Teaching Methods:
Online and Computer Based Learning
Tony SilvaTime4Learning
http://www.Time4Learning.com
$19.95 for first student, $14.95 each additional student.
If you’re one who assumes that computer based learning is somehow easier than other forms, Time4Learning will test your assumptions. Seriously, while it is not rocket science, it is not an “intuitive” or user friendly Website. However, once you get on board and learn its quirks, Time4Learning is quite possibly the most fun you can have with this kind of program and still call it learning.
Ouch… that hurt!
When you first become a member of Time4Learning, you have to pay careful attention to detail to make sure you actually get signed up, get logged in and if neither of those happens that you understand why. First, you’ll open a master account as the parent. Then you set up sub-accounts for each child. This is where things get weird: The Time4Learning system asks what grade your child is in. Below that is a series of questions to determine whether your child knows his colors, ABCs and numbers 1 through 0 and other primary information. I was puzzled that Time4Learning would need to know this for a seventh grader. Had I read the fine print above the questions, I would have seen that that section is only for lower grades. The setup process would be much easier if the form changed based on the grade level of the student.
Within 24 hours, your children’s accounts are set up and they can log in under the user names and passwords you assigned to them. This is where the second obstacle presents itself. Simply clicking “Member Login” will default to the lower level student login. If you have an upper level student, click on the correct button at the top of the screen and you’re ready to try again. Since the system tells you the level you should have logged into, it would make sense for it to just take you there if your login and password are otherwise correct.
Rewards for the attentive
The notes above are a lesson in themselves: Pay attention and you can save yourself a lot of grief. Time4Learning is not hard – it’s just designed for people who pay attention and read the instructions before ripping into the package. Once you “get in” to your parent account, you’re greeted with a relatively sparse page with links to resources and information about your children’s accounts. Take advantage of the links on this page. These will help you find your way around. Among other helps available on the site, you’ll find a “getting started” guide and a parents’ forum.
Getting Started
The Getting Started articles – and the demo – are very helpful and written in plain English. Some of the lessons look like primitive video games. Others have the cartoonish look of early computer learning programs, but most are similar in appearance to familiar computer programs like Reader Rabbit and Jumpstart. Still, they are fun and effective. The best way to get started is to open the first lesson in each subject your child will study and go through it yourself. We discovered that one of our children was placed at a higher reading grade level than he should have been. Re-setting the grade level is easy and the instructions for doing this are on the Parent Page. In some cases, you have to have Time4Learning make the grade level adjustments for you, but we had no trouble doing this ourselves.
While you’re “taking” the first lesson, be on the alert for instructions that appear in writing only. Many lessons at the second and third grade level have voice prompts, but there are some that are text only. Your best bet is to be nearby the first time your child uses Time4Learning. You can also view a sample lesson before signing up.
Making it Work for You
The best part of this program is found in its built-in record keeping features. Time4Learning calls it a “portfolio”, but it resembles a backpack or book bag. Either way, it’s a convenient place to find reports about the lessons completed, grades and other information you would keep in your own records.
We were impressed with the company’s willingness to leave their forum “open” so people considering the program could chat with other parents. The forums are active and not limited to discussions of the Time4Learning curriculum. While you’re bound to have problems getting used to any online curriculum, challenges are much easier to get through with good technical support. We found Time4Learning’s support team to be polite and responsive. Most problems can be resolved by simply reading the resources that are available throughout the site or by asking on the forums
Making this kind of program work for you is a matter of taking advantage of all of the support opportunities and more important using the program itself. Sit with your child through a month’s worth of “schooling” with Time4Learning and if you aren’t happy you’re not committed to a long term contract. There is also a 14 day money back guarantee for added security. Compared to similar programs, both packaged for home use and online, Time4Learning can be a real value if this is the type of learning program you like.
Quibbles and Bits
Overall, Time4Learning is a good supplement to your homeschooling schedule. Like most of the popular computer learning programs, this online program cannot replace the education your kids get from more traditional study and interaction with siblings and other homeschoolers in your co-op. If you are interested in learning more about how Time4Learning can work with your existing curriculum, there is a comprehensive list of links on their http://www.time4learning.com/siteindex.htm”>support page. Along with resources on everything from state homeschool laws to the inner workings of Time4Lerning are links to articles about how Time4Learning can be used with other popular homeschool curricula.
What about the bottom line question – is it worth the price? Given that it is more of a supplemental program than a replacement curriculum, you would want to consider the relative value of plugging some fun into your child’s learning experience while still documenting some academic progress. The disadvantage of a program like this is that there is no pass-down value. You need to subscribe to the program for each child. Given the ample http://www.time4learning.com/demos.htm”> library of demos, there is no reason you can’t get a feel for the curriculum before you become a member. And if you discover after using it a few days that it’s not for you, the company backs the program with a 14 day money back guarantee.
Another benefit of computer-based programs, whether online or installed on your own computer is their ability to provide enrichment for one child while you’re working on assignments with others. For some, this aspect may make having an online program available for each child worth the investment.
One concern with Time4Learning is its unique rewards system. The rewards come in the form of familiar games like VeggieTales that are offered after several learning activities are completed. If the rewards were based on successful completion of an activity or a “grading” mechanism, it would be more effective. Once a bright kid discovers he can just click through “that learning stuff” to get to the game, it has lost its purpose.
Posted by Tony Silva on Tue, February 24, 2009.
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