Class Information | LibertyChristianCo.

Call or Text: 847-566-9669

Algebra 2

Prerequisites: Algebra 1

Ages: 11-18 (On the first day of class).

Min/Max Class Size: 3-9

Cost: $40/mo, Plus textbook

Payment: Check, cash or Venmo (connected to my phone number 8475669669)

Class Description:

This class will briefly review Algebra I and then get more into the advanced topics in Algebra; picking up with quadratic equations and continuing into cubic and exponential functions. This includes developing some expertise with exponents and logarithms. The class will also cover some basic Trigonometry.

The approach is both visual (graphing) and algebraic with the goal being to connect the two. Although Algebra II is fairly abstract the class will work to apply the knowledge to real world problems. See the homework section below for some more information.

Required Course Materials

Algebra 2: An Incremental Development

ISBN:-939798-62-X

Expectations:

Homework

Part of the benefit of the Saxon text is that if a student completes three chapters per week then they finish the text in one school year. However in Algebra II different curricula cover somewhat different topics. Saxon covers a lot of Geometry for example. There is not enough Geometry to replace a Geometry class but there is more than is generally a part of Alg II. I am planning on skipping most of that material and including some Trig as a part of the work.

Teacher Information

Guy Desaulniers

Call or Text: 847-566-9669

Middle School Math

Prerequisites: None

Ages: 9 - 13(On the first day of class).

Min/Max Class Size: 3-9

Cost: $40/mo, Plus textbook

Payment: Check, cash or Venmo (connected to my phone number 8475669669)

Class Description:

This class will cover the basic aspects of Arithmetic, Geometry and Data Analysis and applying these concepts and skills to solving word problems. In Middle school that covers a lot of territory. Too much to list it all individually, but the highlights in arithmetic would include, Fact families, factorization, fractions, prime numbers, proportions and exponents. In Geometry the focus would be on understanding angles and the concept of area, especially as applied to triangles, quadrilaterals and circles. Data Analysis would include Graphs and basic probability.

Required Course Materials

Saxon 7/6 ISBN: 1591413192 ISBN-13: 9781591413196

Expectations:

Homework

Generally there will be 3 hours of homework (with attention) for each hour of class. Students retain more if that is done in 2 one hour time blocks rather than one 3 hour block. The homework will usually involve a review of what one has already learned, practice of the current material and some challenging work.

Teacher Information

Teacher: Guy Desaulniers

Call or Text: 847-566-9669

Elementary School Math

Prerequisites: None

Ages: Open

Min/Max Class Size: 3-7

Cost: $40/mo, Plus textbook

Payment: Check, cash or Venmo (connected to my phone number 8475669669)

Required Course Materials

Text: Saxon Math 5/4

ISBN: 1591413214
ISBN-13: 9781591413219

Expectations:

Homework

The parents are the teachers here, but if a student does three chapters per week then they will finish in one year. We

will usually cover a chapter each week along with additional material based on the most important material being covered.

Teacher Information

Teacher: Guy Desaulniers

Call or Text: 847-566-9669

Primary School Math

Prerequisites: None

Ages: open

Min/Max Class Size: 3-7

Cost: $40/mo, Plus textbook

Payment: Check, cash or Venmo (connected to my phone number 8475669669)

Class Description:

Primary Math covers the most basic arithmetic operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. It also covers simple word problems and an introduction to more advanced concepts such as fractions and conversions. Usually various math topics such as dates, time and money topics are addressed as well. I believe that a strong fluency with basic math facts is very helpful to make learning math easier and more fun as the student progresses. Thus the emphasis is on mastering math facts and understanding fact families.

Required Course Materials

Text: Saxon Math 2

ISBN: 0939798824
ISBN-13: 9780939798827

Expectations:

Homework

Teacher Information

Teacher: Guy Desaulniers

Call or Text: 847-566-9669

STEAM – Exploring Science with Design Thinking and Architecture

Ages: 8-11

Min/Max Class Size: 6/10

Cost: 1 time $40 materials fee. $45 month (3 class sessions a month)

Payment: Cash, Check or Zelle (drcherylpeterson@gmail.com)

Class Description:

2 incredible kids created a great tool for creating and building called 3Dux (3duxdesign.com). In this course we will use this great tool to unleash your STEAM thinking – Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math. You will meet real life architects and experts in green building. And students will participate in the 3Dux design challenge and design a tiny house. This class includes science, engineering, creative thinking, math, literature and more!

Teacher Information:

Dr. Cheryl Peterson (Elementary and Gifted Licensure)

Email: drcherylpeterson@protonmail.com

Website: drcherylpeterson.com

Required Course Materials:

Materials fee includes the 3Dux design materials we will use for the classroom challenges and any learning materials students need for the course.

Expectations:

In Class – Students are expected to participate cooperatively and independently in activities.

Homework:

Most work will be completed in class. Students will be encouraged to do additional outside research and learning depending on the topic and class activities.

SUPER HABITS: BUILDING EXECUTIVE FUNCTION SKILLS AND SCHOLARLY HABITS

Ages: 5-7

Min/Max Class Size: 6/10

Cost: 1 time $40 materials fee. $45 month (3 class sessions a month)

Payment: Cash, Check or Zelle (drcherylpeterson@gmail.com)

Class Description:

Unleash your super powers by learning some of the 16 Habits of Mind. This class is a little bit play, some practice, and a focus on the purpose of scholarly habits. This class is repeatable – we will focus on new habits and reinforce old ones in new ways. Class includes games, crafts, writing and literature.

Teacher Information:

Dr. Cheryl Peterson (Elementary and Gifted Licensure)

Email: drcherylpeterson@protonmail.com

Website: drcherylpeterson.com

Required Course Materials:

Materials fee includes Super Habits ebook and soft-cover book, Super Habits binder with guide sheets, multiple resources for engaging students and sharing learning with families.

Expectations:

In Class – Students are expected to participate cooperatively and independently in activities.

Homework:

Most work will be completed in class. Students will be encouraged to share what they have learned at home with family activities. Since habits stick best with consistency and repetition, activity sheets will be available to guide families in how to implement these habits at home.

SUPER HABITS: BUILDING EXECUTIVE FUNCTION SKILLS AND SCHOLARLY HABITS

Ages: 8-11

Min/Max Class Size: 6/10

Cost: 1 time $40 materials fee. $45 month (3 class sessions a month)

Payment: Cash, Check or Zelle (drcherylpeterson@gmail.com)

Class Description:

Teacher Information:

Dr. Cheryl Peterson (Elementary and Gifted Licensure)

Email: drcherylpeterson@protonmail.com

Website: drcherylpeterson.com

Required Course Materials:

Materials fee includes Super Habits ebook, Super Habits binder with guide sheets, multiple resources for engaging students and sharing learning with families.

Expectations:

In Class – Students are expected to participate cooperatively and independently in activities.

Homework – Most work will be completed in class. Students will be encouraged to share what they have learned at home with family activities. Since habits stick best with consistency and repetition, activity sheets will be available to guide families in how to implement these habits at home.

Beginner Spanish (30-minute class)

Prerequisites: none

Ages: 5-7

Max.class size : 10

Cost : $30 /month plus one-time materials fee of $15

Payment : cash/check

Class Description:

This class is for elementary students with little or no previous knowledge of or exposure to Spanish. Students will be introduced to the sounds of the Spanish language as they listen to and learn to speak Spanish. We will practice Spanish in many ways : games ,songs, stories and activities. All these are designed to reinforce vocabulary we're learning in class. We will also learn about Hispanic culture , holidays and customs.

Teacher Information:

Kelly Laschinski

Beginner Spanish (30-minute class)

Prerequisites: none

Ages: 8-11

Max.class size : 10

Cost : $30 /month plus one-time materials fee of $15

Payment : cash/check

Class Description:

Some of the topics we will learn about : greetings/goodbyes, useful daily expressions, numbers, colors, animals, foods, parts of the house and much more.

Teacher Information:

Kelly Laschinski

Beginner Spanish (60-minute class)

Prerequisites: none

Ages: 12-14

Max.class size : 10

Cost : $40/month plus one-time materials fee of $15

Payment : cash/check

Class Description :

This class is for middle-school-age students with little or no previous knowledge of or exposure to Spanish. Students will be introduced to the sounds of the Spanish language as they listen to and learn to speak and write in Spanish. We will practice Spanish in many ways : games ,songs, and activities. All these are designed to reinforce vocabulary we're learning in class. We will also learn about Hispanic culture , holidays and customs.

Some of the topics we will learn: greetings/goodbyes, useful daily expressions, numbers, colors, animals, foods, parts of the house and much more. I will introduce students to basic Spanish grammar concepts also; cognates, gender of nouns, adjective agreement and some verb forms.

Required course materials: Folder or binder to keep handouts, activities and homework.

(We will build on concepts and vocabulary we learned last spring- but enrollment in last spring's class is not a pre-requisite)

Teacher Information:

Kelly Laschinski

Beginner Spanish (60-minute class)

Prerequisites: none

Ages: 15-18

Max.class size : 10

Cost : $40/month plus one-time materials fee of $15

Payment : cash/check

Class Description:

This class is for high school students with little or no previous knowledge of or exposure to Spanish. Students will be introduced to the sounds of the Spanish language as they listen to and learn to speak and write in Spanish. We will practice Spanish in many ways : games ,songs, videos and activities. All these are designed to reinforce vocabulary we're learning in class. We will also learn about Hispanic culture , holidays and customs.

Some of the topics we will learn : greetings/goodbyes, useful daily expressions, numbers, colors, animals, foods, parts of the house and much more. I will introduce students to basic Spanish grammar concepts also; cognates, gender of nouns, adjective agreement and verb forms.

Required course materials: Folder or binder to keep handouts, activities and homework.

( We will build on concepts and vocabulary we learned last spring- but enrollment in last spring's class is not e pre-requisite)

Teacher Information:

Kelly Laschinski

FUN with PHONICS and READING

Prerequisites: none

Ages:5-7

Cost : $30/month with materials fee TBD

Max class size: 10

Payment: cash/check

Class description:

Children will focus on letter recognition, consonants and vowels, vowel sounds, ABC order, writing letters, upper and lowercase letters, reading and sounding out aloud, practice with manipulatives (whiteboards/markers, pencil/paper, plastic letters etc.)

Course materials:

Students will be provided with a 3-ring binder (included in materials fee) that contains course material and activities. I will provide progress notes and each child will be compiling a notebook of their own work during the year.

Expectations:

In class, students will participate cooperatively and sometimes individually, in activities designed to learn and reinforce letters, sounds and reading. I hope parents will review what we learned in class and reinforce these lessons at home. Extra activities will be given to that end for parents and children to do at home together. I hope parents and children will daily read together.

Teacher Information:

Kelly Laschinski

PRENEURSHIP

Prerequisites: None

Age Requirements: This course will be suited for students ages 10-18.

Min/Max Class Size: 5/15

Cost: $40/mo, Plus materials fee of $12

Payment: Cash, Check, or Zelle (angel@thekawas.com)

Class Description:

The purpose of this class is to provide students with an understanding and appreciation of the various types of preneurship (entre, intra, inter, inner), an introduction to different types of business entities (sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability partnership, limited liability company, corporation, non-profit, benefit corporation), and an introduction to leadership in commerce. This will be a student-directed learning course, meaning we will discuss and explore the business opportunities students are interested in.

Students will gain insight into how to make a living doing what they love, solving problems, and making a difference in the world.

Students in this course will have an opportunity to further develop their ideas into an executable business plan.

Expectations:

In Class – Students are expected to come to class prepared, having completed their homework and ready to discuss what was assigned. I use class time to apply what students have read or prepared, introducing more information, and to allow time for them to discuss ideas.

Homework –The time spent on homework will vary with the student’s abilities and interest, but students should expect to spend 2-3 hours each week.

Grades will be given and if the student completes the work required, this can serve as a Semester Credit in Electives for HS.

Teacher Information:

Angel Oakley

Required Course Materials:

1” Ring Binder with pockets

Robotics - First Robotics

Prerequisites: None

Age Requirements: 6-18.

Min/Max Class Size: 5/15

Cost: $40/mo, Plus materials fee of $20

Payment: Cash, Check, or Zelle (angel@thekawas.com)

Class Description:

The purpose of this class is to provide students with an introductory exposure to First Lego League Robotics. They will be able to use Lego Robotics materials from previous competitions to get familiar with challenges. This class will allow them to get familiar with Robotics without the pressure of competition. For those students who wish to continue on in Robotics, students 12-18 are eligible to participate in annual competition seasons (August-January).

If you aren’t familiar with First Robotics, you can find out more here https://www.firstinspires.org/. First is an incredible program. Students learn important lessons in teamwork, coopertition, integrity, problem solving, creativity, engineering, marketing, fund-raising, and presentation skills.

In the fall, the course will run through a mock-competition season for the first part of the academic year.

Expectations:

During Meeting Times – Students are expected to come to class prepared to create and learn. Homework will be optional for this course. I use meeting time to allow them to create, explore, and to allow time for them to discuss ideas.

Homework –The time spent on homework will vary with the student’s abilities and interest, but students should expect to spend approx. 1 hour each week.

No grades will be given, this can serve as an extra-curricular club activity.

Coach Information:

Angel Oakley

Required Course Materials:
1” Ring Binder with pockets

Creative Writing

Prerequisites: None

Ages: 10-17

Min/Max Class Size: 5/15

Cost: $40/mo, Plus materials fee of $12

Payment: Cash, Check, or Zelle (angel@thekawas.com)

Class Description:

The purpose of this class is to provide students an opportunity to explore the craft of writing. We’ll examine three phases of writing: preparation, writing, and finishing. The goal is to sharpen skills while inspiring a love for the creative writing process.

Preparation is anything that precedes writing, whether it relates to your warm-up routine, your reading and influences, or your worldbuilding notes, plot outlines, etc.
Writing is anything that takes place while you’re writing, whether it relates to the actual time you spend putting words on a page, or the months or years of writing and erasing that go into creating a manuscript.
Finishing is anything that takes places after you’ve finished writing, whether it relates to the revision, the subsequent drafts, the conversations with early readers or editors, or the formatting, packaging and promotion of a finished piece of work.

They will examine different types of literature, create their own masterpiece(s), and proofread/edit for others.

Expectations:

In Class – Students are expected to come to class prepared to share what they have written, discuss the writing process and ideas, and proofread for others. Writing will be done as homework.

Homework –The time spent on homework will vary with the student’s abilities and interest, but students should expect to spend a minimum of 1 hour each week.

Grades will be given and if the student completes the work required, this can serve as a Semester Credit in Language Arts.

Teacher Information:

Angel Oakley

Required Course Materials:
1” ring binder with pockets, blue and yellow highlighter, red and blue pen, pencil.

Yearbook - Photography/Journalism/Graphic Design/Publishing

Prerequisites: None

Ages: 12-18

Min/Max Class Size: 6/15

Cost: $45/mo, supply fee of $80, book fee of $40

Payment: Cash, Check, or Zelle (angel@thekawas.com)

Description:
The fundamentals of journalism involve telling the story of communities, and no one does this better than a school yearbook staff. These individuals show up at every important moment to document it with photography, captions, and short stories. Students, staff, and alums count on yearbook committees to showcase the most essential memories for the short-term and for history.

The purpose of this class is to provide students an opportunity to explore photography, storytelling, journalism, and publishing. We’ll examine each of these areas as units of study, culminating in the completion of individual portraits and a yearbook for the Liberty Christian Community.

The Photography Unit will cover:
- Different types of photography, composition, lighting, lenses, editing, and style

The Storytelling Unit will cover:
- How to write short - scrapbook journalism.

The Publishing Unit will cover:
- Theme, design, layout, and printing.

Expectations:
In Class – Students are expected to come to class prepared to share what they have created, discuss ideas, and proofread/edit for others. Writing will be done as homework.

Homework –The time spent on homework will vary with the student’s abilities and interest, but students should expect to spend a minimum of 1 hour each week.

Grades will be given and if the student completes the work required, this can serve as a full-credit elective course.

Optional:
A student subscription to the Adobe Design Suite is $20 a month. Using Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom, and InDesign will allow students to work on layout, design, and photo editing.

Teacher Information:

Angel Oakley

Middle School Composition

Ages: 11-15

Min/Max Class Size: 5/10

Cost: $40/mo, book fee of $40

Payment: Cash, Check, or Zelle (angel@thekawas.com)

Description:

This class will cover Grammar, Literature, Vocabulary, and Writing.
We'll be using Michael Clay Thompson Language Arts curriculum level 4 (6th grade and up).
Grammar of Literature, 4Practice for Literature, Vocabulary of Literature, Poetry of Literature, Writing of Literature

Michael Clay Thompson (MCT):

MCT Writing
Writing is taught with a strong grammatical approach. The titles of the first three courses—Sentence Island, Paragraph Town, and Essay Voyage—reflect the sequential development of composition skills. The Writing of Literature has students work with excerpts from fiction and non-fiction to learn writing techniques. Advanced Academic Writing 1, 2, and 3 (for the last three levels) teach students to write formal academic papers. All three Advanced Academic Writing books and The Writing of Literature teach students the MLA (Modern Language Association) guidelines for writing. Advanced Academic Writing teacher manuals each include access to an online library of Thompson’s comments on student papers that he has accumulated over the years. These are comments that he has used repeatedly enough that he “recorded” them rather than rewrite them each time. A parent or teacher can use these comments to save the time it would take to figure out how to create his or her own comments.

MCT Vocabulary
The Vocabulary of Literature has ten lessons, each of which teaches ten of the most frequently used words in classic literature plus ten words from Caesar's English I and Ceaser's English II. Lessons include information and photographs about authors and literature, definitions with examples of usage from literature, "Classic Word Challenge" games (students guess which word an author used in a sentence), grammar exercises using the vocabulary words, "Classic Word Muddles" exercises (students identify usage errors), and more.

MCT Poetry
If you want to instill in your children a love of poetry but find most teaching resources less than inspiring, you will probably love Thompson’s approach which includes poetry study at every level. Even from the youngest level, students learn to appreciate the beauty of language and the skill of an outstanding poet who has carefully selected words not just for meaning and rhyme but also for the actual sounds the words make. All seven books explore the technical and mechanical aspects of poetry as well as the aesthetic and emotional. The last three books delve further into philosophical questions such as the nature of man and whether beauty and truth are relative or absolute. Thompson presents the questions in a Socratic manner, encouraging thought without offering definitive answers. Those teaching a Christian worldview might want to expand such discussions within that context.

Reading:
The Shadow Trilogy, includes The Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and The Hound of the Baskervilles.

Teacher Information:

Angel Oakley

Crafts

Prerequisite: None

Ages 3-10

Min 5 kids, Max 10 kids

Cost: $30/month plus one-time materials fee of $15

Payment – cash, check, zelle, paypal

Class Description:

Join us for a fun craft that changes each week and your child gets to take home. We will craft with different tools and materials, which will help grow creativity, sensory and motor skills. Projects may consist of holiday themes, seasonal themes, create your own, etc. All ages are welcome, but projects are geared more towards ages 3-10.

Teacher Information:

Jen Payne

email: jenp21@sbcglobal.net

Paint Palooza

Recommended Age: K-2nd grade

Class fee: $40 per month, per studens

Materials Fee: $15 per semester

Min/Max: 5 students/10 student

Course Description:

Paint Palooza: Join Kaleidoscope School of Fine Art for a paint-palooza! Using different types of painting techniques, we will create seasonal and thematic paintings in watercolor, acrylic and tempera paint. Our fun fall themes include: Colors of the Season, Fall Forest Friends and Nuts About Nature.

Book(s) Needed - No books needed

Payment: Credit card. All students will set up an account with Kaleidoscope School of Fine Art via their Enrollsy system. Cards on file will be charged on the first of each month. Materials fee due with first month’s payment.

Teacher Information:

Doug Jennings

Doug@kaleidoscopeart.org

Epic Art

Recommended Age: 3rd-5th grade

Class fee: $40 per month, per student

Min/Max: 5 students/10 students

Materials Fee: $15 per semester

Course Description:

EPIC Art: Join Kaleidoscope School of Fine Art for an EPIC Art Adventure! Using different painting techniques and mixed media materials, we will create seasonal and thematic works of art. Our fun fall themes include: Colors of the Season, Fall Forest Frenzy and Nuts About Nature.

Book(s) Needed - No books needed.

Teacher Information:

Doug Jennings

Doug@kaleidoscopeart.org

Art Exploration

Recommended Age: 6th-8th grade

Min/Max: 5 students/10 students

Class fee: $40 per month, per student

Material Fee: $15 per semester

Course Description:

Art Exploration: Join Kaleidoscope School of Fine Art to explore the wide world of visual art. From painting and drawing projects, to graphic design and digital media, this art survey class will introduce the young artist to a variety of media. Watercolor, acrylic, pastels, pen and ink, pencil will be explored.

Book(s) Needed - No books needed.

Teacher Information:

Doug Jennings

doug@kaleidoscopeart.org

Art Expansion: Digital, Graphic Design, Paint & Pencil

Recommended Age: High School

Min/Max: 5 students/10 students

Class fee: $40 per month, per student

Material Fee: $15 per semester

Course Description: Art Expansion: Join Kaleidoscope School of Fine Art to explore the wide world of visual art. From painting and drawing projects, to graphic design and digital media: this class will expand on the teen artist’s knowledge with a variety of media. Teens will have the opportunity to develop and create their own projects under the teacher's guidance, while also following along to learn new skills. Watercolor, acrylic, pastels, pen and ink, pencil will be explored.

Book(s) Needed: No books needed

Payment: credit card. All students will set up an account with Kaleidoscope School of Fine Art via their Enrollsy system. Cards on file will be charged on the first of each month. Materials fee due with first month’s payment.

Teacher Information:

Doug Jennings

doug@kaleidoscopeart.org

Introduction to Coding and Website Building

Recommended Ages: 14 and above

Min/Max: 4 / Max. 10 students

Class fee: $40/mo per student)

Course Description

Computer programming is central to software development. Coding is a skill that gives young people a great advantage in the current job market. In fact, it has become more comparable to literacy than the command of a second language.

In this class, students will be introduced to coding and algorithmic thinking using the programming languages Python and JavaScript. Python is an industry standard language used in the development of software like YouTube, Google or Instagram, as well as in data analysis and visualization. It is intuitive and easy to learn, and as such, well-suited to ambitious beginners. JavaScript powers the internet and is a necessary component of building websites. As JavaScript is used along with the markup language HTML and the design language CSS, the students will learn those languages while working on their websites, as well.

We will learn concepts such as variables, loops, conditionals, operators, lists, dictionaries, classes, objects and libraries. This class is completely application-based; we will learn all of our concepts while making 2D games, animations and websites. Students will be encouraged to define and analyze a problem, design and plan a solution for it, execute it in Python and JavaScript, and then test and troubleshoot their codes.

Expectations

Students will be communicating with each other and problem-solving together, but work will be carried out individually. Asking questions is strongly encouraged.

Homework

Most work will be done in the classroom. Every three weeks, short exercises will be assigned to be sent to the instructor/brought back to class by the following week.

Materials

Every student must bring a laptop computer (no tablets) with the following specs:

Operating System: PC: 64-bit Windows 7 or later, Mac: OS X 10.11 or later Processor: 1.5GHz or faster
Memory: 4GB (4,096MB) RAM
Free HDD space: 3GB

If a student cannot provide a computer satisfying these requirements, please contact the instructor as soon as possible; by September 5, at the latest. We can provide an appropriate device for in class use.

Teacher Information

Mehmet Cakmak

Call or text: 331 222 6950

Introduction to Coding

Recommended Ages: 10 - 14

Min/Max: 4 / Max. 10 students

Class fee: $40/mo per student)

Course Description

In this class, students will be introduced to coding and algorithmic thinking using the programming languages Python and Scratch. Python is an industry standard language used in the development of software like YouTube, Google or Instagram, as well as in data analysis and visualization. It is intuitive and easy to learn, and as such, well-suited to ambitious beginners. Scratch is a block-coding language developed by MIT engineers, and is exclusively directed towards young learners. We will see how the core logic of certain programs works by coding in Scratch and experiencing the instant gratification with visual output. We will then apply the same logic to Python, to learn the syntax around it in a standard language.

We will learn concepts such as variables, loops, conditionals, operators, lists, dictionaries, classes, objects and libraries. This class is completely application-based; we will learn all of our concepts while making 2D games and animations. Students will be encouraged to define and analyze a problem, design and plan a solution for it, execute it in Scratch and Python, and then test and troubleshoot their codes.

Expectations

Students will be communicating with each other and problem-solving together, but work will be carried out individually. Asking questions is strongly encouraged.

Homework

Most work will be done in the classroom. Every three weeks, short exercises will be assigned to be sent to the instructor/brought back to class by the following week.

Materials

Every student must bring a laptop computer (no tablets) with the following specs:

Operating System: PC: 64-bit Windows 7 or later, Mac: OS X 10.11 or later Processor: 1.5GHz or faster
Memory: 4GB (4,096MB) RAM
Free HDD space: 3GB

Teacher Information

Mehmet Cakmak

Call or text: 331 222 6950

Critical Thinking (Philosophical Logic)

Recommended Ages: 14 - 18

Min/Max Enrollment: 4 / Max. 10 students

Price: $ 40/month per student

Course Description

Critical thinking classes are usually considered to be a part of a well-rounded education by providing thinking skills reaching over what is needed for success at school and job, like having a critical stance to general beliefs of society, politics, art and so on. However, critical thinking, taught appropriately, can also be the skill that makes up the extra-ordinary success precisely at school and job.

This class will aim at this more ambitious goal of providing an indispensable skill in both curricular and extra-curricular contexts. We will be reading passages from old and contemporary texts, and scrutinize them for their validity and soundness, and work out if they are justified.

Further, we will learn some informal logic (also helpful for math and analytic thinking), and how it can be applied to the analysis of texts.

Finally, our society’s growing dividedness across various topics has also to do with rational thinking principles, like, how we find relevant evidence and how to evaluate it. We will also talk about these principles, using especially older debates.

Expectations

Students will be communicating and discussing with each other and learn how to participate in respectful and fruitful debates. Asking questions is strongly encouraged.

Homework

Most work will be done in the classroom. About once a month, short exercises or essays will be assigned to be sent to the instructor/brought back to class by the following week.

Teacher Information

Mehmet Cakmak

Call or text: 331 222 6950

German I

Recommended Ages: 10-18

Min/Max Enrollment: 4 / 10 students

Price: $40/month per student

Course Description

There are many reasons to learn German. Here are three of them: the German economy is one of the strongest economies in the world. Any company that has relations in finance or engineering with Europe is likely to interact with German speaking people. It is also spoken in Austria and Switzerland, and widely understood in Eastern Europe (mostly better than English) and Holland.

Second, the cultural wealth of German history is naturally mirrored in the German language, just think of the giants of German literature and philosophy like Goethe, Kafka, Brecht, Kant or Nietzsche.

And finally, while there is a widely held prejudice that German language is difficult, I think that this is not the case. In fact, the language is very logically structured, with very few exceptions, unlike, for example, English. At the same time, it is closer to English in vocabulary and grammar than roman languages like French or Spanish.

In this class, we will learn German using a mixture of older and contemporary language acquisition methods. Repetitive exercises in grammar using pencil and paper are irreplaceable, but at the same time, effective methods in comprehension and speaking, resulting from phonetic advances in tech-media and current research, will be integrated in the lessons.

Teacher Information

Mehmet Cakmak

Call or text: 331 222 6950