Choosing an online class that uses Hewitt's Conceptual Physics

[Cake and Pi]

There are so many to choose from! Can anyone compare and contrast physics from these providers? They all seem to use Hewitt's Conceptual Physics text.

Athena's
WTMA
Clover Creek
Conceptual Academy

If we did Athena's we'd include the physics calculations add on class. If we went with WTMA we'd also do the lab. It looks like the Clover Creek class includes labs? And doing it through the homeschool version of Conceptual Academy looks... complete, just self-paced?

[Dmmetler]

One thing I will say-this past semester has been very odd, in that there have been a lot of refugees from public school due to COVID signing onto online classes. There have just plain been a lot more misplaced kids (kids who might well be on expected age/grade level, but are not at the typical level expected of the class), kids who are not prepared in advance, and kids who just plain don't do the work this semester. DD has noticed this both in classes she teaches and in ones she's taking, and she's not the only instructor I've heard verbalize such statements. Hopefully, next fall will be back to normal. 

[EKS]

I just wanted to make a plug for Derek Owens Physics.  It isn't conceptual (it's standard high school physics) and he does an excellent job.

[SoCal_Bear]

We've done both Athena's and in the middle of Jetta's Clover Creek one...what are you looking for out of the class and for which kid?

 

Edited December 15, 2020 by calbear

[Cake and Pi]

10 hours ago, calbear said:

We've done both Athena's and in the middle of Jetta's Clover Creek one...what are you looking for out of the class and for which kid?

 

I'd love to read your take on Athena's vs. Jetta's classes.

Your question has a complicated answer.

1) I'm trying to find a "next thing" for DS#3 for after the Davidson Explore Contemporary Science class he's taking this year and the GT 7th grade public school science class he took last year. He wants labs, so many labs. I want lab reports so he can at least maintain the technical writing skills he's developed over the last couple of years. We both want peer interactions because connecting over science/math is much easier for him than connecting over more traditionally social topics.

But also:

2) It would simplify things *greatly* if I could lump DS#2 in with DS#3 instead of running separate sciences for them; however, he requires significantly lower output expectations. DS#2 turns out to be just as PG as DS#3, but with dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD, and more. He can handle (interesting) high input, but is resistant to output (because it's hard for him). He'll also just be getting to algebra I at the same time as covering this material, so a *mostly* conceptual approach is preferred, but incorporating algebra would be a good application and perhaps give him a *reason* to learn some math since kid has trouble finding the motivation to learn things he doesn't see a point behind.

So... I might be looking at different classes for the two boys but that use the same textbook and cover roughly the same topics. Maybe whichever class is most rigorous (and includes peer interactions, if at all possible) for DS#3 and then I can align DS#2 in the self-paced stuff through Conceptual Academy? On the other hand, if the Athena's class gets deep enough, that might work for both of them since Athena's is so flexible. DS#2 could choose a lighter path through the assignments than DS#3, who would probably do *all* the required, highly suggested, and optional assignments and the calculations class.

[SoCal_Bear]

Ok, based on what you said, this would likely rule out Clover Creek this year. Jetta has algebra as a pre-requisite. There's a lot of problem solving that you have to do and manipulating equations in the first semester. While the text is conceptual, Jetta brings in a lot more math than the book does. The class is very good, so if you could delay for him until he completes algebra, I would say it is well worth waiting to do that if you want a really well structured entry to high school science. My son had a bit of a rocky start coming into the class because of the executive functioning and study skills required to be successful in the class. My son was sick for almost 2 weeks at the end of September so he had to work to try to catch up. Fortunately, there was a mid semester break that let him do that. You wouldn't be able to differentiate this class because everyone has the same assignments which is a constant flow of daily assignments, quizzes, labs, and tests.  

Athena's would be good for exploring physics at a high level which is what I used it for when DS was 9. It was fine for our purpose which was to explore and not necessarily do it for a credit. If I had to choose only one or the other because it was going to be the only physics until he would pick it up at the AP level, I would pick Clover Creek personally. DS has gotten a lot out of the course and really grown into what is required. Jetta does such a great job of organizing the class and laying out exactly what is expected. It really was a great first high school level science course for my son with the output required at this level. He was at a point where he needed to level up. I follow the philosophy that another boardie mentioned on here that there is one course that really required him to step up and put in effort in studying every year. As much as I like Athena's, the Physics course wouldn't achieve that goal because it isn't designed to do that. It also does not have the labs you are looking for unless it has changed since we did the course. However, it is a perfectly good solution for a high input low output low stakes solution. 

So, I think maybe Athena's is more up your alley based on your last paragraph if you want to add in labs yourself. At the time, the teacher was using this website https://www.physicsclassroom.com/The-Laboratory for problems. The laboratory section I linked has loads of labs that you can access to add to the Athena's course if you decide to go that way.

 

Edited December 15, 2020 by calbear

[Jackie]

You may have already made your decision, but I can give information on Clover Creek, which DD did last year. It definitely includes labs and lab reports. There are quizzes and tests on a regular basis, and it was DD’s first experience with such, so she definitely had a learning curve on studying, being prepared, and what grades were. (I know your kids have had some experience with more traditional schooling, but mine had no idea that percentages translated to letter grades at all, lol.) The Algebra requirement is no joke; a kid who couldn’t manipulate equations well would really struggle.

Jetta was excellent to work with. She knew DD’s age, and had young kids in class before (DD had been the youngest she’d ever had, when she was 9). She was used to communicating primarily with the parents for younger kids, but when I explained that I wanted to use her class as a “test class” to see what DD could handle on her own, she had no problem with treating DD like any high school student. (I think I only communicated with her once that school year, after the first test, to make sure she could read DD’s handwriting or whether or I needed to work with DD on using equation editors to type the math portions of the tests.) I had to put in some time with DD at the beginning of the year on how to organize her time and organize her work, but Jetta’s organization is so clearly laid out that DD was handling the class completely independently by the end of the first quarter.