By David Chandler
Math Without Borders
www.mathwithoutborders.com
23060 Lawson Ave
Strathmore, CA 93267
800-517-2947
This DVD-ROM is exactly what is says it is--a companion. The video lectures are designed to be a companion to the Prentice Hall Algebra and Trigonometry text. On his website, Mr. Chandler (whose love for math is evident) remarks that one of the difficulties homeschoolers have with math textbooks is that they were never meant to be used alone; they were meant to be used in conjunction with a math teacher. So his products fill that gap for high school level math courses. The DVD contains lectures for the lessons in the Prentice Hall textbooks and then works through selected problems from that lesson. There are other bonuses on the DVD, including a lesson on how to use a scientific calculator (and where to find an application for one free online), spreadsheet formulas, and other applications relevant to trigonometry.
If you are using the Prentice Hall Algebra II textbook, this resource would be a beneficial addition to your school. Even if you are not using Prentice Hall, these lectures would probably be beneficial for a student needing some extra help with Algebra II or Trigonometry. You could browse through the lessons to find the lecture that matches the particular concept you are working on.
This DVD, like other math help video products, uses white-board technology with a little virtual "piece of chalk" that write as he speaks. Since this course uses a lot of graphing, the white board has a grid overlaid on it. Personally, I thought the lectures were boring and monotone, but I will admit that math is not my favorite subject, so it would take quite a bit to make it very interesting to me.
If you can take the monotone lectures (the absence of which is one of the reasons I love homeschooling!), the information would be very helpful for anyone studying Algebra II with Trigonometry.
Product review by Kim Kargbo, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, January 2010
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