Wilson Hill Academy Algebra II reviews?

[Connections]

It looks like a few people were considering Wilson Hill for Algebra II this year. I am looking into this for the future and would appreciate your thoughts.

 

Please post your reviews.

 

Thank you!

[rdj2027]

My son is currently taking Alg II with Mr. Reini.  As we live in Japan he is only watching the lectures but not participating live in the class discussion.  I find Mr. Reini to be a good teacher, concise, patient with a good dose of humor.  He has answered all my questions and concerns and is very willing to work with us on whatever is the issue de jour.  There is a lot of homework (or at least it seems like it to me) but it does not need to be turned in.  There are two quizzes per week and some of the quiz questions ask for answers from the homework so it does behoove a student to do it.  There is a chapter test after every chapter and there will be a final exam.  The parent submits a grade for the homework along with every chapter test.  The class uses Dolciani for a text and you will need a touch tablet and a graphing calculator.

I like that the class offers flexibility and at the same time structure.  Mr. Reini is always available for questions and in addition there is a discussion board for students.  Mr. Reini prays before class but other than that there are no religious sentiments in the class. 

I am happy with the class and will probably sign up my son for pre-calculus.

[yvonne]

My boys are taking Algebra II this year with Anne Stublen. We are all very happy with the class, and I plan to have my daughter take it when she reaches Algebra II. I'm thrilled to have found a provider that offers classes for the whole Dolciani sequence.

 

Mrs. Stublen has been very responsive and helpful in answering any of my questions. My sons think she is an excellent teacher who does a great job covering the material in class and giving clear explanations.  I thought it was neat that she took the time to leave feedback via video on my sons' chapter tests.

 

I can't say much about the class itself as my boys have been doing it completely independently, which I'm very happy about. :)  A pp did a great job of describing the routine.  There does seem to be a lot of homework, but that is probably par for a high school math course.

 

I do like the format of the students doing the homework and checking it against the solutions manual themselves and then doing a quiz on the material at the beginning of class. I was initially hesitant about this approach because I couldn't see the instructor not correcting daily homework. However, having seen it in action now, I really appreciate the fact that it supports the student in taking responsibility for their own learning. They aren't just doing homework because it's assigned and they have to hand it in; they do the homework and check it themselves so they can be sure they understand the material before the quiz and end of chapter test. The quizzes ensure that the students keep up with the class. The students and the instructor can see from their quizzes whether they've mastered the material.  It's a more active learning, I think, than a typical classroom where the student might feel more like it's the teacher's job to pull them through the material. I'm not doing a good job of explaining, but I think this is a strength of the class.

 

The approach does require a certain level of maturity on the part of the student. My daughter has a similar routine for Algebra I, but, after she does the homework, she reads her answers and I look at the teacher's edition and tell her if her answers are correct. Anything she gets wrong, we work through together. She doesn't have the maturity, yet, or the stamina when it comes to math to self-check and really work on understanding where she went wrong. I think she'll be more self-directed when she reaches Algebra II.

Edited November 19, 2015 by yvonne

[Matryoshka]

I can't say enough good things about our experience with Anne Stublen, first with Algebra II and now PreCalculus.  I love that the classes are live and interactive.  Ms. Stublen has always been very responsive with any questions from either my dd or me.  She is also an enthusiastic and encouraging teacher.  Math was not my dd's favorite subject, but she has really blossomed in these classes.  She is doing well and feels successful with math.  One thing I particularly like (and I'm not sure if all WH teachers do this, but Ms. Stublen does) is that she gives video feedback for every exam - going over what the student did right and understood, and also highlighting any problem areas and explaining what went wrong, or just pointing out that they were just silly errors that could have been caught with more checking - it's always good to know if you missed a problem because you missed a step or a sign vs. you didn't understand what was going on.  And her comments are always constructive and supportive.