distance learning

Come Tour the Distance Learning Studios

July 5, 2018 by Jenna

Did you know that you can tour the Distance Learning studios at BJU Press? If you come by for a visit, you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at where all the teaching happens and get to meet all your favorite teachers too. So who’s responsible for giving the tours? Recently, Jennifer Matesevac, who has many other responsibilities, has excitedly taken on the opportunity of guiding the tours of Press Digital.

With an infectious laugh and an enthusiasm for meeting new people, Mrs. Matesevac takes each tour group through the most interesting parts of the Distance Learning operation. When we met with her, we were able to see firsthand the places she loves to show to homeschool families.

Featured on Your Tour

Teacher meeting place—She usually begins or ends your tour here with the teachers you requested. The teachers have busy schedules, so if you want to meet your child’s teacher, be sure to call ahead and schedule your tour.

Distance Learning studios—One of the next places you’ll visit is the studios where the teachers film their lessons. You might even get to see a teacher filming in progress. The studio we saw was set up for Reading 2. Mrs. Walker is using an amusement park theme for that class! What studio will you get to see on your tour?

Scene shop—When you stop by the scene shop, you might get a chance to meet Jodi Kappel, who designs and creates the sets for the Distance Learning studios. With a floor like a Jackson Pollock splatter painting, the scene shop is full of current and past projects. You might even get a chance to see an older set from your favorite class. Be sure to ask Jodi what she’s working on right now too!

Props and backdrops—Do you know what the sets (and many of the props the teachers use) are made of? In this part of the tour, you’ll get to see, and touch, many of the sets and props from the classes you’ve taken. You might also see some new items for classes currently being filmed. We got to see some of Mrs. Bancroft’s hats and the new set backdrop for Mr. Matesevac’s geometry class.

How to Organize a Tour

Choose a date or two when you can come to Greenville, SC, for a visit!
Call our receptionist, Stephanie, at (864)546-4600, ext. 4605. She will take down all the relevant information she needs to organize the tour, including which teachers you would like to meet. Currently, you can request to meet any of the following teachers: Sarah Lawson, Debbie Overly, Sarah Gillenwater, Cynthia Bullock, Becky Rulapaugh, Michelle Jarrell, Andrea Lindstrom Hall, Aida Kuhlewind, Evanna Walker, Ken Matesevac, Bill Harmon, and Tim Snow. Again, you will want to call ahead to see if these teachers are available.
Stephanie will try to help you pick a day and time when all of the teachers you want to see are available.

We hope to see you soon!

2018 Homeschool Catalog Highlights

February 13, 2018 by Ben

Our 2018 homeschool catalog is off the press and will show up soon in your mailbox. We’re excited about what BJU Press families did to make this year’s catalog more engaging. Back in October, we asked you to photograph your homeschool in action. The results were overwhelming and fun! Here’s just one example.

New Distance Learning Courses

As a homeschool dad, I’m thrilled to see how the self-paced video courses enable my daughter to take ownership of the learning. My wife and I still have final say over the activities and the grades, but with a flexible roadmap, my third grader can learn on her own and at her own pace.

This year BJU Press is rolling out eight new distance learning courses. You can see sample lessons for each course on YouTube.

Heritage Studies 1

This 90-day course is taught by Mrs. Lawson and walks young children through civics starting in the home and expanding through communities and states to our nation. It concludes with a brief introduction to early American history, beginning with Columbus and finishing with Plymouth.

Science 2

Mrs. Overly teaches second graders simplified science skills and scientific methods so that they learn to be student scientists. They practice their skills in exposure-level discussions of earth science, biology, anatomy, and physical science. This is also a 90-day course.

Spelling 3

Students develop spelling skills as they inductively study word families. Mrs. Jarrell’s instruction also strengthens children’s proofreading and writing skills in this 180-day course.

Fundamentals of Math

Mr. Harmon’s personality engages students in this 180-day seventh-grade level course on math. Students will master the knowledge and skills they developed in sixth grade, providing them with a strong foundation for advanced math in high school.

World Studies

In this 180-day course, Miss Ingersoll provides students with a survey of world history from the Middle Ages to the present. Seventh graders will learn to think critically from a biblical worldview as they learn about the religions, movements, and philosophies that continue to shape our world today.

Earth Science

Geology is a field that’s dominated by secular thought, but Mrs. Gillenwater directs eighth-grade students to geology from a biblical worldview. This 180-day course also covers the atmosphere and space.

Geometry

Mr. Matesevac guides tenth graders in developing higher-level thinking skills. Students incrementally learn how to construct geometric proofs. This is a 180-day course.

American Government

In this capstone heritage studies course, Mrs. Bullock walks students through how our government was formed and the way it functions. The in-depth examination of our nation’s government is guided by a biblical worldview. This is a 90-day course.

• Price Drop for Spelling and Handwriting Video Lessons

If you’re considering buying spelling or handwriting video courses, be aware that they are now more affordable. We’ve dropped the prices for the spelling (1 through 6) and handwriting video courses from $299 per course to $149 per course.

• Vocabulary Now in Textbook Grade Kits

For the first time, we’re including vocabulary in textbook grade kits. This rounds out language arts for seventh–twelfth graders.

• Deeper Discount on Textbook Kits

When you purchase a grade or subject textbook kit, you can have the confidence that you have all of the items needed to teach your child. We’ve always discounted books when you buy them in kits. Three years ago, we evened out the discount to 20%. So purchasing kits cost 20% less than purchasing items in the kit individually. This year, we discounted the prices even more. Kits are now 25% less than purchasing the items individually.

• Lower Testing Prices

This year we’ve dropped the prices of Iowa and Stanford 10 achievement tests by 15%. This is good news for families, especially when you’re testing multiple children. Remember that many states require testing. If you’re planning on testing your children this year because your state requires it or if you do it for your own benefit, this is a great time to order—before the busiest season kicks in.

Midpoint Checkup: How’s Your School Year Going?

January 23, 2018 by Guest Writer

The first half of the school year is over, and you may be doing a mental checkup of your homeschool program. How is it working for you so far? What strengths and improvements do you see in your children? Here’s what a few of your fellow homeschoolers had to say about their experience with BJU Press materials this year.

The Homeschool Scientist: Physical Science

Marci Goodwin, blogger at the Homeschool Scientist, has been using BJU Press Physical Science this year. She’s a mom who loves to get her kids actively engaged in learning. Instead of dry black-and-white text, her emphasis is visual learning and hands-on activities. Marci appreciates the fact that each chapter of Physical Science starts with a real-life issue that can be resolved using the new material in that chapter. Photos and diagrams engage the visual learner and explain the processes, both in the student text and the lab manual. All necessary materials for labs are in the lab kit, so Marci doesn’t have to hunt down supplies every week.

The Unlikely Homeschool: Language Arts

Over at The Unlikely Homeschool blog, Jamie shares her reasons for switching to the BJU Press English program from another language arts curriculum right in the middle of the school year. She felt that the other English curriculum wasn’t providing her kids with a big-picture view of language—the “why” for all the grammar facts and rules. In contrast, BJU Press language arts teaches writing and grammar side by side, showing that proper grammar is crucial to smooth, effective written communication. A writing unit supports and reinforces every new grammar skill; and homeschool students learn many different forms of writing in the process.

Not Consumed: Early Reading Skills

It’s so exciting to teach your child to read and watch as the skill develops. For Kim at NotConsumed.com, some of the best early readers come from BJU Press. The creative, interesting storylines keep her son coming back for more, eager to read each day. As the books build fluency and skills, they also help young readers develop a love for reading through exciting fiction, tales of foreign missionaries, and Bible stories as well.

Janelle Knutson: Distance Learning Video Lessons

Janelle Knutson decided to give BJU Press Distance Learning a try last year, and this year she went all out with video lessons for many of her fifth grader’s homeschool subjects. The blend of video classes, colorful textbooks, and teacher support works well for Janelle’s family. She’s able to stay involved in her daughter’s education while allowing her to work independently sometimes. Independent work is a vital skill for homeschool kids, especially those in large families where a mom or dad must teach multiple grade levels throughout the day.

Are you thinking of making a midstream switch to BJU Press textbooks or Distance Learning? Contact us so we can answer your questions and help you with the details.

• • • • •

Rebecca is a work-at-home freelance writer, novelist, wife, and the mom of two bright-eyed little ones. She credits her success in writing and her love of books to her own mom, who homeschooled three kids from pre-K through high school.

How to Keep Your Kids Safe on the Web

August 31, 2017 by Justin

The idea of our kids using the internet on their own can be scary for many of us parents. Part of being a parent (and a big part of why we homeschool) is to protect them from harmful influences. There’s plenty of objectionable content on the web, but the internet itself isn’t inherently bad. Like many other tools it can be both constructive and destructive.

The internet is a doorway to knowledge. Inside, there are many powerful learning tools. One such tool is BJU Press Distance Learning Online, which has helped thousands of homeschool families keep their children’s education on track. But how do you use these tools without also exposing your children to the bad stuff?

It can be done—and probably more easily than you think. Here are ways to use both hardware and software to harness the power of the web in your homeschool while keeping your kids safe.

Hardware

Choosing the right device for your children to use to access the internet can go a long way toward protecting them online. Some are easier than others to manage and “lock down” for a controlled browsing experience.

My personal favorite device for this purpose is a Chromebook^™ notebook computer. These inexpensive laptops run Google’s web-centric Chrome OS^™ operating system. Though not ideal for all workloads, they’re a top choice in schools because they have built-in keyboards and can be easily managed by teachers, which also makes them perfect for homeschoolers. You can lock the laptop down to being able to display only a set of websites that you define, meaning you can limit your child’s access to only Distance Learning Online if you want to. And it can all be done with a few clicks without any special knowledge of the platform.

Learn more about Chromebook^™ notebook computers here.

Software

If you already have a device that you use or want to protect your entire family, a software solution might be the best option. Covenant Eyes^® is a special kind of software that can be installed on multiple devices to filter and monitor web access. It can be used to block out specific sites and stores a record of all sites visited (for accountability purposes). They do charge a monthly fee for a family subscription.

You can learn more about Covenant Eyes^® here.

I hope these ideas help your family have a safe web experience. If you’ve found other ways to protect your family, help others by mentioning them in the comments below!
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Getting Excited About Logos Science Kits

July 20, 2017 by Guest Writer

Have you discovered the Logos Science Kits yet? These kits were designed specifically for BJU Press secondary-level science courses, and they’re packed with tools, supplies, equipment, and clear instructions to help young homeschool scientists succeed!

Mr. Bill Harmon, a Distance Learning teacher, uses the Logos Science kits during his instruction sessions. As a chemist and a teacher of junior and senior high science and math courses, he appreciates the ingenuity of the Logos Science labs. The instructions are well-written, and the authors came up with creative ways to accomplish the labs in a homeschool setting.

Step-by-Step Guidance

In using the labs for chemistry, Mr. Harmon adopted a “cooking show” style of presentation, revealing each step of the procedure and showing students a sample of the results they should see. “I leave the conclusion questions up to the student,” he explains. “That part is theirs to complete, along with noting any temperature variations of the experiment.”

For almost every lab, students can do all the setup and experimentation on their own, without an extra pair of hands. Thanks to the ten- to twelve-minute videos, students have a guide to help them succeed as they manipulate the materials and use the equipment.

Location, Location

Mr. Harmon recommends storing the materials and supplies for the labs in a dry, climate-controlled space so they will not degrade due to heat or cold. When homeschool students perform the lab, he suggests a location like the kitchen or perhaps a bathroom with ample counter space.

Correlation Between the Student Lab Manual and the Kit

According to Mr. Harmon, the student lab manual and the Logos Science Kits work well together. “The kit functions as an addendum to the student lab manual,” he says. “There are about three dozen labs included in each of the Logos kits. I use about thirty of them for the Distance Learning Chemistry course.”

Once in a while, the experiments suggested in the student lab manual and those included in the Logos Science Kit are different. For example, the lab in the student lab manual might be a specific experiment on titration, whereas the Logos kit may have a different experiment on titration. “They’re both teaching the same concept, though,” Mr. Harmon explains. “The kit often does labs on a micro scale. This benefits the homeschool student and prepares him or her for college science labs.”

Amazing Experiments

What’s Mr. Harmon’s favorite lab? While all of them are fascinating, he enjoys the titration lab the most. “When the material goes from clear to pink then disappears, it’s because the atoms that we can’t see are changing color based on their chemical structure,” he says. “It’s cool!”

Contents of the Kit

Logos Science Kits are available for purchase separately from the other secondary science course materials. When you order your kit, check out the PDF link under the product description to find a list of all the equipment and supplies included . For example, the kit for chemistry makes your life much easier by including science supplies such as pH paper, O₂ test tablets, test tubes, a molecular model kit, and dozens of other items and materials.

Each Logos Science Kit has enough materials for four students, which works well for homeschool co-ops, for passing on the kit to younger siblings, or for resale. If you have a young chemistry lover or physics fan in your homeschool, you’ll want to invest in this fantastic supplementary resource to encourage that affinity for science.