Parents FAQ
- Is this a full curriculum? How long can my child use this?
- I'm not familiar with art. What will I need to know?
- Why not use textbooks to teach art?
- Will there be any inappropriate images that might offend my family?
- Can I use GeeGuides with multiple children from different age groups?
- I am not comfortable with computers. Is this complicated?
- How will I know what my child is learning and retaining from the lessons?
- Can GeeGuides grow with my child?
- How does the home product relate to the other GeeGuides products?
- Why is art education so important?
- Does GeeGuides meet any education standards?
- Will this run on my computer? Will my Internet access work?
- How do I pay for GeeGuides?
- If I have more than one child, what are the advantages of purchasing multiple licenses?
1) Is this a full curriculum? How long can my child use this?
We realize that each home education environment is unique, so we have structured our program to be self-paced. GeeGuides is a perfect way to supplement your child's art education. You can incorporate this art curriculum into your plans as you see fit. There are 16 GeeGuides lessons per series and each lesson thoroughly covers an art concept using sayART™, seeART™ and doART™. GeeGuides provides yearly curriculums… but you and your child determine the speed at which you work through them.
2) I'm not familiar with art. What will I need to know?
Don't worry. There is no need to have previous art education experience to use the GeeGuides program. The online format is easy to use for both the child and the parent. The program is structured so that your child can use it without parental supervision. For additional assistance, however, we include an online instruction guide.
3) Why not use textbooks to teach art?
The technology involved with GeeGuides takes learning to the next level. Our web-based program is fun, interactive and uses high-quality animation that brings art to life. With our three components, sayART™, seeART™ and doART™, your child experiences art more completely…specifically, the language of art, the meaning of art and your child's own creative expression. At GeeGuides, we also think it is vital to engage children emotionally, (for example, with humor, confidence and curiosity), as well as cognitively. Research has proven this technique to greatly enhance knowledge retention.
4) Will there be any inappropriate images that might offend my family?
No. We understand parents' concern that certain works of art might be inappropriate for young children. We have not included any questionable artwork in our curriculum.
5) Can I use GeeGuides with multiple children from different age groups?
Absolutely. All of the GeeGuides lessons are targeted for children in grades 3 through 6. If you have more than one child, you can purchase individual assessment licenses for each. That way, you can track the progress of each child.
6) I am not comfortable with computers. Is this complicated?
The online format is easy to use…for both the child and the parent. Just in case, there is an online instructional guide to give you the "how-to's" on using GeeGuides.
7) How will I know what my child is learning and retaining from the lessons?
The GeeGuides program tracks how far a child has progressed through the curriculum. A child's successful completion of online activities is rewarded with advancement to new content, which allows GeeGuides to track learning growth and provide parents with customized reports of achievement.
8) Can GeeGuides grow with my child?
Yes. Currently, we are offering 16 lessons in our first series curriculum. GeeGuides will be adding other series that include further art concepts. After your child completes the first series, they can move on to the others and keep learning about art. In fact, since all the GeeGuides lessons are appropriate for grades 3 through 6, your child could use them in any order you like.
9) How does the home product relate to the other GeeGuides products?
The GeeGuides home program is a complete, stand-alone package with three components, sayART™, seeART™ and doART™. In addition to this, however, we encourage parents to explore museums with their children because there is no substitute for experiencing original art in person. At participating museums, children have the ability to continue their lessons by studying specific works of art displayed in the museum. The GeeGuides museum program is displayed on a hand-held computer.
10) Why is art education so important?
Art is an essential part of any child's education. It is just as important as reading, writing and mathematics. Art fosters creativity, flexible ways of thinking and builds self-esteem. Studies have shown that children exposed to the arts did better in other subjects and were less likely to be bored in school. We, at GeeGuides, feel strongly about the importance of art education and that is why we created our program to teach visual arts to children.
11) Does GeeGuides meet any education standards?
The GeeGuides curriculum meets the National Standards for Art Education, which were established by the Consortium of National Arts Education Associations.
12) Will this run on my computer? Will my Internet access work?
GeeGuides will run on both Windows and Macintosh computers and requires the free Macromedia Flash Player. Also, we recommend that you run the GeeGuides program with a high-speed Internet connection.
13) How do I pay for GeeGuides?
In the near future, you will be able to purchase GeeGuides via our website. We will accept credit cards, money orders and personal checks.
14) If I have more than one child, what are the advantages of purchasing multiple licenses?
By purchasing multiple licenses, you would be able to assess each child's progress instead of just obtaining an unspecific, generalized result. Since there may be differing ages in the same family, multiple licenses allow children to work on separate lesson plans simultaneously. This also allows children to work at their own pace and exploration, which is crucial to aesthetic learning development.