Online pathway to graduation - precalculus

[Anonymous]

We are considering switching to an online precalculus class through the online pathway to graduation (OPTG). If anyone has experience with this class in particular or OPTG in general, I would be very interested to hear about your experience. How is the quality of instruction? How easy/hard is it to use the platform? How did your student like the experience, find the pacing, and perform in the class? This would be for a student who is struggling and needs something that would reduce pressure/ be more manageable while dealing with a medical issue (without falling behind). The hope would be to do calculus next year.

[Anonymous]

Its a lot of self teaching and not a full course. Its to get kids to graduate not to fully educate them. If you are stopping at precal it would be ok, but if they are moving on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are considering switching to an online precalculus class through the online pathway to graduation (OPTG). If anyone has experience with this class in particular or OPTG in general, I would be very interested to hear about your experience. How is the quality of instruction? How easy/hard is it to use the platform? How did your student like the experience, find the pacing, and perform in the class? This would be for a student who is struggling and needs something that would reduce pressure/ be more manageable while dealing with a medical issue (without falling behind). The hope would be to do calculus next year.

Students are receiving emails that they are on the waitlist. You might want to find out if precalculus also has a waitlist.

[Anonymous]

Just like everything to do with MCPS now, it's half-assed. It will do. That is all. There is no inspired teaching at MCPS at the high school level any more. The more kids stare at screens, the happier MCPS is.

[Anonymous]

Maybe ask about credit for the BYU online class?

[Anonymous]

My kid did it last year, so not sure if it is different this year. Last year there were hardly any actual lessons in the precalc class. The class met, but most of the class was independent work time. The teacher would do breakout rooms to answer questions, but very little teaching actually occurred. If a student did not understand a concept in the module, there were video "helps" or they could ask the teacher, who would try to explain it either in front of the class or in a breakout room. It was not a good model for my kid who needed more actual instruction, but for a self directed, motivated, math savvy kid who can learn on their own, it might work.

On the other hand - my kid loved doing English through the program. That was much easier to grasp the content even though again, not much actual teacher led instruction. For social studies - the teacher had full lessons during the online class periods and shared the slide presentations in the module. That was a great class. Good content and lots of teacher led instruction.

So very much teacher and kid dependent.