helena Posted August 21, 2016 Share Posted August 21, 2016 We're using Online G3 online classes for the first time. The class starts tomorrow, so today they have to watch a bunch of required videos on BrainPop and Discovery Education. My kids are 14 and 17, and they're pretty upset at being made to watch programs they used in grade school. I've told them to wait until tomorrow, to see how the class runs. Now I'm getting a little worried... Will they have to watch these videos throughout the classes?? Any BTDT?? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted August 21, 2016 Share Posted August 21, 2016 No experience with that, but it looks like it may be way below the level your students are at. If it is, I hope you can get a refund of what you've paid. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quark Posted August 21, 2016 Share Posted August 21, 2016 (edited) We only used Online G3 once long long ago. The program is based on giving younger, gifted kids high school level learning experiences and perhaps why the BrainPop and Discovery videos are still used (cute/ visual learning factors?). I wonder if it could be optional though. Does it say it is required? If so I would write to Headmistress G and see if your kids can be excused from those components. She is very approachable. Edited August 21, 2016 by quark 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted August 21, 2016 Share Posted August 21, 2016 We do online G3 classes and love them (DS insists on being in one every semester year round) but! I don't understand two things: how these qualify for high school credit and why we have to do orientation basically every semester. Orientation is particularly onerous this time and I'm about to send them an email actually. To answer your specific question, now that I have my own rant out of the way ;), how much brainpop is used may depend on the class. If I recall correctly, there was some in DS's Shakespeare classes but more in his LL7 and 8. We don't do these classes for credit here, they're more like extracurriculars DS wants to do for fun. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helena Posted August 22, 2016 Author Share Posted August 22, 2016 No experience with that, but it looks like it may be way below the level your students are at. If it is, I hope you can get a refund of what you've paid. Oh sheesh. Why is everything an uphill battle this year?? It hasn't even begun! The folks at Online G3 have been awesome, but our charter school, who's funds we're using to pay, have been difficult to deal with. My gut reaction is that if I try to drop, we'll never get the funds back. Maybe I'm wrong... We'll hope for the best and see how it goes tomorrow. These are just fun supplement classes but there's no way they're doing BrainPop. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helena Posted August 22, 2016 Author Share Posted August 22, 2016 We only used Online G3 once long long ago. The program is based on giving younger, gifted kids high school level learning experiences and perhaps why the BrainPop and Discovery videos are still used (cute/ visual learning factors?). I wonder if it could be optional though. Does it say it is required? If so I would write to Headmistress G and see if your kids can be excused from those components. She is very approachable. Thanks! They're more than willing to try, but I'll write her if it's a bust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helena Posted August 22, 2016 Author Share Posted August 22, 2016 We do online G3 classes and love them (DS insists on being in one every semester year round) but! I don't understand two things: how these qualify for high school credit and why we have to do orientation basically every semester. Orientation is particularly onerous this time and I'm about to send them an email actually. To answer your specific question, now that I have my own rant out of the way ;), how much brainpop is used may depend on the class. If I recall correctly, there was some in DS's Shakespeare classes but more in his LL7 and 8. We don't do these classes for credit here, they're more like extracurriculars DS wants to do for fun. Yeah... my 14yo is finishing up the orientation right now. She's all worked up. :/ My kids each picked out a fun class too. I just want it to all work out. They're saying that they're fine if it works out to be like a fun book or film club. Watch/read/chat/next. Fingers crossed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted August 22, 2016 Share Posted August 22, 2016 Yeah... my 14yo is finishing up the orientation right now. She's all worked up. :/ My kids each picked out a fun class too. I just want it to all work out. They're saying that they're fine if it works out to be like a fun book or film club. Watch/read/chat/next. Fingers crossed! Pretty much our experience :) Enjoy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted August 22, 2016 Share Posted August 22, 2016 (edited) Honestly, it's one login for all the kids in G3-there is no way they'll know if your DC actually watch those videos or not. DD11 loves G3 and Athena's Academy (to the point of being a TA for classes she's already taken just for fun)-but the fact is, there is a lot of fluff-one of the biggest benefits of such classes is to give DD a chance to decide for herself what is actually important and necessary and what isn't on classes that don't count for much since she's not in high school officially yet. I've seen assignments that easily had 20 hours of video on a single week-often only marginally linked. Sorry, my kid isn't doing that. Edited August 22, 2016 by dmmetler 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helena Posted August 23, 2016 Author Share Posted August 23, 2016 Honestly, it's one login for all the kids in G3-there is no way they'll know if your DC actually watch those videos or not. DD11 loves G3 and Athena's Academy (to the point of being a TA for classes she's already taken just for fun)-but the fact is, there is a lot of fluff-one of the biggest benefits of such classes is to give DD a chance to decide for herself what is actually important and necessary and what isn't on classes that don't count for much since she's not in high school officially yet. I've seen assignments that easily had 20 hours of video on a single week-often only marginally linked. Sorry, my kid isn't doing that. TTB WHAT??!!!!! Do you know if you can opt out of that stuff? How does your daughter work around that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 Usually it's in the optional/extensions. The most important/required assignments are always at the top-reading, writing, etc. I'm the one giving the grade on DD's report card anyway. (Having said that, I don't know how that plays out in classes with the writing supplement that are considered A-G approved.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.