Quiver0f10 Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 http://www.bjupress.com/distance-learning/by-online/ordering-pricing.php Too steep for us though, so we will stick with apologia for science. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhondabee Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 http://www.bjupress.com/distance-learning/by-online/ordering-pricing.php Too steep for us though, so we will stick with apologia for science. :iagree::iagree::iagree: But, thanks for posting! I've been tossing that one up in the air for weeks, so I'm glad that's settled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2GirlsTX Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 I am curious about their DVD program classes for someone I know. I looked at the 4th grade and one of the teachers was using puppets, it seemed very babyish, especially for 4th grade. Are their samples old or is that how the classes are ? (maybe I should just start a new thread ... please forgive me for hijacking Quiver...but thought y'all might have some experience with the dvd classes.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razorbackmama Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 So glad to know they listened to their customers.:rolleyes: Ah well. Thanks for the link - I had friends who were interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted March 31, 2009 Author Share Posted March 31, 2009 So glad to know they listened to their customers.:rolleyes: Ah well. Thanks for the link - I had friends who were interested. No kidding! I filled out the survey as I am sure lots of others did. I can say I am not suprised at the price, but disapointed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted March 31, 2009 Author Share Posted March 31, 2009 I am curious about their DVD program classes for someone I know. I looked at the 4th grade and one of the teachers was using puppets, it seemed very babyish, especially for 4th grade. Are their samples old or is that how the classes are ? (maybe I should just start a new thread ... please forgive me for hijacking Quiver...but thought y'all might have some experience with the dvd classes.) I'm sorry I haven't actually used the DVDs. I had hope to use the online curses this coming year, but wont be now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razorbackmama Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 I am curious about their DVD program classes for someone I know. I looked at the 4th grade and one of the teachers was using puppets, it seemed very babyish, especially for 4th grade. Are their samples old or is that how the classes are ? (maybe I should just start a new thread ... please forgive me for hijacking Quiver...but thought y'all might have some experience with the dvd classes.) It really depends on the class. I think maybe the English uses a FEW puppets - not many. Not sure about Heritage Studies/science since we didn't use them for that grade. Math might have a bird every once in a great while, but not often. Reading and spelling do not use any puppets. They are VERY well done. I'm not crazy about the math/science for that grade, but that's because of the teacher's teaching style. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1shortmomto4 Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 It is only $20 dollars cheaper than purchasing the DVDs and with the online you do not receive a TM for the subjects but can download or print off. I'm not sure how cost-effective that would really be. I like having my teacher manual to check answers, reread a lesson when help is needed. I, too, was hoping it would be less. I also wish they'd allow you to purchase just the semester course for the Lit/Grammar rather than the whole package. Heidi Mom to 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 I realize it's not as reasonable as HomeSat was, but Veritas Press and Memoria Press are more per class. I have a friend who is doing all online and local in-person classes next year, and the bottom line is quite a bit for two kids, although less than a good private school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in CA Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 It really depends on the class. I think maybe the English uses a FEW puppets - not many. Not sure about Heritage Studies/science since we didn't use them for that grade. Math might have a bird every once in a great while, but not often. Reading and spelling do not use any puppets. They are VERY well done. I'm not crazy about the math/science for that grade, but that's because of the teacher's teaching style. 4th grade reading is FANTASTIC! It's a cowboy/western theme and my son loved it. There ARE a few puppets though if I recall...some buzzards or something. They are not used a lot, but I seem to recall some.:confused: I recall puppets in 5th grade Spelling too. Some sea crabs or something...not sure. When my son first started with BJU classes in 4th grade he was a bit put-off by the puppets...but it wasn't long before they grew on him and he began to really enjoy them. Oh, and no puppets in the math classes. I don't recall even one and we've used 4th-6th. I cannot recall any puppets in BJU's 4th or 5th grade Science either. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razorbackmama Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 4th grade reading is FANTASTIC! It's a cowboy/western theme and my son loved it. There ARE a few puppets though if I recall...some buzzards or something. They are not used a lot, but I seem to recall some.:confused: I recall puppets in 5th grade Spelling too. Some sea crabs or something...not sure. Ahhhh you're probably right! I didnt pay much attenton to what all they were doing LOL. Miss Liston in 4th grade reading is what got my son reading for pleasure (some). He was a bit obsessive about the reading contests LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in CA Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Well, I was hoping BJU would actually LISTEN to their satellite users and offer something affordable. Apparently not. The satellite was the cheapest way for large families to use BJU. A family of 1 to 2000 could use all BJU classes/all grades for $50 month. These same families were really hoping for something affordable like the satellite. I think they were hoping the online courses would be waaaay cheaper than the DVDs thereby helping these loyal customers continue being able to afford BJU. Ha! I fear BJU has definitely let them down in that respect. :glare: I know many also begged BJU to offer courses without the books so they could find their books used, or use the books they already have onhand from a previous child. It seems to me that BJU didn't listen to any of their requests. Except for 6-12th grades one still has to purchase an entire BJU grade! Many were hoping with the online version that one could pick and choose subjects all the way down to K...of course I also think they thought BJU would offer them at a cheaper price as well. I am all set with my BJU classes for the rest of my son's schooling, but I truly feel for those who are not and really like BJU. I personally feel like BJU has let them all down. Why offer online classes when you already have DVDs and even a harddrive option that all cost relatively the same price? :confused: What EVER BJU. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in CA Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 I realize it's not as reasonable as HomeSat was, but Veritas Press and Memoria Press are more per class. I have a friend who is doing all online and local in-person classes next year, and the bottom line is quite a bit for two kids, although less than a good private school. Yes, but VP and MP have actual live teachers teaching the courses that they have to pay each and every month. BJU's classes are prerecorded, some years ago. I think my son's 6th grade math was recorded in the mid 90's. It's not a matter of the price and it being cheaper than private tuition, it's a matter of BJU dropping all it's loyal satellite customers and somehow conveying that they were going to try and offer something in it's place....something online perhaps...something affordable for the larger families who chose the satellite due to having so many children to school. The online option is not much cheaper than any of BJU's other options! In fact, because they don't even send the TE's...I'd say it's MORE expensive than their previous options! :001_huh: BJU will be losing many loyal customers. If I did not already have the classes I need, they would be losing me that's for sure and not because I cannot afford their subject courses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Well clearly the HomeSat pricing wasn't sustainable, being so low. $849 per student really is good, when you consider what you're getting. It's just gonna add up for people with a lot of kids. And that per subject cost is what gets me. If they could have done $150 for one class, I think a lot of people would have sprung for it. But at $350 for an individual class, it's just too high. But I'm confused. When you do the dvd's or hard drive, do they send you the textbooks AND the tm's, or just the textbooks and those mom's minutes things? (no tm's) Like the others said, the real bummer is the overall cost for large families, not the fairness of it on a single level. If you're used to Homesat at $50, this is gonna bite! :-/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razorbackmama Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Well, I was hoping BJU would actually LISTEN to their satellite users and offer something affordable. Apparently not. The satellite was the cheapest way for large families to use BJU. A family of 1 to 2000 could use all BJU classes/all grades for $50 month. These same families were really hoping for something affordable like the satellite. I think they were hoping the online courses would be waaaay cheaper than the DVDs thereby helping these loyal customers continue being able to afford BJU. Ha! I fear BJU has definitely let them down in that respect. :glare: I know many also begged BJU to offer courses without the books so they could find their books used, or use the books they already have onhand from a previous child. It seems to me that BJU didn't listen to any of their requests. Except for 6-12th grades one still has to purchase an entire BJU grade! Many were hoping with the online version that one could pick and choose subjects all the way down to K...of course I also think they thought BJU would offer them at a cheaper price as well. I am all set with my BJU classes for the rest of my son's schooling, but I truly feel for those who are not and really like BJU. I personally feel like BJU has let them all down. Why offer online classes when you already have DVDs and even a harddrive option that all cost relatively the same price? :confused: What EVER BJU. :lol: :iagree::iagree::iagree: I do realize that the satellite pricing was not paying for itself (sounds like their cost accountant may need to go back to school.......), but truly the online option won't be any different than the DVD option. It's not a very "unique" option. It was advertised as something that would sort of "replace" the satellite option, to give customers another alternative besides the DVD/hard drive. Really this option is not that at all.:thumbdown: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1shortmomto4 Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 "But I'm confused. When you do the dvd's or hard drive, do they send you the textbooks AND the tm's, or just the textbooks and those mom's minutes things? (no tm's)" I am currently using DVDs for PreAlgebra, Algebra, Spanish 1, English/Lit and they all included the student books, teacher manuals, calendar schedules, answers to problems, copies of quizzes, tests, etc and the answers, hand outs, etc. I've needed nothing to add except pencil, paper and the graphing calculator. I do agree, the pricing is steep and the options are few - especially in this economy. Familiies need better options that are cost-friendly. And yes, now that I have these TMs and student books, it sure would be nice to be able to get the DVDs separately when they are needed later down the line (I know you can re-rent them for the following year but I'm not necessarily going to need them the following year due to spacing of my kids. Ugh). Heidi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2GirlsTX Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 thanks for the info, I'll pass it on. I've never used BJU, but find it sad that any business would cut off so many customers without some type of reasonable alternative to offer them. Ouch ouch $$$ for big families if they wanted to use the program now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teacalm Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 What a letdown! I'm sorely disappointed. I have the BJU Life Science DVD and even though it is using the previous edition, it's rigourous, thorough, and well presented. I was hoping to get the BJU Reading and Science 5/6 on DVDs. I was really excited to receive the news even to the point of marking down my calendar as it's nearing April 1st. But you know, if I decide to go ahead, I'll just have to bite the bullet and go for it. Bummer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest aquiverfull Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 I've used BJU in the past but only bought the books, never tried the distance learning. I was considering BJU for Math, especially for the option of having a "teacher" in the upper level Maths. However, am I understanding that it will cost $399 ( I looked at Algebra I) for the DVDs, I'm not sure if that includes the books or not. And that is just to lease them?? I wouldn't actually be buying them to keep? I'm just wondering if I'm understanding that correctly? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Add me to the Disappointed Camp. We've been using the DVDs for the past few years, and I was interested in the online option, but... the "bargain" price (apparently for a limited time only!) is only $150 less than the DVD package, and it doesn't include printed TMs, so where's the bargain? Also, you are only permitted to watch each class three times, which seems like an unnecessary restriction. The DVDs are more convenient for many reasons, and for the small difference in price, I can't see the benefit of the online program. (Ok, no DVDs to keep track of, and no stupid cardboard DVD holders, but that's about all!) I was hoping the online option would be cheaper and more flexible, because ideally, we'd like to use BJU for some classes and not others, and that's not an option at the 4th/5th grade level. Oh well. Cat PS. We like the puppets!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razorbackmama Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 I've used BJU in the past but only bought the books, never tried the distance learning. I was considering BJU for Math, especially for the option of having a "teacher" in the upper level Maths. However, am I understanding that it will cost $399 ( I looked at Algebra I) for the DVDs, I'm not sure if that includes the books or not. And that is just to lease them?? I wouldn't actually be buying them to keep? I'm just wondering if I'm understanding that correctly? Thanks. It includes the books, but yes, it is just a lease. You would get to keep the books, but not the DVDs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 MIght as well pay for college courses...YEESH!@@!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest aquiverfull Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 It includes the books, but yes, it is just a lease. You would get to keep the books, but not the DVDs. Thank you!! Yikes!! That is really expensive. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyDay Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 :iagree: out of our budget!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted March 31, 2009 Author Share Posted March 31, 2009 It is only $20 dollars cheaper than purchasing the DVDs and with the online you do not receive a TM for the subjects but can download or print off. I'm not sure how cost-effective that would really be. I like having my teacher manual to check answers, reread a lesson when help is needed. I, too, was hoping it would be less. I also wish they'd allow you to purchase just the semester course for the Lit/Grammar rather than the whole package. Heidi Mom to 4 The way I understood it, you can get teacher books, but you have to buy them for extra. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted March 31, 2009 Author Share Posted March 31, 2009 MIght as well pay for college courses...YEESH!@@!!! :iagree: A 3 credit course at our local CC would cost $204 and then books, which I most likely could get used. But even a a full price book might be cheaper that the BJU course and they would get college credit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
74Heaven Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I was hoping the online option would be cheaper and more flexible, because ideally, we'd like to use BJU for some classes and not others, and that's not an option at the 4th/5th grade level. QUOTE] Briefly, I don't think BJU or A Beka seems to care if their offerings are a good option for homeschoolers. After using BJU for some 11th grade classes this year, I feel that the general motive of BJU is that "we (BJU) have this great program/class, etc and we might as well sell it to homeschoolers since we have it already taped/taught... etc.". I don't think BJU or A Beka is interested in being a viable option for homeschoolers. The $3-$400 price per class if you don't want the whole grade level makes it obvious that they want you to buy everything to up their profit and they will "let" you pay a steep price to use their products if they can't talk you into the $1100-$1200 per class price. Even that option is only good for 7th grade on up. I truly think both companies are in it for the money. Now, that is their decision, of course. Many homeschool curriculum companies truly want to come alongside homeschoolers and make a profit at the same time. Not BJU. Not A Beka. It really is too bad. These companies could make even greater profits if they geared their programs to homeschoolers' needs - but I think they are interested in an "easier buck". It is much simpler to sell their programs by the grade level with each customer in for $1100 or so then to sell to thousands more customers who are only in for a couple hundred bucks each. (in order to let homeschoolers pick and choose what they want.) And truly, it would speak volumes - and be a truely powerful advocate for homeschooling if these private colleges/companies wanted to be homeschooling supporters and suppliers. But I think even offering the products is far from their true mission as colleges and curriculum suppliers to traditional private schools. Lisaj, too bad... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paisley Hedgehog Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 nm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted April 1, 2009 Author Share Posted April 1, 2009 Not what I was hoping for, but I'm not totally bummed either. Face it folks, BJU is not a charity. They need to make money to stay in business, pay their employees, develop curriculum, etc. Their pricing reflects this reality. I do feel really badly for those large families who simply cannot foot the bill for what is essentially private school, but are we suggesting that the school should take a loss on this programming?? Regarding the on-line pricing specifically, the intro price of $849, which includes everything your student needs (except science supplies), is $95/month/child for a 9-month school year. When you consider that about $300 of that price is for books that you get to use and keep, the cost for the programming is $61/month/child for 9 months (the cost is even less per month if you take longer to finish). That is for a teacher to come into your home and teach every subject for an entire month. We have paid more than that for a karate lessons and art classes that were only half an hour once a week! While I understand it is beyond some peoples' reach financially, I don't find it unreasonable. BJU is really in an impossible position of trying to balance the books while still making their products available to homeschoolers AND keep everyone happy. NOT going to happen :). A few things that I did wonder about: I did find it misleading that the online assessments were only available for high school. I had thought from the demo that these would be available at all levels. I am also disappointed that the 'a la carte' option is still not available for K-5. It doesn't make any sense, since obviously the subjects are available for separate viewing. Also, did anyone see how long the introductory pricing is available? The site says that the books would be shipped by May 15, so I assume that it has to be before then. The thing is, as someone else mentioned, many of the classes have already been recorded years ago. So they aren't paying teachers to make new classes. Yes, they have to pay a teacher when they do make a new class, but then once it's done they no longer have that overhead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shea Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I am curious about their DVD program classes for someone I know. I looked at the 4th grade and one of the teachers was using puppets, it seemed very babyish, especially for 4th grade. Are their samples old or is that how the classes are ? (maybe I should just start a new thread ... please forgive me for hijacking Quiver...but thought y'all might have some experience with the dvd classes.) Don't be put off by the puppets used in the classes. We used the BJU classes the first year of homeschooling after pulling my kids from the local CS. My 4th and 6th grader enjoyed the puppets when used ( and so did their mother). In some of the younger classes they are used daily, but the older classes they are just used to stress certain points in the subject and to make it more memorable. For instance, in 6th grade History, the puppets were used in a play about the workings of a republic. It was hilarious! The whole family enjoyed it. In 4th grade reading I don't recall puppets being used much at all. An actor played the character "Cliff" who would appear once in awhile to interact with the teacher. This was our favorite part of the BJU classes. My son would call us all in to watch with him whenever Cliff appeared. He did a skit on personification that we would pull out at times during the year to watch just for the fun of it. The characters and puppets help break up the monontony of watching DVD classes everyday and make it more enjoyable. I wish the online classes were more affordable, but at the price they're asking per class, I can buy other programs that I can keep and then reuse with my son. I'm afraid BJU is is now out of our price range. Sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razorbackmama Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 My main problem isn't so much the "high price" (it's high, but I do agree that it needs to pay for itself) but that it's not different enough from the DVD option to be a true "alternative." They should have just not offered anything different than the DVD option...it would have been easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS/FL Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 My main problem isn't so much the "high price" (it's high, but I do agree that it needs to pay for itself) but that it's not different enough from the DVD option to be a true "alternative." They should have just not offered anything different than the DVD option...it would have been easier. THis. It's not a replacement for Homesat at all. Not even close. Out of my price range just as hard drive and DVD were last week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 My complaint about the price of the online option was that it wasn't enough of a bargain when compared with the current DVD option, because the online option includes fewer items. If I were getting exactly the same package, with the only difference being whether we watched lessons on DVD or online, I would still expect to save some money, because BJU wouldn't have to send us any DVDs, but as it is, I pay a bit less, but I lose the complete set of printed teacher's manuals. I don't agree that BJU is the price equivalent of a private school -- at least not where I live. I would have to pay a bare minimum of $10,000 per year for tuition alone, plus add extra for books, uniforms, activities, and other expenses -- and that's not for the school I would actually choose if we were to send ds to school. The one I would choose would cost considerably more than that, and I would not hesitate to spend the money if we didn't want to hs any more. Obviously, BJU is in business to make money. We all need to make money, and BJU is a good-sized company with many employees to support, and I'm sure their expenses are high. Realistically, anyone selling homeschool curriculum needs to make money, even when their "warehouse" is in the garage and their "corporate offices" are on their kitchen table, because if they don't show a profit, they'll go out of business. If they don't make a profit on sales, their business will not be able to grow. The same is true for BJU, just on a much larger scale. Just because a company sells Christian material, doesn't mean they have to be a charity, and I don't think BJU's prices are particularly high. Sorry if it sounds like I'm defending BJU, but we've used them for the past few years, and have had nothing but positive experiences. This year, we've had a few problems with DVDs that didn't work properly, but BJU replaced them immediately and without question, at their expense. I don't like the new cardboard DVD holders they're using this year, but when I told them about it, they said they have had many complaints and were planning a change for the 2009-10 school year. Overall, my complaint is that the "new" online program turned out to be a snooze, when I was hoping to be excited about it. Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in CA Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Not what I was hoping for, but I'm not totally bummed either. Face it folks, BJU is not a charity. They need to make money to stay in business, pay their employees, develop curriculum, etc. Their pricing reflects this reality. I do feel really badly for those large families who simply cannot foot the bill for what is essentially private school, but are we suggesting that the school should take a loss on this programming?? Regarding the on-line pricing specifically, the intro price of $849, which includes everything your student needs (except science supplies), is $95/month/child for a 9-month school year. When you consider that about $300 of that price is for books that you get to use and keep, the cost for the programming is $61/month/child for 9 months (the cost is even less per month if you take longer to finish). That is for a teacher to come into your home and teach every subject for an entire month. We have paid more than that for a karate lessons and art classes that were only half an hour once a week! While I understand it is beyond some peoples' reach financially, I don't find it unreasonable. I agree with many of your points Shari. When you break it down and look at what you are getting, BJU really is worth it if one can afford it. The classes are top-notch and some of the best instruction available to the homeschool community. I've defended their prices many times in the past because I know how good the courses are. But... The issue, AGAIN, is not the price but the fact that they made this sound as if it would replace the satellite as an affordable option. I think if given the option of the satellite at a much higher monthly price...say even $100...or this new online option, a huge percentage of satellite users would have opted for keeping the satellite. But they did not give us that option. Instead they said after May of this year they are done! They sent us questionnaires and surveys to let them know what we would like in place of our satellite. They made it seem like this new option would be for us satellite users! BJU's new "affordable" option to replace their very affordable satellite option. This new option is no affordable option at all. Now, if they had actually listened to the masses they would have/could have at least done two things... 1. Offered the option of online class content only...minus the books. This would make the classes more affordable for some. Allowing them to find their books used, or reuse what they have. Something most did while using the satellite. 2. Offered the option of individual subjects classes for all grades, not just 6-12. How hard would this have been??? The very reason I decided to buy the satellite three years ago was so that I could pick and choose my boys' classes. I needed help with high school and BJU's satellite was an affordable option. A pain in the backside sometimes due to all the recording and dubbing, but affordable when using several subjects for three children. Both of these above options where highly asked for when asked by BJU, and they Did. Not. Listen. Option 2 would have been extremely easy to put into effect with an online option! Oh, they conceded by giving us 6th grade individual subjects instead of the 7-12th that they used to offer. Whoopee. :001_huh: :glare: But for those who really like BJU's elementary math or science...forget it. You buy the whole grade baby, or you just teach it yourself. I like BJU. To say that they don't care about homeschoolers is really unfair because we are why they had the satellite in the first place. Perhaps it was sinking them due to the costs. I can understand needing to find an alternative and going online would be a great alternative if they actually offered something different than what they are already offering with their DVDs and Hard-drive. The two above requests would have made the "option" more of an actual option. KWIM? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindyg Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I am curious about their DVD program classes for someone I know. I looked at the 4th grade and one of the teachers was using puppets, it seemed very babyish, especially for 4th grade. Are their samples old or is that how the classes are ? (maybe I should just start a new thread ... please forgive me for hijacking Quiver...but thought y'all might have some experience with the dvd classes.) I didn't care for this class, and I like HomeSat overall. But some teachers can do studio teaching, and some can't. This one can't. IMHO. It's not the use of puppets (or not) that makes me say this. It's the teacher's lack of screen presence. We couldn't stand to listen to her. When you think about puppets in HomeSat, don't think of "babyish." They use them in a totally age-appropriate way (IMO) as characters. Done properly, they can add a lot to the class; and they do a good job of keeping the kids engaged. They are not stupid, babyish characters. The 4th grade puppets act like 4th graders -- usually, somewhat silly 4th graders; but they don't act like toddlers. As for the pricing of the new online program -- it's about what I expected, and we will be trying it next year. For my situation, it seems better than either the hard drive or the DVDs. I've used HomeSat for 5 years, and I've been very pleased with the program as a whole, so I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and give this a try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razorbackmama Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I agree with many of your points Shari. When you break it down and look at what you are getting, BJU really is worth it if one can afford it. The classes are top-notch and some of the best instruction available to the homeschool community. I've defended their prices many times in the past because I know how good the courses are. But... The issue, AGAIN, is not the price but the fact that they made this sound as if it would replace the satellite as an affordable option. I think if given the option of the satellite at a much higher monthly price...say even $100...or this new online option, a huge percentage of satellite users would have opted for keeping the satellite. But they did not give us that option. Instead they said after May of this year they are done! They sent us questionnaires and surveys to let them know what we would like in place of our satellite. They made it seem like this new option would be for us satellite users! BJU's new "affordable" option to replace their very affordable satellite option. This new option is no affordable option at all. Now, if they had actually listened to the masses they would have/could have at least done two things... 1. Offered the option of online class content only...minus the books. This would make the classes more affordable for some. Allowing them to find their books used, or reuse what they have. Something most did while using the satellite. 2. Offered the option of individual subjects classes for all grades, not just 6-12. How hard would this have been??? The very reason I decided to buy the satellite three years ago was so that I could pick and choose my boys' classes. I needed help with high school and BJU's satellite was an affordable option. A pain in the backside sometimes due to all the recording and dubbing, but affordable when using several subjects for three children. Both of these above options where highly asked for when asked by BJU, and they Did. Not. Listen. Option 2 would have been extremely easy to put into effect with an online option! Oh, they conceded by giving us 6th grade individual subjects instead of the 7-12th that they used to offer. Whoopee. :001_huh: :glare: But for those who really like BJU's elementary math or science...forget it. You buy the whole grade baby, or you just teach it yourself. I like BJU. To say that they don't care about homeschoolers is really unfair because we are why they had the satellite in the first place. Perhaps it was sinking them due to the costs. I can understand needing to find an alternative and going online would be a great alternative if they actually offered something different than what they are already offering with their DVDs and Hard-drive. The two above requests would have made the "option" more of an actual option. KWIM? :iagree::iagree::iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyinNNV Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I would suspect that there are enough people who taped the BJU satellite classes & own the books, over the years, that BJU is going to forgo profits for many years to come. I know several people IRL that said they did this. And I think I've seen messages to that effect on this site. Someone mentioned that BJU was going to offer the online option as a cost-efficient alternative to the DVD option. Is that what BJU publicly stated, or is that what BJU customers hoped? Just curious. Holly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I like BJU. To say that they don't care about homeschoolers is really unfair because we are why they had the satellite in the first place. Perhaps it was sinking them due to the costs. I can understand needing to find an alternative and going online would be a great alternative if they actually offered something different than what they are already offering with their DVDs and Hard-drive. The two above requests would have made the "option" more of an actual option. KWIM? As an online professor who works for an institution with various distance learning options, I know just how expensive it is to put on these types of things. It sounds easy to put recorded courses online, but the reality is that it takes an investment of technology and personnel to do that and HomeSat was already running them into the ground financially from what I've heard. At the college where I work, every course converted to an online format requires an extensive cost-benefit analysis and there are many that don't make the cut. They can't do everything that everyone wants either. Some online homeschool providers (and the college I work for) are going to Wimba for live lectures which is less expensive, but you don't get the polished studio presentations that BJUP has always done, and you still have to do some coordination of instructors and software that requires some resources. And you may have quality issues because frankly not everyone understands and excels at live online lectures. And yes, CC courses may be cheaper than BJUP, but keep in mind that CC's are state-supported. Your tuition is only a fraction of what the true costs are. My guess is that they did a cost-benefit analysis and decided to go with something that was achievable and would keep them going. I heard informally that they were seriously considering stepping back to just DVDs at one point because of the financial drain, so I'm glad they are at least going online even if it's not what people had hoped for. I really don't think anyone is getting rich here. Most sectors in the private education and publishing worlds are not doing at all well right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS/FL Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I would suspect that there are enough people who taped the BJU satellite classes & own the books, over the years, that BJU is going to forgo profits for many years to come. I know several people IRL that said they did this. And I think I've seen messages to that effect on this site. Someone mentioned that BJU was going to offer the online option as a cost-efficient alternative to the DVD option. Is that what BJU publicly stated, or is that what BJU customers hoped? Just curious. Holly It's been said that they would replace satellite with something. The implications have always been that it would be more affordable to large families than the DVDs are. This isn't what i would expect. They can't think that someone with 4-6 kids is going to drop this amount of money do they? (or hey, in my case just 3 kids). I agree that i didn't want perks and online testing and such. Show the classes and that is it..... individual elementary classes too. Oh well, i'm glad i have recorded what i do. i have gaps - and I hope by the time i need 4th grade most of it has been re-recorded because i'll start saving up to do that year with DVD. I also can wish they had made a provision for continuing Sat customers to purchase updated classes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindyg Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 4th grade reading is FANTASTIC! ... I cannot recall any puppets in BJU's 4th or 5th grade Science either. :001_smile: I agree that 4th Grade Reading is fantastic. One of the best classes we've had ever. There is a puppet in 5th Grade Science. He's a frog, and he plays the learner role when the teacher does the test review. Again, he's not a babyish puppet. He's a 5th grade puppet. 5th Grade Science is a VERY good class. There are other characters, other than the frog puppet. There's a maintenance man who we "catch" on the security camera sometimes. Very funny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindyg Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Why offer online classes when you already have DVDs and even a harddrive option that all cost relatively the same price? :confused: Well, why not? I'm very glad to have this option! I much prefer having the classes all in one place and not have to handle DVDs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhonda in TX Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I do think their DVD courses are reasonable for what you get ($1000 for one grade - it was costing use $1000/month when our 2 kids were in private school!), but we just can't afford that right now. We're having to cut expenses and this will not make the cut. I never used Homesat, but I was hoping for prices along the same lines as that. Oh, well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindyg Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 And yes, CC courses may be cheaper than BJUP, but keep in mind that CC's are state-supported. Your tuition is only a fraction of what the true costs are. Furthermore, community college classes are not appropriate for children. You can also say that public school classes are cheaper than BJUP. So what? Neither free public school classes nor inexpensive community college classes are appropriate for my child. With BJUP, I can keep him home AND give him classes designed for the unique learning requirements of children. Even when I oversleep. LOL! Q10 said: <<The thing is, as someone else mentioned, many of the classes have already been recorded years ago. So they aren't paying teachers to make new classes. >> Yes they are paying teachers to make new classes. The HomeSat studio is very much alive and well. You can walk in and see an entire staff hard at work on every aspect of updating the classes. All that requires ongoing resources. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paisley Hedgehog Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 nm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS/FL Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 That was why i used the word "implication". I was told by my local rep last may that a replacement would be close to the same cost - that was what they were trying to figure out. Not that they know "anything and everything", but he had been told that was the goal. $50 off for more than 2 isn't much if you have a lot of kids you know? That discount should be tiered in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momtotkbb Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 A little off topic of the price ----but---- I was thinking that when I looked a few weeks ago it listed some "extras" for the On-line option being that students could e-mail with the teachers when they had questions. Also, that they would get a listing of other students in the course and e-mail addresses that they could coorespond with if they wanted. Was I just dreaming that ---bec now I'm not seeing it when I click on course descriptions? Also, for those looking at science only --remember that Dive has the high school DVD's that go with BJU's science. I haven't looked at them compared to BJU's own - but have heard they are good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in CA Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Well, why not? I'm very glad to have this option! I much prefer having the classes all in one place and not have to handle DVDs. :lol: Yes, I realize there is no reason NOT to offer this and of course many will like it...it's just not really a replacement at all for the satellite. Our understanding, and I suppose it could have all been a fabricated hope not at all based on reality, :w00t: was that this new "option" BJU was working on was to replace the satellite. If not, why in the world did BJU send out surveys and questionnaires to us satellite users? Perhaps we just had it all wrong thinking it was all about us. :tongue_smilie: :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in CA Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I didn't care for this class, and I like HomeSat overall. But some teachers can do studio teaching, and some can't. This one can't. IMHO. It's not the use of puppets (or not) that makes me say this. It's the teacher's lack of screen presence. We couldn't stand to listen to her. :confused::confused: What 4th grade teacher are you talking about? There are several! I'm thinking your probably talking about the 4th grade Math and Science teacher...if so, I somewhat agree. ;) She did a fine job, she just didn't seem real comfortable in front of the camera. The other teachers were great though. My son loved both English and Reading teachers for 4th. He even liked the Bible teacher, though I thought she was rather dull myself and in need of updated 'specktacles'...but he didn't, he really liked her! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS/FL Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 Another important part of this equation. Metered Internet usage. http://www.bjupress.com/distance-learning/by-online/faqs-technical.php Each class is 335mb approx (i'm assuming for the 30 minute classes). That is 1.3gb per day for 4 classes.... 26gb wtih one student for 20 days a month. If you are one of these customers - you could be hurting: http://www.statesman.com/business/content/business/stories/other/04/02/0402timewarner.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in CA Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 Another important part of this equation. Metered Internet usage. http://www.bjupress.com/distance-learning/by-online/faqs-technical.php Each class is 335mb approx (i'm assuming for the 30 minute classes). That is 1.3gb per day for 4 classes.... 26gb wtih one student for 20 days a month. If you are one of these customers - you could be hurting: http://www.statesman.com/business/content/business/stories/other/04/02/0402timewarner.html Yeah, this would not be an option we could use. We are allowed only 5gb a month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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