I write The Switched-On Schoolhouse Series twice a month to share our family’s experience using this software based curriculum in our home.
Each lesson in the Switched-On Schoolhouse curriculum is set up relatively the same way (at least in the three high school courses Amber is using, English I, American Literature and Family & Consumer Sciences).
The screen is split in half, with an adjustable interface so the student can make the top half or bottom half taller or shorter in height. The top portion of the screen has the assigned reading for the lesson, and the bottom half has the questions that go along with the lesson. When you go to the next page, the box resets, so it will have to be adjusted each time. We are using Switched-On Schoolhouse on a laptop, so the split in the screen may not be as pronounced on a full size monitor that you would use with a desktop computer.
The questions that accompany each lesson really make the student think about what they’ve just read. Since the format is a split screen, the student can choose to answer the questions as they are going through the lesson, or they can read the entire lesson first and then proceed to answer the questions.
The lessons might also have a “Tiny Tutor” and “WWW” links.
Tiny Tutor is a small video box that the student can play to explain the concept being taught.
WWW links are outgoing links to the internet that allow the student to explore the lesson topic further.
If you’re interested in learning more on Switched-On Schoolhouse or would like a discount on a purchase of curriculum, click through on the button in my right hand sidebar, and you’ll be taken to the publishers site.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the products mentioned above for free for review purposes from Alpha and Omega Publishing. I was not required to write a positive review and this product may not have the same results for all people, please do additional research of your own when purchasing products mentioned in reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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