Acellus

Overview:

Acellus uses innovative video-based lessons to accelerate learning for grades K-12. Outstanding teachers and content make learning relevant to the real world. Each lesson is followed by a set of multiple-choice questions to assess comprehension. After completing the lessons in a unit, students can review all of the videos to prepare for the unit exam. If the student passes the exam, they move forward to the next unit. If they do not pass, the program moves them to the beginning of the unit to review and re-take the unit exam.  

Key Characteristics:

• Good for auditory learners who learn best by listening.

• Students can progress quickly if they pay attention to the lessons.

• Lessons are easy to follow with a predictable format.

• Students can quickly calculate how many lessons need to be completed each day to stay on pace for the course.

• Easy to catch up if students miss a day or even a week.

Things to Think About:

• Can be monotonous.

• If a student has trouble mastering a concept, they will be required to repeat lessons.

• Students learn at the recognition level vs. higher-order thinking. In other words, there is limited analysis, reflection, or critical thinking built into Acellus.

• Students must do assignments in 2 programs to receive full credit for the course: Acellus for lessons and tests; Canvas for written assignments and projects. There is no analysis or writing in Acellus, so students do extra projects in the associated Canvas classrooms that have been created by the teacher in order to flesh out these areas – deeper thinking, and more writing.

• Students can’t go back and see previous questions or videos except in the Review lessons before tests.

• Parents cannot see what the student worked on. Teachers can see records of time worked, lessons completed, answers, and scores for lessons and the whole course. The student (and parent) can only see how many lessons have been completed and what the next lesson is. Parents cannot go back to see a previous lesson.

• The videos often start out short and may get longer throughout the course. Therefore, students may underestimate how long it will take to finish the day’s lessons.
  
  Learn More:

Acellus Website

Course Outlines for Acellus

Aleks Math

Overview:

ALEKS uses artificial intelligence to assess students’ knowledge by giving them a pre-assessment and placing them in their course based on their answers helping them to work on the topics that they are ready to learn. The students have a pie graph that represents the total number of topics they have mastered along with the total number of topics in the course.  

Students have the freedom to move through the topics in their pie graph and pick from a number of topics that are available to them. After selecting a topic, they read and study a tutorial to learn the concept. Then the student is expected to correctly answer 3 or 4 similar questions before the topic is considered mastered and then added to the pie graph.

Key Characteristics:

• The student can test out of content and move ahead based on the outcome of the initial pretest. If the initial pretest indicates a mastery of less than 15%, the student is moved to the previous course. If the student tests at higher than 80%, that student is moved to the next course.

• At any time students have between 5 and 20 choices of topics to work on.

• This curriculum is VERY thorough–the typical gaps in a student’s math skills are solved with this curriculum. If a student earns a credit in pre-algebra via ALEKS, there is no doubt that the student is prepared for success in algebra.

• The Mastery Checks continue to verify that a student’s mastery of an idea is solid. Students don’t slide by with “almost” knowing the content and getting lucky on a couple of sample problems.

Things to Think About:

• There is no variety in how the material is presented; no secondary options when the student needs a second approach to a topic. There are no videos within the ALEKS curriculum itself. However, some ALEKS courses do include BWA teacher-created videos.

• If a student’s knowledge in a topic isn’t solid, the Mastery Checks will remove pie-slices and send the student back to redo that topic. If students don’t know that this is possible, they may get frustrated.

ALEKS Website

Flexpoint (FLVS)

Overview:

Flexpoint is an innovative digital curriculum. While it is predominantly text-based, it also includes interactive technology such as games for review, Discovery videos, virtual labs, and even some avatar clips. These core subject-area classes are very solid and great preparation for students planning to go on to future education after high school. The content presents real-world situations and asks questions that connect back to real events and situations as often as possible. K-12th grade.

Hybrid Option:

• Flexpoint Virtual Elementary (K-5th) * worksheets will be mailed

• Flexpoint Elem Info

• Online Lessons with a workbook packet sent from BWA

• Online subjects: math, language arts, science, and social studies
  

Key Characteristics:

• Rigorous

• Includes text to speech options

• Includes videos and interactive lessons

• Discussion-based assessments

• Compelling and varied

• Students and parents can go back to content when they need to review

• There are opportunities to work with the teacher and other students in the course if the teacher has set up these assignments as an option.

• Although the math is partially multiple-choice, it has “real world” problems. The lessons present the material in a way that relates back to how math is used in the real world.

• Students can see how much each assignment is worth so they can gauge how much time and effort to spend on each assignment. This is a great skill to learn.

Things to Think About:

• Requires strong reading and writing skills.

• Assignments vary in complexity, so it is not always possible to set a consistent daily goal. In other words, finishing 1 lesson per day could mean a short quiz or a long paper.

Learn More:

Course Outlines

Flexpoint Virtual Course Tours

Math-U-See

Overview:

Math-U-See is a hands-on math program that uses building through blocks and manipulatives to show and express math concepts. Best for students who like to work with their hands and for students who need to have repetition. K-2nd grade.

Key Characteristics:

• Good hands-on manipulatives

• Benefit from moving objects to represent numbers

• For hands-on learners and students who struggle with math

• Mastery based learning

• Great online fact practice support

• Lots of repetition

• Comes with a DVD of instruction

Things to Think About:

• Non- traditional form of math

• Students sometimes complain about the repetitive nature of the problem sets

Math-U-See Website

Saxon Math

Overview:

Saxon Math takes an incremental (little by little) approach to math, introducing a new skill or principle each day, then reviewing these concepts and skills day after day for weeks. This approach helps build students' confidence in their ability to "do" math successfully. A great traditional program for every type of student. K-Algebra 2.

Key Characteristics:

• Skills learned will continue to re-occur throughout the whole level

• Classical math instruction

• Great for independent workers

• The daily lessons are all in a similar format which allows students (who can read) to work independently

• Great for kids who need repetition

• Scripted lessons

• Comes with a manipulatives kit

Things to Think About:

• There are a significant number of problems per day

• The parent will need to plan time to walk through the initial lesson

Saxon Math Overview

Saxon Math Website

Teaching Textbooks Math

Overview:

Teaching Textbooks is a math program that provides computer-based lessons and workbooks. A student can use one or both to move through the lessons. Instruction is clear and easy to understand and there are plenty of practice problems. 2nd-8th grade.

Key Characteristics:

• Students can do both workbook and/or online

• All instruction is given on the computer

• Lessons provide clear instruction and quality practice

• The system will auto-grade each lesson, quiz, and test

• When an answer is wrong a pop up will appear that tells the student why

Things to Think About:

• Not aligned to the SBAC standards used for state testing of grades 3 – 8.

• Not being standards-aligned makes it challenging to switch to a new curriculum without having gaps in knowledge

• Numbering system is not intuitive. Teaching Textbooks 3 = 2nd grade curriculum; Teaching Textbooks 4 = 3rd grade curriculum; Teaching Textbooks 5 = 4th grade curriculum; etc.

Teaching Textbooks Website

Timberdoodle

Overview:

Timberdoodle all-in-one curriculum kits are perfect for students who want their school-at-home life to be creative and fun. Games, art projects, and activities are all included in this kit along with specific instruction in every academic area. This is not an online curriculum. K-8th grade. 

Key Characteristics:

• Kits offer something for everyone

• Creative and specific instruction

• For the creative students

• Strong geography for younger students

• Has a weekly schedule for each grade level

• High emphasis on thinking skills

• High-quality workbooks, games, and activities

Things to Think About:

• The parent needs to have a significant amount of time to prep

• The curriculum kit includes many pieces

• The hands-on games don’t necessarily follow what’s being taught in the subject areas

• Subjects are not integrated

Timberdoodle Website

Zearn Math

Overview:

Zearn Math teaches new content in two ways: Independent Digital Lessons and paper/pencil work.  Independent Digital Lessons per grade, covering fluency, concept development, and independent practice. Students learn new concepts at their own pace, with integrated paper/pencil work that supports knowledge transfer and retention.

Key Characteristics:

• Math is taught through instructional video (online teacher) and online interactive practice

• Online instruction combined with paper/pencil workbooks

• Includes teaching note-taking skills

• Common Core Aligned

• Combines fluency skills, word problems and core skills practice daily

Things to Think About:

• Student needs to be ready for some online instruction

• Parent guides and lesson plans are online

• The parent needs to make time to prep for the daily lesson (open it up online or print it all out)
  

Learn More:
Zearn Website