dereksurfs Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 VT is comprehensive and probably more rigorous than TC, but TC is also comprehensive and rigorous. VT worked very well with mathy dc who used it as a review prior to ACT - flew through it and enjoyed it. For youngest dc, VT was not a good fit when we tried it several summers ago. You can purchase the first Algebra module for online use at a reasonable cost to see if your dc connects with it. Actually, now that dc has gone through the TC core courses, VT might be a good fit, and I am considering it for pre-calc. With math, like composition, you often have to try a few curriculum. It has taken lots of errors to find the correct fit for youngest dc. We've found the same the true and consequently tried a variety programs. Each child learns so differently and this seems especially the case when it comes to math. That may also explain why the majority of programs get mixed reviews to some extent. One size simply does not fit all. For ds13 we went from MUS to TabletClass to AoPS and now finally Wilson Hill Academy. Most were very positive experiences overall with the exception of MUS. Of all of them this year has been the best with ds13's first 'live' online class. He really loves it including all the interaction with his teacher and peers. We like it so much in fact we've decided to take all other math courses online like this. It's worth it to see him thrive. For him we've found that just right fit. For the younger dds only time will tell. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grantmom Posted March 5, 2015 Author Share Posted March 5, 2015 1Togo, do you think VT would work as well without having done it before in Saxon? If he used it as a review, would it have been just as good if it had been the primary mode of learning the material? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dereksurfs Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 One more thing to consider. They both offer free demos. So I would definitely check those out and also allow your DS to preview them. Even though you will have the final say it's nice to get his input before making any big purchases. Sometimes the presentation style of the instructor or overall format of the program itself is simply not the best fit. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 my mathy son enjoys Tabletclass. He has done PRe-A, Alg 1 and Alg 2 through them, and is midway through Geometry but is pausing to take AoPS Counting and Probability, which he loves. For us, we like the clear explanation of the solutions through video, the self-pacing, and the teaching style, but then again he loves math so I think anything challenging would work for him. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Togo Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 We did VT after Saxon, so the material was a review. However, I do think VT would work well for a mathy student without Saxon. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momto6inIN Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 But you can get Module F in the online package. So it must be finished? No, it's not finished. With the online package, you will have access to Module F whenever it is finally finished. But it's not up on the website when you log in at all. It says "under construction". It's my understanding that they've been saying for several years now that it's "almost finished", so I'd take whatever they tell you when you call with a large grain of salt. I'll admit it's frustrating and I felt a bit like I'd been given the ole bait and switch when we bought it and found out it wouldn't include trig after all. But by that time I'd seen Tom Clark give a presentation on math instruction at a convention and I probably would have bought anything he sold me, he was so convincing! LOL It's a very solid program, and I definitely don't regret it for my oldest and I think it will work well for my other kids too. But I just wouldn't count on getting trig done with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grantmom Posted March 5, 2015 Author Share Posted March 5, 2015 That is crazy. They are charging you for it, but it's not even there yet? Huh, that is really odd. Even more odd is that it doesn't say that when you are buying it! At least not anywhere that I could find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grantmom Posted March 5, 2015 Author Share Posted March 5, 2015 Is it only Module F that is unfinished? Are all the other levels complete? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momto6inIN Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 Is it only Module F that is unfinished? Are all the other levels complete? Yes, only Module F is incomplete. It will have 2 units, Loci & Constructions and Trigonometric Relations. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest2 Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 Module F has been incomplete for years. I would guess it has been at least 5. I have a college freshman now, but back when i was researching it was incomplete, and they didn't finish it in the three years it took for my son to complete the program. Tom Clark is wonderful though. If you call , you can probably talk to him. When we got to module F , he talked us through what resources he would reccomend using to complete Geometry sequence. The customer service was amazing. Alg was a hug hit here, but Geometry was not as well liked. At one time, it looked like they were going to teach it online? Sometimes you can get a used less expensive Alg course through eBay. I think I paid $100 (VHS) , but bought Geometry directly from the company. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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