Dive Cd-ROM for Saxon Algebra 2 2nd 3rd Edition

My son has used Saxon Homeschooling Math Curriculum with the other Cd-ROM that comes with the Algebra kits. He hates this "DIVE" brand and states that the audio is horrible, the Cd just does not work, the instruction is terrible...he wanted to break it into a million pieces. He loves the other Algebra I and Algebra II disks that Saxon sells with their kits. Read more

Helped reinforce lessons from Saxon Algebra 2 textbook. Lessoned amount of parent involvement needed to teach lessons. Read more

I've been using Saxon math while homeschooling my daughter for years now. As she progressed each year, it got harder and harder for me to teach her. I felt like I was simply learning it all right beside her. It was very frustrating to keep having to tell her to wait while I looked up online or elsewhere in the book how to do certain types of math problems. It was also time consuming. I finally gave in and purchased the DIVE Cd for Algebra 2 and I only wish I had done it earlier! The lessons range from 6 minutes to 20 minutes. He is concise and gets the lesson done without wasting anyone's time. It isn't splashy and high-tech but it's fast and easily understood. My daughter appreciates the short lessons. Don't get me wrong, the lessons are short, but all of the necessary teaching is there. This CD Rom is worth the cost and I will definitely be purchasing the next Saxon math book DIVE cd for next year. Read more

best price around, fast shipping, works GREAT with Saxon program..son put in computer and it is easy to use. Read more

The DIVE CD is a great way to help your child get the teachers help without having to leave home. The instructor is thorough, but easy to understand. If you use Saxon Algebra II, this is a must have for home schoolers. Read more

Very helpful Read more

Got here in good shape and works fine. Thanks! Read more

Dive into Algebra 1 closely follows Saxon's Algebra 1 THIRD Edition. This CD should NOT be used as a stand-alone product. It should ONLY be used WITH Saxon's Algebra 1 or the students will lack the practice drills and the tests that come with the printed kit and are not likely to improve significantly. Having taught my kids Saxon's Math since Math 3/2, I decided to order our Algebra 1 with the CD with the hope of saving some time - I tend to go 'long' when I teach. I wasn't disappointed. Allowing Prof. David E. Shormann to do the teaching does save time and his insistence that the students copy everything that he writes on the blackboard - blueboard, really - keeps them focused on the lesson. The teaching of the lesson taking only 20 minutes makes the kids happy and leaves them with more energy left to tackle the practice questions and the 30-questions problem set (known as 'mixed practice' in the pre-algebra Saxon math books) that comes with each of the lessons. Contrary to the claim made on the CD's cover, these lessons are NOT interactive. They can't be because they are recorded on a CD and the teacher can't take questions and answer them and the students don't interact with the computer either, they only listen to the lesson, take notes and do some practice exercises on paper. I was also surprised to see this product being marketed as Algebra taught from a 'Christian' point of view. There is very little that's specifically Christian about Shormann's teaching other than him stating in the introduction that he is a Christian. He is only following the Saxon math book, paragraph by paragraph and he is doing a good job expressing it in a way that is more dynamic that simply reading the text. In addition to the lessons, Shormann includes a suggested syllabus which may be helpful to some. The following are, in my view, the good things about this product: - Very helpful for students not yet comfortable with individual study. - The requirement that students take notes by copying what they see on the board is a good step toward them learning to take notes independently. - Saves time and adds teaching expertise in a home schooling environment. I've been teaching my kids math for 6 years already and I still welcome this product. - Allows me the opportunity to stop and expand and/or rewind when necessary. - Full contents can be easily copied to run off the hard disk but the disk comes with no specific instructions on how to do it. Now, for the not so good, I I may repeat what I already stated in the paragraphs above: - The Macromedia Flash Player platform does not take over the full screen. On my 1680x1050 display, less than 1/4th is occupied by the presentation and there is no way to expand it. - The technology used to develop the material is rather crude. All students get is the teacher's voice and the notes he makes on the board by hand. I list this as a 'not so good' but I don't see it as as big negative. Simplicity is sometimes preferable to a more elaborate and distracting sensory overload method but there may be some area where better graphics may help. - The teacher is sometimes inconsistent in his presentation with the words he's using. For example, he reminds the students that, when 'saying' a number you only use 'and' when you see the 'comma' separating the integer part from the decimals but then he keeps saying 'two hundred AND two' instead of 'two hundred two'. I understand that it takes a big effort to cover 123 lessons but maybe a 'take two' on some of the lessons would improve quality and consistency. - No true interactivity. I am not so sure if a more interactive approach would help the students learn more but, at least the interactivity claim should not be used as a marketing tool. - While it does encourage the students to take notes, the audio-visual presentation will make them less likely to actually use the printed book. - As I mentioned already, those who expect this to be math taught from a Christian perspective may be disappointed. This is not Christian math and I don't see it as a bad thing. Math is non-denominational as far as I can tell and the claim should not be made. To conclude, I found this CD to be a welcome addition to the printed material. It makes my job easier and it makes the kids happier. I would NOT use this CD alone - without the book and the tests. The printed book has lesson practice exercises and a 30-question problem set attach to each lesson. The problem sets are essential to Saxon's incremental method and without them the students aren't likely to learn much. In addition, the printed kit includes the tests and an answers book. They are all needed. I will grant this product 4 stars, mostly because of the few misleading marketing claims. This CD can stand on its own merits. It does not need hype because it has substance. Read more