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Online Class

2K views 12 replies 12 participants last post by  tecumseh 
#1 ·
Found this online class at Penn State,

Whether you are an experienced beekeeper, a new beekeeper, or thinking about starting a backyard beehive, Penn State Beekeeping 101 is a one-of-a-kind completely online learning experience.

http://beekeeping101.psu.edu/
 
#2 ·
Looks like a pretty comprehensive course, but IMO, kind of pricey. The same information can be found right here on the forum for free, and you have a lot of fun along the way. Also, Ron Upshaw at worldofbeekeeping.com has a couple of pretty good dvds at a reasonable price.
 
#5 ·
Three day course here was $100 put on by University of Tennesse, pretty basic course. Find your local bee club, they can supply you with all of the hands on you can stand most of the time, even better is a mentor. If you are willing to do the heavy work most are very willing to teach you what they know.
 
#7 ·
Yikes, sounds like some people are making a pretty penny.

In my area there are 3-day weekend classes for about $70, taught by a 30 year veteran BK. Or, you can head down ninety minutes closer to the city and pay through the nose, like three or four times as much, for 'natural' courses of the same duration.
I have to say I find it hard to justify charging 3x as much just because you are marketing to the 'organic/natural' crowd. All newbies need to learn a lot of the same basic information about bees and beekeeping in general when they start out. Why not just take whatever courses you can, learn as much as you can, do a little reading and hands on visiting, and then decide what your personal style of beekeeping will be?
I personally feel that charge an arm and a leg for a 'natural beekeeping' course is taking advantage of and playing off the fears of beginners who have only media-scare-based notions of commercial (i.e.,evil chemical) beekeeping vs. sweetness-and-light 'natural guru beekeeping'.
 
#8 ·
I actually feel that the universities should put on a basic bee keeping class for free. They are kept up with our tax dollars and the professors and state apiarist is also paid from our tax dollars. But lets not get off on the political side of this.............

A years dues of $10 at our club will get you 12 classes (monthly meetings)which are very informative for beginners, a chance for beginners to be given a hive, and mentorship for the first 2 years also.
 
#10 ·
I went to Penn State. Nothing is cheap there.
Thankfully I didn't bump into Jerry Sandusky when I attended there.

All of my know knowledge came from books (only one I bought, the rest from library), local beeks, and this forum. Less than $20 invested. I wish that was all I spent at PSU.
 
#11 ·
My first beek book I bought earlier this year is from Penn State; "Beekeeping Basics" from their Ag college. I think iit's a great first reference.

I've since bought the Dummies book and ABC XYZ which have both been very helpful. But no reference book can replace the experience I can call upon at this site. I live in an area with few hobbyists and couple of large commercial producers who aren't too chummy. LOL.
 
#12 ·
Online classes are a good tool for offering anyone anywhere an opportunity to learn from a well respected college or university. They are not a substitute for a college experience, but I can see this online class as a good way to build interest in beekeeping.
I ordered Penn States' A Field Guide to Honey Bees and Their Maladies. This spiral bound book was recommended by my bee club, which has a copy in the club's library, and it fits nicely into a bee box that can be taken to the apiary.
Thanks for posting bakpakr.
 
#13 ·
my wife does a good number of online (we call this distance education here or e-learning) and by and large none of these course are cheap relative to on campus course. with some understanding of how the world works this pricing scheme is not the least bit ill conceived.

some folks evidently think that university and such are operated just like they were 40 years ago which in general (I would assume there is considerable variation depending on the state) means that you the tax payer are paying a smaller and smaller percent of the cost of operating a university or state college. here the number is now about 25% so universities must make up the the difference in some form or fashion.
 
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