The Online Course Every Teen Should Take
One of the things that was sorely lacking from my own educational experience in high school was an introduction to life skills — the things you need to know to succeed as a well-rounded and capable adult in the world. I picked up some of these skills on my own through observation, there were some things my parents were intentional about teaching me, and the rest I had to learn by trial and error. Some things I have never really gotten a good handle on, like the stock market or investing.
I say this as a National Honor Society straight-A student who received a rigorous education and was accepted at more than one Ivy League university, too. It just simply wasn’t part of the curriculum, which is a shame in my opinion.
Because of my own experience (or lack thereof), it became one of my goals to make sure that my daughters will have these skills when they need them.
The Online Course Every Teen Should Take
Recognizing the need to learn these skills is just the first step. Being able to teach them effectively is the next. That’s why I’m glad to have found Mr. D Math’s College and Career Readiness online course for teens just in time for my oldest daughter to really benefit from it!
Sharon Rose is 19 now and on a path of entrepreneurship as a web design and development specialist. She also does graphic design, creative writing, and 3D game design. I want her to have all the practical tools she needs to be successful with her endeavors in the pursuit of her passions. She’s got the ambition and motivation covered so it’s just a matter of learning essential skills in the areas of finance and goal setting.
Mr. D’s College and Career Readiness course
Mr. D is Dennis DiNoia, M. Ed. He is the founder and primary instructor at Mr. D Math. His enthusiasm is infectious, which is such an excellent teaching quality. It’s what makes the difference between a forgettable, dry, boring lesson and something that will be applicable and memorable to a student. Mr. D definitely has that ability to convey his passion for the topic. He really wants to help create leaders who will make a positive difference in the world. I love that mission!
What do students learn in Mr. D’s College and Career Readiness course?
- Goal Setting
- Time Management
- Learning about Your Individual Learning Style
- The Career Field that is Right for You
- Financial Literacy
- Evaluating Stocks in the Stock Market
- Investment Strategies
- Creating a Long Term Savings Plan
- Saving Money and Paying Taxes
- Resume Writing
- College Application Writing
- Leadership Skills
- Entrepreneurial Skills
- Managing Your Life Like a Business
- Starting a Small Business
- Getting Funding for a Project
This is a full semester (16 weeks) course and earns 1/2 credit in Leadership Development.
Our Experience with Mr. D Math Online Courses
This is not our first experience with a Mr. D Math course online. Sharon Rose also took a Pre-Algebra course, which gave her a good foundation of math confidence to continue through the high school years. You can read about our experience with that in this post: Building Math Confidence with Mr. D Math.
Sharon Rose tends to take online courses in fast speed, completing assignments ahead of time and moving on quickly. She has slowed down for this one, College and Career Readiness, due to the exercises and assignments that have her wheels turning about her future plans.
She is taking the self-paced online course, but there is a live, interactive class available as well. I would recommend taking the live class if possible because I think the interaction between Mr. D and the students really enhances the learning. My daughter and I are both introverts who generally prefer self-paced courses, but we both agreed that the live component for this particular course would be a plus.
So far she has completed lessons on goal setting, time management, and has begun the financial literacy lessons. She likes the way the course is presented in several different formats: recommended reading, videos of Mr. D teaching the live sessions, written assignments, worksheets for goal setting, and other videos.
For instance, she is reading Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, which is included as the recommended reading. There was a TEDx Talk embedded in the section on time management. She has printed and completed goal setting worksheets from the first lessons. The variety of the lessons is part of what has kept her moving forward with the course.
All assignments are submitted through the student portal online. It’s very easy to navigate and find things, too. She has been able to access the course on her Kindle Fire (Silk browser) and on her Windows 10 desktop computer (Chrome browser) with no problems on either. The course is browser based, so there is nothing to download or install to use it.
The course was originally titled Life Skills 4 Teens, but has been renamed to College and Career Readiness. I think that reflects the idea that whether your child decides to pursue college or an entrepreneurial/career path, they’ll learn the essential skills they need to get started here. I also feel that it’s a good pep talk from Mr. D. Since most homeschooled teens don’t have access to a guidance counselor as a public school student might, it’s good for them to hear these life skills from another adult who can encourage them. You know, someone besides “just mom” saying these things.
My daughter’s assessment of the course so far:
I really like the goal setting part. Even though I’ve learned these things from you (mom) in the past, Mr. D presents it well and gives us a chance to fill out our own goals in the cluster diagram and “reverse engineer” what success will look like to us. I also really liked the TEDx Talk on time management. It’s important to get different perspectives when you’re deciding what works best for you and piecing it all together. I’m looking forward to watching the virtual tours coming up, too.
Try Mr. D Math Online Courses
I highly recommend the online courses at Mr. D Math. The College and Career Readiness course is really something that every teen should take to prepare them for responsibility and adult life. They will be encouraged and equipped to purposefully pursue their future plans.
Check out the Mr. D Math online courses here: Mr. D Math Course Catalog
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