I took Marine Biology and Oceanography this year and loved the class! Marcy is an amazing teacher and I can tell that she puts a lot of thought into the assignments and resources. One of my favorite parts of the class was that there were no tests or quizzes so I was really able to enjoy learning the material for the sake of learning it, rather than feeling like I needed to learn it simply for a test. I also enjoyed the weekly meetings where we would discuss the material and also do small group projects. Throughout the year there were several creative projects about a topic of the student's choosing. I loved the freedom this gave me to choose a related topic that I was interested in and really learn more about it. Overall I thought that the workload was very manageable and all the assignments were really helpful in giving me a deeper understanding of the material. Additionally, this year I had several AP classes that took up a lot of my time, and this class was a nice science elective where I learned a lot but didn't pile on too much extra work. I would definitely recommend this class to any student who is interested in learning more about 70% of the Earth's surface!

My daughter has been thrilled with Marcy Swisher’s marine biology class this year! It has been a well-organized class with a very reasonable amount of work (not too much, not too little) and interesting lessons, projects and guest speakers. She has really enjoyed the collaborative nature of the class, including time set aside for small group work. Thank you so much for offering this specialized class!

This is a great class. Though it is not very rigorous, lacking any sort of tests, it does have many opportunities for student discussion and participation. This enhances the learning process and, in my opinion, actually increases the amount learned, as you are actually learning instead of cramming for next week's test then moving on. It covers a wide variety of oceanic topics, from currents to sharks, and the guest speakers that came on were really interesting. 

Marcy created such a kind and encouraging learning environment. With her teaching philosophy, I felt that I retained information much more than I would have in a typical class. Each week was kept interesting and fun while still being academically rigorous (but not overwhelming). This class incorporated technical concepts with their real-world implications – all of which I’m still contemplating today! I would recommend this class to (everyone really but also) all seniors or juniors who have a lot on their plate. 

Ms. Swisher’s marine biology classes were always a bright spot in my week, she promoted collaboration & genuine learning. I never felt so involved in an online class, whether through the fun labs and projects (the map project was so much fun!) or the interactive classroom, and I don’t think I’ve ever retained information as well as I have in Ms. Swisher’s class! Her organization and class setup worked wonderfully for me. As a senior I wish I’d have found Ms. Swisher & Blue Tent sooner, they were by far the best teacher & class I’ve had in almost my entire high school experience!

My son and I have been thrilled with Marcy Swisher's Marine Biology class. The class is engaging, well-organized, and enjoyable. I appreciate how hard Ms. Swisher has worked to bring in guest speakers who are actively working in the field. All of the lab work has been well explained and easy to follow.  Additionally, Ms. Swisher has enabled lots of student collaboration during class time and through asynchronous partnered assignments. I think this course represents the best of homeschooling--rigor, fun, and the chance to dive into a unique topic. My son is sorry to see the class end.