Online Program FAQ
Frequently asked questions about the Online Program:
1. How does the online program compare to the one presented at the Brain Highways Center?
We’ve incorporated multimedia and technology to make it possible to do most of the local program in your own home. As a result, the online families benefit from the same information and fun.
The primary difference between the local and online classes is there is 1:1 in person interaction with staff and other BH parents/kids participating in the local program.
But here, too, the online participants receive 1:1 individualization when staff responds in writing to their questionnaire comments, and many families have found our BH facebook page a way to interact with other families on the same path.
Probably the best answer is . . . we give the same program questionnaires (throughout the course) to the online and local participants, and—you can not tell who is in what program by their answers.
2. Do online participants need to purchase any of the equipment we see in photos and videos on the site?
No, there is no extra cost (sans, perhaps, a few dollars here and there if you don't have already a common item that we occasionally suggest for an activity), and you don't need any of the apparatus or toys shown in the video.
In fact, we pride ourselves on coming up with ways to help the online folks get the same stimuli kids get by using the apparatus at the local centers . . . by using a few common everyday items and a little creative thinking. For example, instead of an expensive, wooden balance beam, we suggest cutting a Styrofoam pool noodle in half, lengthwise--and voila! It's a great balance beam!
In short, all the stuff at the Centers is considered "extra" (like coming to Disneyland) but definitely not needed to get the results.
3. How does the local program transfer to the online program at home?
We use short videos to demonstrate hands-on activities, model specific movements, and present entertaining enactments of main ideas. Audio clips allow Nancy Sokol Green, the creator of the program, to share information and lively stories that illustrate key concepts and ideas. Handouts provide written access to a wealth of information.
In addition to the weekly materials, participants receive on-going assessment by sending short clips of their children doing the key brain organization movements. Such clips then allow us to give specific feedback. Parents also receive support, as needed, via email. Last, Brain Highways parents also have opportunities to interact with each other by participating on our Facebook page.
4. What ages is the online curriculum written for?
The curriculum was designed for kids three to fourteen years old.
5. Can older teens and adults also benefit from using this same curriculum?
Yes, but with some minor modifications. While the general process of brain organization is the same for all ages, the online program content was created specifically for kids. That being said, many older teens and adults actually prefer a hands-on, kid curriculum over a traditional adult one.
6. Can the online curriculum be used in the classroom?
While it’s easy to present the curriculum’s vestibular and prorprioceptive activities in a classroom, the other parts of the program are not designed to be used in that setting.
7. Can the online curriculum be integrated into homeschool lessons?
Yes, both the pons and midbrain courses can be easily implemented with a homeschool curriculum.
8. How do parents know what to do each week?
Each week, participants receive an overview that recaps the new materials, an order in which to present them, and a note of any upcoming assignment.
9. What kinds of assignments are given?
Parents are sometimes asked to respond to questions so that class facilitators can “check in” to see how each individual participant is doing.
10. What kinds of materials do participants receive?
Participants receive the following:
Short videos: The stars are kids of all ages who have previously participated in the program. These videos demonstrate fun activities and movements specific to brain development that families do at home. They also show progress of prior Brain Highways participants and entertaining enactments of key curriculum concepts. With the exception of a few videos, parents and kids watch these together.
Audio Clips: These are recorded by Nancy Sokol Green, the creator of the program. The clips are rich in personal stories and reflections that enhance the information provided in the handouts.
Support Handouts: These include charts, tips, articles, and more to help parents learn important information. For kids, there are also ready-to-use handouts related to program activities and entertaining “stories” to help convey a specific point.
Parent Supplement: This component is a separate link that is available during the first four weeks of the program. It includes a handbook that teaches parents how to rewire their own brain (to ensure the most positive interactions), audio clips of lively stories and examples that underscore that process, entertaining videos that show how a brain responds to negativity, and a detailed guide that zeroes in on many details that then help expedite a child’s brain organization.
11. How do participants receive their weekly materials?
Participants use their password to log on to a special page on the Brain Highways website. Once there, they follow the link to their weekly online materials page.
12. Why are each week’s materials only available from Friday through Tuesday?
The curriculum is written with the assumption that the previous week’s information and activities are already completed before participants start the next week. Making the materials available just for a few days prior to the beginning of a new week helps ensure that participants stay current. (We consider Monday to be the first day of each week of the course.)
13. What if some kind of emergency prevents parents from logging in to get the weekly materials?
In such case, we can arrange for that family to still get their weekly materials.
14. Are participants able to download and save all the weekly materials?
Participants can download and save all the handouts. They cannot, however, download the curriculum videos or audio clips. This, again, helps to ensure that participants are truly using the materials when they are presented.
15. How much time do parents spend reviewing the weekly materials?
The time to review the weekly course materials vary each week. At the beginning of the course, that total time averages between 1-2 hours (and you can always divide that time up throughout the week), whereas near the end of the course, parents may not spend more than a total of 20 minutes for the entire week. At the start of the course, we also provide you with a table that lists the anticipated time to review each week’s materials so that parents can plan accordingly.
16. How much time do kids spend doing the online program each day?
In the pons course, kids are required to do 30-45 minutes of the brain organization work each day, with that time increasing to 45-60 minutes daily in the midbrain course. However, the program offers many ways to combine what kids already like and do while they engage in the brain organization work. For example, the daily brain work can be done while doing homework, playing board games, listening to stories, and more. Doing it this way then makes it possible to meet the daily requirement without having to find extra time to do the brain organization work.
In addition to the required daily brain organization time, kids also watch the weekly videos and participate in vestibular and proprioceptive activities. Total weekly video viewing time ranges from about four to six minutes. Vestibular and proprioceptive activities also only take a few minutes, and they, too, can be done with schoolwork.
17. What kind of support do parents receive?
Staff provides written responses to parents’ comments on program questionnaires and is available to answer questions and concerns via email. Staff also gives parents specific feedback on the videos they send of their child doing the brain organization work. Parents additionally have the opportunity to interact with each other on our facebook page.
18. How is a participant’s progress monitored?
Parents send a video of their child doing the core brain work during the first and sixth week of the Pons course, and once again at the end of the midbrain course. Class facilitators watch those videos and give feedback.
19. How much does it cost for one child to participate in either the online pons or midbrain class?
The pons course fee for one child and the parents is $550. This covers all the materials (videos, audio clips, handouts), individualized feedback (to responses on program questionnaires and videos of kids doing the brain work), email support, and the comprehensive parent supplement.
The midbrain course fee for one child and the parents is $475. Parents receive the same kind of materials as the pons course; however, they receive them just on the first, third, fifth, and seventh week of the program. The midbrain course also offers the same kind of individualized feedback and support.
20. How much does it cost for additional children of the same family to participate at the same time?
The course fee for each additional child is $325 for both the pons and midbrain courses.
21. What does it cost if a second child takes one of the courses at a different time?
It is always $325 if a second child takes a course that another sibling has already taken.
22. Can a sibling or adult participate unofficially (i.e. just do the activities alongside the enrolled child)?
Yes, but such participants will not receive the same benefits as those officially enrolled. For example, unofficial participants are never assessed, nor do parents receive any support specific for such children. They are also not eligible to participate in any contests or assignments that are shared with other classmates.
23. How does one officially enroll in an online course?
24. What is needed to view the multimedia materials?
Participants need Adobe Flashplayer (to hear the audio clips and view the videos) and Adobe Reader to view and print the pdf handouts. People with recent versions of Mac computers with Safari 5.1 will problems reading the handouts in their browser. This is an APPLE problem (they’re selling non-industry standard products). Such participants will have to find a different way to access these materials.
25. What kind of technical support does Brain Highways provide?
We can't solve a technical problem if it's not one we created (e.g. it's a compatibility problem unique to version of a particular brand of computers). So, our tech support is limited to helping people set up accounts, process online payments, and suggest links to Adobe Flashplayer and Adobe Reader (or to possible alternate browsers) if such programs are not already on the computer.
