(on) The Road (to becoming a) Scholar: Review of Beowulf: An iBook from Providence eLearning

Monday, September 24, 2012

Review of Beowulf: An iBook from Providence eLearning

I'm sorry in the delay in getting these reviews out to you. Reviewing these textbooks has been guilty pleasure for me and I've been delinquent in sharing them with you.

This was the third book I reviewed for Providence eLearning as a consulting project, and the second I will review here.

I haven't read Beowulf in over thirty years. And, when I read it as a ninth grader, I really didn't care for it because I thought it was for boys. Ha!

Two years ago, I was reintroduced to Beowulf when we read Mary Pope Osborne's Favorite Medieval Tales for my boy's book club. Whatever was lost on me in the ninth grade was found! I enjoyed her exposition of the story and promised myself to go back to it. This summer, I participated in an adult book club on-line and our first read was none other than Beowulf. That was about two weeks before I got to review Providence eLearning's version of Beowulf.

Providence eLearning's translation was very close to the Tolkien translation that I read for the book club. I was very surprised by how much more I got out of the book after listening to the video lectures that followed every few pages of text. Not only were the videos useful, but the audio narration with the names pronounced correctly was more helpful than almost anything. I really don't do very well guessing pronunciations in other languages. Just not my skill. Mr. William Lasseter, the English Chair at Providence Academy, is the instructor and narrator. His voice and teaching skills are truly showcased by this book.

The video "enhanced" textbook is a boon to homeschoolers. Any student that doesn't have a discussion group or is working through this text on their own will find great value in this iBook. The lectures and video production are well done. Old book illustrations were used along with other great artist renditions of the tale. The video production is a beautiful synthesis of new technology with a medieval tale and fine art. Having the ability to look up words on the fly, check the glossary, check your understanding and have the text narrated to you all enhance your experience. While the video piece is wonderful, I would be doing you a disservice not to mention all the other perks of using an iBook. This textbook would be helpful to high-schoolers assigned the task of reading Beowulf.

This epic tale is wonderfully told and explained in this rendition of Beowulf. I highly recommend this engaging iBook. Bonus - it's on sale right now at the iTunes Store for $6.99.

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The Road Scholar

Cathie and her husband are blessed with six children and have home educated them since 2003. Before children, Cathie developed curricula and taught classes for adults around the world on a variety of topics in the computer industry at the corporate and technical school level. She loves to develop curricula, teach homeschool co-op classes and organize book clubs. For five years, she held board positions on a large homeschool support group such as general coordinator, membership coordinator and advisory member.

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Beginning Homeschooling - Beyond the Basics

Are you new to homeschooling? Where do you start? How do you ensure a very good (not just adequate) homeschooling experience, especially in that important first year? This practical how-to session will help you determine the appropriate first steps on your homeschooling adventure. We'll talk about picking a curriculum, scheduling and strategies for developing an independent child as well as strengthening your family and social relationships.

Get Your Game On!
Using EASY, Almost No-Fuss Games to Help Keep Learning Fun

Kids love games and so much is gained by playing games: learning to taking turns, good sportsmanship, patience and development of relationships. By using games, we can tailor to the needs of the child - not just academically, but socially, too. Come join in the fun yourself and learn how easy it is to put together games for your children—and you don't have to be creative to do it, either! Besides learning how, you will walk away with instructions, tips and resources to make your own games at home.

How to Get Your Kids to See the Light (or Feel it or Hear it)!

Teaching different learning modalities requires different tactics. Learn how to determine which modality your child uses and find ways to present material so that it sticks the first time, especially if it is different than your own learning modality.

This Old Schoolhouse

The school marms and school masters of yesteryear taught several children at different levels and formed many of our favorite American heroes. We will look back at how those school marms ran their one room schools and take some tips on making our school days more successful. We’ll talk about schedules, curriculum, discipline, independence, character development and motivation for the one room school in your home.

Socrates Meets Homeschool Mom

If Socrates could teach you one thing, it would be to use his method (the Socratic Method) for literary analysis. This presentation addresses the fundamentals of literary interpretation from within the accessible world of children’s literature, so even young students can easily identify the language of literary analysis. As they mature they will readily spot these fundamentals in more difficult works, enriching both their understanding of the literature and their appreciation for the author’s handiwork. Learn the aspects of literary analysis and how to help kids appreciate and find the meaning in all the great books they read.

The Motivation Myth

What do sticker charts, time-outs and spelling bees have in common? They are examples of “Carrots and Sticks.” Over the last 40 years, study after study has shown that "Carrots and Sticks" don't work for long term motivation, especially when thought is required in the process. How are you motivating and inspiring your kids to study, do chores and reach goals? Learn about what truly motivates kids, how to mentor them and help them become successful in their endeavors. I will dispel the myths and reveal truths about human motivation and mindset. And here’s a hint. It’s you, not them. I hope you will join me to find out what that means.