Graphic Design 101 Review

I want to share with you an online graphic design course from Timberdoodle for middle school and high school students, Graphic Design 101.  This course is published by Film School 4 Teens and is geared for students ages 12 and up or 6th-12th grade.  This course has 12 Modules and will earn you a semester credit or 1/2 credit on your transcript.  While the bulk of the course is online there is also a consumable workbook.  You will have access to the pdf of the entire workbook with your online course so you can easily print from there.  We printed all the necessary pages and put them in a class binder.

Above you can see inside our binder and The Table of Contents.

It is recommended to complete one module a week for 12 weeks.  If this pace is too much you could also break each module into 3 parts - lesson, assignment, and workshop and complete one part every week.  If you choose this route it will take you longer to complete.  And likewise, you could speed it up - ultimately you decide.  I love that you can pick your pace and what suits your needs.

 

Above you can see Lesson 1.  There's an 8 minute introduction video which gives you an assignment to complete before watching the 16 minute workshop video, followed by some bonus content and a 5 question quiz.

 

When you watch the video, there is a corresponding fill-in the blank worksheet that you will complete.  I like that the answers are a unique color and underlined on-screen for you.

 

Above you can see the fill-in the blank worksheet for Lesson 1.

 

And there are assignment pages that help you organize everything.  You can see our pages above.

 

A close-up of some of the ads we chose

 

After completing the assignment you will watch the workshop video.  You will watch 3 students go through the course with you and get feedback both from their peers and instructors.  I really enjoyed having this aspect as it really helps you think and process your ideas.

 

 Lastly, you will then complete the quiz for the lesson that usually references your fill-in-the-blank worksheets.  You need to score a 70% or above to move on in the course.  Notice, you have a course completion bar at the top left of your course so you can easily track your progress.

 

It was fun to get into applications in Lesson 2 and really dive into using CANVA.

 

I have really enjoyed talking through this class and completing it with D and E.  It's been a really fun course and I have really enjoyed watching it myself.

 

   We are currently on Lesson 4 and have completed 31% of the course so almost 1/3.

 

We just completed an assignment finding all the elements of design including line, shape, color, value, texture and space and recognizing these in the real world.  One of the ads we found can be seen above.  The chicken coming out of the race car is pretty phenomenal.

This course has been a great introduction to Graphic Design.  It is well-designed, user friendly and fun.  By learning fundamental concepts and gaining skills along the way, it helps you truly enter the realm of visual storytelling and design and not feel overwhelmed.  I'm really looking forward to the final project and who knows, I just might have to create my very own logo!  If you want to dip your toes into the Graphic Design world or are looking for a fun elective credit in Fine Art or Technology, this course is definitely worth looking into.

 

 

Disclosure:  Huge shout out to Timberdoodle for selecting me as a Timberdoodle Blogger.  I received Graphic Design 101 in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are my own.

Mand Labs Review

You guys know we love all things Science!  I want to share with you an amazing product from Timberdoodle, Mand Labs.  This premium kit works for complete beginners and has everything your teen needs to go at their own pace.

Our kit uses 165 industrial-grade electronic components and tools, two guidebooks, online videos, and step-by-step instructions for the 57 electronic projects!  The carrying case is unique in that it opens vertically into a workstation.  The various drawers and compartments are great for holding all the components and tools.  Our kit contains switches, circuits, wires, sensors, motors, breadboards, probes, pliers and more!

B and C completed high school Physics this year and our Mand Labs Premium Kit's course topics cover 20% of IGCSE Cambridge Curriculum and 30% of AP Physics C, including electricity and magnetism so it's super fun to have on hand!  I think it was a great pairing to have and it's an awesome blessing to have such a hands-on kit available in our home school.

Mand Labs is a great kit to learn about electronics and help it feel less overwhelming.  Teens can watch videos for concepts, assembly and reference as needed.  Just by assembling projects, so many concepts and electronic principles are solidified and truly understood.  For a more in-depth understanding of electronics, teens can refer to the guidebooks.  I love that this kit is all inclusive.

Do you need a hands-on kit to help your student learn about electricity?  If so, we would highly recommend Mand Labs!

Disclosure:  Huge shout out to Timberdoodle for selecting me as a Timberdoodle Blogger.  I received Mand Labs in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are my own.

CompuScholar Java Programming Review

I have a fun high school product to share with you today from Timberdoodle, Java Programming.  We were blessed to receive a one-year subscription for both B and C to use for 1 high school credit.  This introductory programming course using the Java language requires no previous programming experience.  You may remember our review of CompuScholar's Python Programming back in January 2020.  This course can be used as an introductory coding course or it can be used to prepare for the AP Computer Science A exam.  There are different syllabus options available for both options.  As previously mentioned, this course is intended to last approximately 2 semesters (1 high school credit upon completion); however, students can move at their own pace whether that be faster or slower.

The format for this Java Programming course is simple.  This course contains 24 required chapters and lessons with an optional additional 9 chapters and 4 supplemental chapters as well.

What topics are covered?

Required

• Chapter 1:  Computing Concepts
• Chapter 2:  Getting Started with Java
• Chapter 3:  Data Types and Variables
• Chapter 4:  Working with Numbers
• Chapter 5:  Introducing Objects
• Chapter 6:  Working with Strings
• Chapter 7:  Numbering Systems and Java Math
• Chapter 8:  Logic and Decision-Making
• Chapter 9:  More Complex Logic
• Chapter 10:  Handling Exceptions
• Chapter 11:  Debugging
• Chapter 12:  Iteration
• Chapter 13:  Algorithms
• Chapter 14:  Creating Java Classes
• Chapter 15:  Working with Methods
• Chapter 16:  Static Concepts
• Chapter 17:  Mid-Term Project
• Chapter 18:  1D Arrays
• Chapter 19:  Lists and ArrayLists
• Chapter 20:  Searching and Sorting
• Chapter 21:  2D Arrays
• Chapter 22:  Inheritance
• Chapter 23:  Polymorphism
• Chapter 24:  Recursion
  

Optional

• Chapter 25:  File Access
• Chapter 26:  Object Composition and Copying
• Chapter 27:  Team Project
• Chapter 28:  Running Java Locally
• Chapter 29:  The Eclipse IDE
• Chapter 30:  Graphical Java Programs
• Chapter 31:  Swing Input Controls
• Chapter 32:  Vector and Bitmap Images
• Chapter 33:  Program Efficiency
• Supplemental Chapter 1:  Enrichment Topics
• Supplemental Chapter 2:  Software and Industry
• Supplemental Chapter 3:  Computers and Modern Society
• Supplemental Chapter 4:  Computer Networking 

 

Every chapter contains multiple lessons.  Each lesson contains an instructional video, lesson text, followed by an automated quiz.  The lesson text is required reading, whereas the instructional videos are optional and made to re-enforce lesson text and I think really adds to this course.

 

 

Above you can see the beginning of the instructional video for the first lesson in Chapter 1.

 

And here is a snippet of the lesson text.

Within the lesson text pages there are live code boxes where students can write code directly into their web browser,  After executing it they can see the results.  Within the lessons are "Work with Me" sections for additional hands-on practice.  And each chapter also end with an auto-graded test.  Most chapters also contain additional homework exercises as well as a larger hands-on coding project where students demonstrate skills learned.

I really appreciate that all lesson quizzes, chapter tests, and hands-on coding projects are all auto-graded in this course.  Everything is completed online in a web browser.  I do want to mention that there are optional chapters that do offer projects that require and external IDE and would be teacher/parent graded if completed, but there are rubrics provided for that if you choose to have your student complete them.

I like that through my teacher account I have access to teacher's guides for lessons, both quiz and test answer keys, activity guides, etc.  We are using this course as a self-study so I am pretty much hands-off but I really appreciate having everything so if one of the kids needs help or a hint on something I can easily do this.

Java Programming is currently included in Timberdoodle's 11th grade curriculum kit.  If you are looking for an introductory programming course, this one is great.  CompuScholar's courses are well organized and makes coding very approachable for those with little or no previous programming knowledge.  It has become a go-to in our homeschool.

Disclosure:  Huge shout out to Timberdoodle for selecting me as a Timberdoodle Blogger.  I received CompuScholar Java Programming in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are my own.

The Nomadic Professor: US History 1 & 2

I have another homeschool product to share with you today from Timberdoodle, The Nomadic Professor: US History 1 & 2.  This digital course is geared for high schoolers (grades 9th and above) or students aged 14+.  This course qualifies for high school credit and /or can also be used to prepare for the AP and CLEP tests.

US1 or American History 1 is broken into 10 units starting before Columbus looking at the pre-Columbian Americas through The Constitution and its ratification.  US2 or American History 2 is similarly broken into 10 units beginning with Washington's presidency through the end of the Reconstruction era.

I really like the "nomadic approach" outlined above - guided, flexible, transparent and content-rich.  I also really like the organization of this course as well.  Each unit has materials needed or specific to that portion available for each session.  I appreciate that the course material is easily accessible and available in print-friendly versions for the students to use!  These courses use a combination of engaging videos and text to help history come alive.

Every unit includes a unit preview, pre-quiz, the unit material, summary and structure terms, post quiz and a document lesson.

Above you can see what will be covered in Unit 8: European Rivalries

I have really enjoyed that there are both pre-quizzes and post-quizzes to test the students knowledge of the material so they can see what they are learning and check that they are understanding the information.  The document lessons are great as well.  This is where students will look at historical literature and focus on different skills for historical literacy.  They are taught to look at the source, contextualize about that source, read and infer about the claims/evidence/implications, and corroborate if other sources agree or disagree.

I really love the building your structures concept.  It’s where you take the historical concepts and piece or connect them together, you need to be able to explain the definition of each of the terms and how they connect.

So for this first unit, students will need to be able to define or explain Mesoamericans, the Neollithic Revolution, Olmecs, Teotihuacan, Maya, glyphs, and Tenochtitlan.  This can be done a number of different ways but it’s such a great way to solidify what you have learned and understanding how it fits together, so neat!

If you are looking for a US History curriculum for your high schooler or a course to help prepare your student for the AP and CLEP tests The Nomadic Professor would be an excellent choice!

 

Disclosure:  Huge shout out to Timberdoodle for selecting me as a Timberdoodle Blogger.  I received The Nomadic Professor in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are my own.

English 1 Language Skills from Paradigm Accelerated Curriculum Review

Disclosure:  I received this complimentary product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW.

We were blessed to receive English 1 Language Skills (9th grade) from Paradigm Accelerated Curriculum.  This easy-to-use curriculum requires minimal parent or teacher oversight.  I personally like that all of their courses are available in both print and digital downloads and I love that students can work through this course at their own pace.  This course is designed to give students a strong understanding of grammar, writing and composition.

Above you can see our full course kit!

Inside my Teacher's Resource Kit

Our kit includes a Teacher's Resource Kit as well as 5 chapter books and 5 companion activity books.  Most course chapters include 15 lessons which are divided into 3 sections.  Each lessons begins with a graphic that is designed to help engage both hemispheres of the brain as well as defined vocabulary words.  Lessons feature a character vignette and ends with a life principle.  Students are encouraged to answer activity questions in chronological order as they read through the text.  A quiz is taken at the end of each section or 5 lessons.  So each chapter has 3 section quizzes as well as a chapter test.  I also want to mention that this course is worth one high school credit.

Above you can see part of the text for Chapter 1 and the first activity page as well.

I really appreciate the Teacher's Resource Kit!  It includes all the answers to activity questions, quizzes, and chapter tests.  It also has a plethora of other resources such as a transcript planner, academic goal chart and more.  I love how easy this curriculum is set up.

Want to know more?  Be sure to click on the banner below to visit the Homeschool Review Crew blog to read even more reviews of Paradigm Accelerated Curriculum including other courses.

You can engage with Paradigm Accelerated Curriculum on social media @:

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YouTube for Teens Review

I have another product to share with you from Timberdoodle, YouTube for Teens!  YouTube for Teens is a 12-week interactive course that equates to a 1-semester elective credit from Film School 4 Teens.

In this course, teens will learn about choosing a content area, shooting and editing quality footage as well as optimizing their channel in a safe way.  Basically everything they need to know to create and get a YouTube channel running.  I appreciate that it challenges them to think about if their channel has intrinsic value and helps improve people's lives 😉.

This online course is geared for ages 12 and up or 7th grade and beyond.

I printed the PDF workbook and put it in a binder for the kids to use as they work through this course.

Inside our binder, including the Table of Contents

As mentioned previously this is a 12-week course so it is broken into 12 sections.

Damon Evans is the director of YouTube 4 Teens and he walks you through the lessons.

Above you can see YouTube channel examples found in Section 1.  Also notice on our dashboard that there is a progress bar in the top left hand corner that tracks your completion of this course.  Above it shows 8%.

Working through Section 1 of our binder.

Each of the 12 sections includes videos with lessons and interviews with established YouTubers.  I love that it lays out tasks and assignments clearly.  I also like that as you progress through the course you follow a case study of a few teens establishing their own channel.

Okay, there are 12 sections, how are they broken down?

• Section 1 covers the introduction and overview of this course and has you determine your why.
• Section 2 encourages you to choose your topic and write a purpose statement.
• Section 3 is about planning your videos and organizing your ideas.
• Section 4 is about choosing your tech and selecting your gear.
• Section 5 is about editing your videos and choosing your software.
• Section 6 is about shooting a VLOG and taking a video for your channel.
• Section 7 is about editing 4 YouTube and editing the video you took.
• Section 8 is about starting your own channel.
• Section 9 is about optimizing your videos.
• Section 10 is about creating revenue streams.
• Section 11 is about marketing your channel and choosing your marketing strategy.
• Section 12 contains final instructions for launching your channel!

This course is straightforward.  You watch the video lectures (which are fun and engaging), complete your assignment questions and work through the deep thought questions for every section.  These action steps need to be completed before moving onto the next section.  And at the end of it all, you will have your own YouTube channel or understand how to create one if you desire.  I love that this course is fresh, fun and emphasizes safety on a platform that is not always safe.  And while this is a 12-week course, I don't see any problem with taking it a little slower if you need to.  We are going a little slower mainly because the oldest 3 have such varying schedules and I really wanted them to work on this course together.  I have since decided to have them work through it individually when they have time and then they can confer together as needed.  On a side note, I have enjoyed working through this course as well.  My YouTube channel is in dire need of help and revamping and this is a great opportunity for me to do that so stay tuned for more on that in the near future 😉.

 

YouTube for Teens is currently a part of Timberdoodle's 10th Grade Curriculum Kit.  This is such a fun elective and we highly recommend it!  I'm looking forward to seeing my teenagers final creation.

Disclosure:  Huge shout out to Timberdoodle for selecting me as a Timberdoodle Blogger.  I received YouTube for Teens in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are my own.

Exploring Creation with Biology 3rd Edition Book Set Review

Today I want to share with you Apologia's Exploring Creation with Biology 2 book set, 3rd Edition from Timberdoodle.

B used the 2nd edition for Biology last year and C just started using this 3rd edition for Biology this year (at our CoOp).  He is the first one in our family to use this edition!

What's included in this set?  This set includes the Softcover Textbook, the Solutions & Test Manual as well as a consumable Test Packet.  While I generally prefer the hardcover books I do appreciate that Apologia is purposefully trying to keep the cost down on their products; thus, printing a new version in softcover.

This is designed to be a college-prep Biology course and is written specifically for homeschoolers with a Christian worldview (as are all Apologia Science courses).  This course has 16 modules and topics include the science of life, the chemistry of life, ecology, cell structure and function, cellular energy, DNA/Proteins/Cell Cycle, genetics, evolution, prokaryotes and viruses, protists and fungi, plant diversity and reproduction, plant structure and function, and animals: invertebrates and chordates.  You can see that's a lot of material!  It takes ~ 34 weeks to complete.  I appreciate that students are given "on your own questions" within each module to help them check their comprehension and understanding of the material.  The answer to these questions can be found in their book at the end of that particular module.

 

I love that there are some full color illustrations and other illustrations sprinkled throughout the textbook.

There are detailed experiments beginning with an introduction to the microscope.  There are anywhere from 1-5 experiments per module.  Module 8 is the exception with 0 on the topic of Evolution.

The Solutions and Tests booklet is fabulous.

 

I love that it is now organized by modules!

For each module you will find the answers to the study guide, the test, and then the solutions for that test.  It is super organized and makes grading super easy.

I love that you can order the corresponding dissection kit for ultimate convenience.  C will be doing the dissections at our weekly CoOp but I know from experience that dissection kits are super great to have, especially when doing them in your home (like I did with A and B).  While we don't have it, there is a also a companion cd that you can use along with the textbook that is great for auditory learners.  You can also purchase a student notebook and extra test packets.  If you are looking for a high school biology class, we would definitely recommend checking out Apologia.

Disclosure:  Huge shout out to Timberdoodle for selecting me as a Timberdoodle Blogger.  I received this book set at a discount in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are my own.