I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned this before. I don't think I've seen anyone discuss the Teaching Company since I've been posting here, but I thought I'd share the place with you all if you weren't aware. The Teaching Company has a wealth of lectures and DVDs about a variety of topics. These are all done by big name professors. I used to listen to the lectures on the way to work when I had an hour commute and it was a great refresher. The "courses" are somewhat pricey, but if you can catch them on sale, they're not too bad. The website is www.teach12.com. If any of you are reviewing for a CLEP or something, they might help. -Matt
I can't speak for all of them, but the history ones are really good. Back when I had an hour commute, I'd listen to the lectures. It was nice to "learn" things while on the road. -Matt
It may have come up once or twice... http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&as_q=&as_epq=teaching+company&as_oq=&as_eq=&num=10&lr=&as_filetype=&ft=i&as_sitesearch=degreeinfo.com&as_qdr=all&as_rights=&as_occt=any&cr=&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&safe=images It's a great company with a great product. It should also be mentioned that you can get virtually every tape for free through your public library interlibrary loan program.
I have a closet full of Teaching Co. DVD courses, since I don't learn by listening, I prefer to see the lecturer and the visuals on screen. Most of the courses are excellent and I'm using many in my graduate program as adjunct research. Nearly all the courses offer verbatim transcripts (extra charge of course) but some don't. I also check the reviews of the various courses -- many of them have dozens, if not hundreds, of reviews from regular customers. If something has an average score of at least 4.7 out of 5.0 I think it's probably worthwhile. Some are scored pretty low and I avoid those. If you're interested, plan ahead and wait until the course goes on sale and you'll save up to 70% of the regular price. All courses go on sale at least once a year. Also, check the section online: http://www.library-teach12.com/teach12.asp If you're buying a lot of courses at once there's a $100 discount coupon. Hope this helps someone.
Wow... I never even though of checking the library for these. Good idea! Though I like the digital downloads so I can put them on my mp3 player. -Matt
My kids are almost through Secrets of Mental Math this semester. A+, seriously. It's working equally well for the 11 year old and the 17 year old. (I'm too old lol) I own 32 or 33 of these courses. I've not yet found one that wasn't excellent. Highly recommend! P.S. Anatomy and Physiology was the course that introduced me to the company, and I found these on youtube. You can search for the lectures to watch them one at a time and see if you like the style. Just search Dr. Goodman Anatomy. They always go on and off sale (70% off or better) so never pay full price. Expect to pay $40-$70 for a 12-24 lecture DVD.
Teaching Company, renamed to The Great Courses, also occasionally offers audio download freebies to registered users, generally about 1/2 hour each. They're nice for MP3 or i-devices. The Great Courses® - Audio & Video Lectures from The World
FWIW, I've found the visual aids- models- animations- on screen examples- etc key to what makes them so good. Of course ymmv.
So did I for the first 30 or 40 courses. Now I need to save $$ and get only audio downloads. BTW, have you seen any of Greenberg's courses in music? He's my favorite of all, really brilliant, funny, engaging -- and if you're interested in classical music he's very helpful in explaining classical form and structure. Now he's one that should be seen and not only heard. :yeah: -- Carole
I haven't! I don't have any music courses. I have a ton of science/math/history. I'll look into it though, thanks for the suggestion. Also, would a music teacher be interested in them or would they be too simple? My brother is a music teacher and I'm always looking for gift ideas.
I think so. I used several of Greenberg's courses for an MA in Humanities, concentrating on music (one of my washouts). I started with "How to Listen to and Understand Great Music." Although I played classical guitar and piano for many years, I had no training in academia for such things. One of my courses in the MA program required I analyze a classical piece of my choice. I'd never done anything of the sort and was clueless on how to do it or what to say! Greenberg's course was helpful in what to look for and gave me new appreciation of the structured form of Beethoven's symphonies, among other things. I bought several more of the DVDs of Greenberg's courses and they're all fabulous, without exception, and always highly rated by reviewers. I think if you like music you'll like Greenberg and the DVDs. He's a great musician too. So, I'd say they would make great gifts for your brother to use as a teaching aid. -- Carole