Week of July 12-16, 2010
BIOLOGY July 12-16, 2010
CONSULTANT: Amy Cote
John Paul II High School, Plano TX
20years in education; 16 as an AP teacher; 6 as an AP consultant
recipient of the 2005 Siemens Award for Advanced Placement given for excellence in teaching and dedication to students; consultant for the College Board; reader for the AP Biology exam: BS in education from The University of Texas; MEd in secondary and higher education from East Texas State University; National Association of Biology Teachers, Texas Association of Biology Teachers, National Science Teachers Association
THE FOCUS will be on the 12 required labs and alternatives, essay grading, and biotechnology and computers.
TOPICS will primarily concentrate on conducting the laboratory experiments and analysis of the results.
TARGETED TOWARD both experienced (more than two years) teachers and inexperienced (two years or less) teachers
YOU SHOULD BRING flash drive, lab coat, calculator, comfortable clothing and tennis shoes for outdoor ecology lesson, activity / lesson to share.
CALCULUS July 12-16, 2010
CONSULTANT: Debbie Preston
Keystone School, San Antonio, TX
25 years in education; 21 as an AP teacher; 14 as an AP consultant
College Board's Report to the Nation recognized that Keystone's 2005 Calculus BC AP scores were the best in the nation for small schools (2006); one of 50 teachers, nationally, selected as a Tandy Technology Scholar (1999); state awardee, Presidential Award for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching (1998); one of 50 teachers selected nationally to attend Woodrow Wilson National Foundation's high school institute, "The Mathematics of Change," Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey (1993); National Council of Teachers of Mathematics; authored Instructor's Guide, Calculus: Concepts and Applications, co-author, with Paul A. Foerster, KeyCurriculum Press, Emeryville, California and Computer Literacy at Saint Mary's Hall Upper School; Computer Literacy at Saint Mary's Hall Middle School, co-author, with Jeanette Cotner; both privately published for school use
THE FOCUS: A variety of hands-on activities, strategies, and methods will be discussed to increase student understanding of the concepts and basic skills needed for success in Calculus AB and on the AB exam. Manipulatives, games, graphing calculators, and other tools will be used, in groups and individually.
TOPICS include limits, derivatives and their applications, antiderivatives, definite integrals and their applications, slope fields, differential equations, and some techniques of integration.
TARGETED TOWARD both experienced (more than two years) teachers and inexperienced (two years or less) teachers
YOU SHOULD BRING graphing calculators.
CHEMISTRY July 12-16, 2010
CONSULTANT: Todd Abronowitz
John Paul II High School, Plano, TX
20 years in education; 18 as an AP teacher; 7 as an AP consultant
Awards include: Associated Chemistry Teachers of Texas’, Texas Chemistry Teacher of the Year in 2000; Radio Shack National Teacher Award Winner; Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year 1996. Memberships include American Chemical Society; Science Teachers Association of Texas (STAT), Associated Chemistry Teachers of Texas (ACT2), State Chemistry Textbook Review member for Texas in 2001. Co-founder of the Traveling Science Show that performed shows across the DFW metroplex.
THE FOCUS is to assist AP teachers in building the foundations for success in teaching AP Chemistry. Emphasis will be placed on the rigor of the material that students need to be successful on the AP Chemistry exam. Time will be allowed for best practices and for sharing ideas as a group. Laboratory investigations will be incorporated with the discussion of the theory. Laboratory topics include kinetics, equilibrium (determination of pKa), several different methods for determination of molar masses, titrations, etc.
TOPICS include Equilibrium, Thermodynamics, Kinetics (non-calculator and calculator approaches), Electrochemistry, multiple choice strategies, acid-base chemistry, reaction predictions (new format will be discussed), atomic structure and periodicity. If time allows, other topics to be presented will be determined by the group as a whole. A CD of everything developed for AP Chemistry by the lead consultant.
TARGETED TOWARD both experienced (more than two years) teachers and inexperienced (two years or less) teachers
YOU SHOULD BRING goggles, apron or lab coat , closed-toe shoes, TI graphing calculator (one will be provided if you do not have one)
COMPUTER SCIENCE
CONSULTANT: Leon Schram
John Paul II High School, Plano TX
31 years in education; 26 as an AP teacher
Membership in Texas Computer Education Association; selected to serve on AP Computer Science Test Development Committee; authored Student Friendly Pascal; Exposure C++, Exposure Java, and Preparation for the AP Computer Science Examination (3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th); Ross Perot Excellence in Teaching Award, Richardson ISD Teacher of the Year, Texas Excellence Award for Outstanding High School Teachers, Texas Computer Educator of the Year, and College Board Advanced Placement Special Recognition Award
THE FOCUS: For the beginner teacher the workshop will focus on the College Board Java curriculum, which includes Control Structures, Methods & Parameters, Object Oriented Programming, Arrays and the GridWorld Case Study. For the intermediate teacher the workshop eill provide proven techniques to prepare students for the multiple choice and free response sections of the AP Exam, including a complete set of Gridsorld lesson plans and lab assignments. Advanced topics, such as Object Oriented Design, Generics and Algorithmic Analysis are also covered. Additionally, for teachers who have started – or wish to start – to integrate Lego Robotics in their computer science curriculum, a very detailed set of Lego Robotics programs, which teaches computer science concepts and integrates with Java, will be presented. Additional workshop details are provided on Leon Schram’s web site at www.schram.org.
TARGETED TOWARD both experienced (more than two years) teachers and inexperienced (two years or less) teachers
YOU SHOULD BRING materials to share. The workshop will include a designated time where teachers can share experiences of lab assignments, teaching strategies, and other useful materials.
ECONOMICS July 12-16, 2010
CONSULTANT: Ulrich Kleinschmidt
I.H. Kempner High School, Sugar Land, TX
23 years in education; 21 as an AP teacher; 11 as an AP consultant
Campus Teacher of the Year, National Consultant Trainer for AP Economics, Regional Consultant for Economics, National Grader for AP US Government and Politics, Society of Professional Archeologists, National Council for the Social Studies, Texas Council for the Social Studies, Lead author of Kaplan’s AP Government and Politics Guide, (with William Brown)
THE FOCUS will parallel the economics requirements, scope, and sequences presented by the College Board.
TOPICS include the scope and sequence of macro and micro, key graphs of both courses, key topics to cover, strategies for the AP course and tests, major lesson plan examples for each unit
useful outside resources, scheduling hints and shortcuts, free response patterns and practice, rubric grading and construction
TARGETED TOWARD both experienced (more than two years) teachers and inexperienced (two years or less) teachers
YOU SHOULD BRING the text your school uses for AP Economics and simple calculators (non-graphing)
ENGLISH LANGUAGE & COMPOSITION July 12-16, 2010
CONSULTANT: Phil Miller
Amarillo High School, AP Lead Teacher
20 years in education; 17 as an AP teacher; 12 years as an AP Consultant
Graded Language Exam for 5 years; IB Exam Grader
Member of TCTA
THE FOCUS will be on activities, strategies, and assessments that enable students to develop and strengthen the skills tested on the AP Language and Composition Exam.
TOPICS include style analysis, rhetorical strategies, diction, syntax, treatment of subject matter, figurative language, argumentation, persuasion (writing), tone, allusions, close reading, annotation, research project, and many more.
TARGETED TOWARD both experienced (more than two years) teachers and inexperienced (two years or less) teachers
ENGLISH LITERATURE July 12-16, 2010
CONSULTANT: Judy Soriano
Retired from Mansfield Summit High School, Mansfield ISD
37 years in education; 25 as an AP teacher; 15 as an AP consultant
Peace Corps volunteer in Peru; member Texas Retired Teachers; National Semiconductor Award for use of technology in the classroom - $10,000 prize
THE FOCUS will be on Teaching strategies that will improve student writing, increase student confidence as readers of poetry, improve close reading skills, imbed outside reading in students’ lives, acquaint students with AP exam format; and on Classroom management: designing curriculum: historical and/or thematic, managing outside reading requirements, choosing major works, maintaining rigor of AP coursework, determining number and frequency of AP exam practices.
TOPICS close reading, discussion, composition, exam preparation, among others; AP literature special focus information on drama; participants’ best practices.
TARGETED TOWARD both experienced (more than two years) teachers and inexperienced (two years or less) teachers
YOU SHOULD BRING the textbook(s) you use in your AP classes and a willingness to share best practices.
HISTORY: WORLD July 12-16, 2010
CONSULTANT: Paul Philp
John Paul II High School and Eastfield Community College, Plano and Mesquite, TX:
22 years in education; 19 as an AP teacher; 7 as an AP consultant for World History and Pre-AP HS Social Studies; 5 years as an AP reader. Membership in American Historical Association, World Historical Association, American Numismatic Association; Certificate in German and International Studies; Associate Editor, Encyclopedia of World History, Berkshire Publisher; wrote student study guide to Stearn’s World Civilization: A Global Experience, 3rd and 4th AP Editions; contributor to The Industrial Revolution: A Global Event by the National Center for History in the Schools. Paul has worked with the TEA designing the TAKS exam and with the College Board on writing questions and study materials for AP World.
THE FOCUS is devoted 50% to pedagogy and 50% to content. This is necessary because many teachers desire both the pedagogy of setting up and managing an AP course as well as want content specific to the new historiography of world history. Each year I pick a geographic region and concentrate all studies in that focus on the region or theme from the Paleolithic Era to the Modern Period. All examples and presentations will use as a starting point regional history, AP themes, and primary sources. The topic for 2011 is Migration Across the Globe in World History
TOPICS: Getting Started and Geography; Structuring the Course; Writing and Essays; Preparing for the Multiple Choice Test; and Strategies for Acceleration, Enrichment and Helpful Hints. Mornings are devoted to pedagogy and afternoons to content and Best Lessons. We will begin with setting up the course, selecting a text and ancillaries, your course syllabus and study calendar, and pacing the course. All of the exercises are in a Gifted and Talented format. All exercises include hands-on components such as Document Analysis, teaching all three essays, Geography in World History, and other exercises to teach to the AP test. Technology is an important part of everything I do in the classroom and during my AP summer institute.
TARGETED TOWARD both experienced (more than two years) teachers and inexperienced (two years or less) teachers.
PRE-AP PHYSICS HS July 12-16, 2010
CONSULTANT: Mark Kinsey
William P. Clements High School, Sugar Land, TX
31 years in education; 29 as an AP teacher
Memberships in American Association of Physics Teachers, Texas Section of AAPT, Texas Academy of Science, Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented; awarded Tandy Technology Teaching Award, Jesse A. Dorrington Teacher of the Year Award - Science & Engineering Fair of Houston, Senior Division, Excellence in Physics Teaching Award - Texas Section AAPT, Sigma Xi Outstanding Teacher Award - Rice/Texas Medical Center Chapter of Sigma Xi.
THE FOCUS will be to discuss skills which need to be developed to be successful in an AP course in physics and vertical alignment with prior courses in science. Strategies used to recruit for the AP Physics classes will be discussed.
TOPICS include mechanics, thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, waves, light and sound, and modern physics. Due to time limitations, we will emphasize the topics of E&M and waves. Lab activities covering electrostatics, circuits, interference, diffraction and polarization of light will comprise a major portion of the time. Other lab activities in mechanics will be included if time allows.
TARGETED TOWARD both experienced (more than two years) teachers and inexperienced (two years or less) teachers
YOU SHOULD BRING your text book and a TI-83/84 graphing calculator. (Some will be on hand if you don't have one.) Also, if you have a syllabus or district curriculum which you follow, it would be helpful to bring these. Finally, bring a favorite demo, lab, handout which you have used or developed to share with others.
PRE-AP SPANISH HS July 12-16, 2010
CONSULTANT: Alma Gonzalez
Gladys Porter High School, Brownsville, TX
27 years in education; 16 as an AP teacher; 5 as an AP consultant
Member Texas Foreign Language Association; Who’s Who among American Teachers; table leader/reader 12 years for AP Spanish Language exam
THE FOCUS will be on strategies to develop the four skills (listening, reading, speaking, and writing); an inside look at the grading process and how to apply rubrics; great websites and how to utilize them in the classroom.
TOPICS include the analysis of simple literary works and the development of mini-lessons on the four major language acquisition skills.
TARGETED TOWARD experienced (more than two years) teachers
YOU SHOULD BRING a favorite lesson with 20 copies to share with the group.
PRE-AP WORLD HISTORY HS July 12-16, 2010
CONSULTANT: Bobette Hewgley
22 years in education; 9 as AP teacher ; 10 as a College Board consultant
Masters degree in political science
THE FOCUS will be to assist Pre-AP teachers with strategies and lessons that will help them prepare students for a seamless transition from a foundation-setting Pre-AP course to successful performance in Advanced Placement courses. Sessions will utilize a wide variety of world history lesson/curriculum.
TOPICS include document-based questions, formula based essay writing, point of view and categorization exercises which enhance interpretive analytical skills, discussion/debate strategies dealing with controversial subjects etc. Specific historical topics will also include women, disease, technology, art, government, religion, exploration, and cultures around the globe which have impacted the human story
TARGETED TOWARD both experienced (more than two years) teachers and inexperienced (two years or less) teachers
YOU SHOULD BRING a favorite lesson to share.
SPANISH LANGUAGE July 12-16, 2010
CONSULTANT: Victoria Sullivan
Kinkaid School, Houston, TX
29 years in education; 8 as an AP teacher; 4 as an AP consultant, 5 years AP reader
Member of American Association of Teachers of Spanish
THE FOCUS will be on the exam for Spanish Language AP and how teachers can prepare students to take it.
TOPICS include techniques to develop the skills required to learn Spanish and to pass the AP exam with a 3 or above; materials to further develop skills in writing, speaking, listening and reading; how participants can take fuller advantage of existing resources; how to obtain/ develop materials via technology as they practice speaking, reading and writing.
TARGETED TOWARD both experienced (more than two years) teachers and inexperienced (two years or less) teachers
YOU SHOULD BRING any materials that you use in class to develop listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Spanish. Also bring music that you use in class.
STUDIO ART July 12-16, 2010
CONSULTANT: Kathleen A. Blake
Mount St. Mary High School, Oklahoma City, OK
35 years in education; 16 as an AP teacher; 12 as an AP consultant,
National Board Certified Teacher, Masters in Art Education, Oklahoma’s 2003 Art Educator of the Year, 2003 National Art Education Association’s Western Region Art Educator of the Year, 2003 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year, 2006 Oklahoma Governors’ Award, 2007 Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence-Oklahoma Medal for Excellence in Secondary Teaching
THE FOCUS will be to give teachers a complete foundation, including stimulus and strategies for which they can build or enhance a new or existing AP Studio Art class.
TOPICS The Drawing, 2-D Design, and 3-D Design Portfolios will be defined and distinguished. We will discuss approaches to organization, assessment, the photographing of student artwork, as well as the use of resources, the role of a visual journal and the rubrics for each course. This workshop will utilize a multitude of curriculum ideas, implementing both hands-on experiences and visual examples. The three categories of each of the portfolios, Quality, Breadth and the Area of Concentration, will be studied, viewed, and experienced through examples and first-hand making art experiences with lots of studio time! Kathleen believes that thinking creatively is an asset in all walks of life. This workshop is intended to help teachers help their students realize their creative potential and teach/guide them to discover their own personal voice through innovative thinking, visual problem solving and the process of making art.
TARGETED TOWARD both experienced (more than two years) teachers and inexperienced (two years or less) teachers
YOU SHOULD BRING Very specific supplies will be requested at a later date, however, please bring standard Studio Supplies such as the following:
8oz –12 oz bottle of white glue (Preferably SOBO glue, however, Elmer’s will work!), glue stick, scotch tape/masking tape, Sharpie Marker, regular & fine tip, Regular #2 pencil 4b/ or 6b pencil, pencil-sharpener, Erasers, kneaded and white (mars straetdler) & a retractable pencil type, Scissors & X-Acto knife, Chalk Pastels, Oil pastels box of 24, chalk pastels, Prismacolor pencils or colored pencils and/or Watercolors (the small trays of Prang will be fine), Assorted Paint brushes, Sketch book or used book to be converted to a visual journal, Charcoal- compressed, Work shirt or apron
US GOVERNMENT & POLITICS July 12-16, 2010
CONSULTANT: Douglas Henderson
Clear Lake High School, Houston, TX
Department Chair for Social Studies; 15 years as an AP Government Teacher; 11 as an AP Consultant. He has completed over four hundred of hours of specialized studies from Law Related Education workshops, the Bill of Rights Institute, the Center for Civic Education, and the Supreme Court Historical Society’s Summer Institute. These workshops have focused on our founding documents, the Constitution, and the Supreme Court. He has served as an AP reader for eleven years and a table leader. He has conducted AP workshops and the AP summer institutes throughout the southwest, Illinois, and California. Additionally, he was an adjunct at the University of California at Riverside. He holds a BA and MA in History from the University of Houston at Clear Lake.
THE FOCUS will be on both the content and pedagogy necessary for teaching the AP American Government course. In addition, participants will receive an overview of the AP Program. Discussions on teaching strategies will be divided equally between strategies for improving student success on the AP Exam and the content necessary to create an engaging and successful course.
TOPICS will include discussions on the important topics of the Constitutional underpinnings, political behavior, elections, the three branches of government, and important Supreme Court case studies. Teaching strategies will focus on the development of critical thinking skills, document and data analysis, and writing skills. Participants will also explore classroom resources, textbooks, and online multimedia resources. This AP U.S. Government Summer Institute will create an active learning environment, please come prepared to participate.
TARGETED TOWARD both experienced (more than two years) teachers and inexperienced (two years or less) teachers
YOU SHOULD BRING: post-it notes; highlighters; your favorite lessons to share.
Week of July 26-30, 2010
ART HISTORY July 26-30, 2010
CONSULTANT: Margaret Sharkoff-Madrid
Oakton HS, Vienna Va.
Margaret Sharkoffmadrid is a College Board Endorsed Consultant and an AP Art History Exam Table Leader. She is currently an AP Art History and art studio teacher at Oakton High School in Vienna Virginia, near Washington DC. She has taught Art Education, Art History Survey, Art Appreciation, and Drawing at Colorado State University, The University of Northern Colorado, and Front Range Community College. She serves on the Teacher Advisory Panel at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC and has served in similar positions at the Denver Art Museum and The Corcoran Gallery of Art. She was the Lead Teacher for Art History in Washington DC on the College Board’s “AP Arts Initiative” panel and her presentations at AP National Conferences have been on leading art history study trips abroad and on School-Museum Partnerships.
THE FOCUS will be on the logistics of offering an AP* Art History course including syllabi, pacing, resources, image handling, assessments, and enrichment activities.
TOPICS will include teaching/learning strategies that are effective when working with students who possess a wide range of backgrounds and academic ability levels. Methods for teaching art history via both visual and contextual analysis will be discussed, with a special emphasis on incorporating Art Beyond the European Tradition. The course will include illustrated lectures, discussions, pedagogical demonstrations, handouts, hands-on group projects, and a field trip.
TARGETED TOWARD both experienced (more than two years) teachers and inexperienced (two years or less) teachers
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE July 26-30, 2010
CONSULTANT: Brian Kaestner
Saint Mary’s Hall, San Antonio, TX
30 years in education; 20 years as an AP teacher
During tenure as Science Department Head from 1989-2000, orchestrated the development and implementation of their Physics first curriculum; in 1993, received the “Special Recognition Award” from College Board; was a TEA state nominee for the “Presidential Awards for Excellence;” In 2000, received the “Siemens Award for Advanced Placement Teaching;” B.S. in Biology and M.S. in Environmental Management; serves with the College Board as an Advanced Placement consultant and as a table leader at the APES reading; moderator for the APES moderated discussion group.
THE FOCUS will be on the investigation of the multidisciplinary nature of the environmental science curriculum through terrestrial and aquatic ecology as well as on appropriate curriculum, planning and pacing, textbook selection, lab activity development, and exam preparation.
TOPICS Include a variety of field activities, including an array of useful techniques for analyzing plant and animal populations in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Methods will incorporate both traditional techniques and calculator-based labs; most useful websites for APES teachers and students will be investigated thoroughly.
TARGETED TOWARD both experienced (more than two years) teachers and inexperienced (two years or less) teachers
YOU SHOULD BRING a camera, binoculars, notebook, insect repellent, sunscreen, walking boots or shoes, and hat for fieldwork.
GERMAN LANGUAGE July 26-30, 2010
CONSULTANT: Elizabeth Smith
Plano Senior HS, Plano, TX
40+ years experience teaching German language; 19 years teaching AP German; 17 years as AP College Board Consultant; served as a question leader for the AP reading. She co-authored a workshop for the College Board on Vertical Teaming in the Language classroom and has recently collaborated on a book published by the College Board to prepare students for the exam. She is a reviewer of materials on the website, AP Central, and has just written articles on reading and writing for the College Board focus materials. As past president of the American Association of Teachers of German, she has had the opportunity to work with the latest materials and pedagogy. She was honored by the AATG as Educator of the Year at the Secondary Level in 2006.
THE FOCUS: It is not enough that students know the language to be prepared for the language AP tests. Students must be trained to take the test itself and must be informed as to how they will be graded.
TOPICS During this workshop, we will go through the test and spend a lot of time actually grading samples from last year’s free- response questions. As we do that, participants will also receive ideas on how to improve their students’ performances on the test in the free-response areas. Classroom activities to prepare students for the test, the changes coming in the AP exam and vertical teaming (even though you may be a team of 1) will be covered. Participants will create materials to be used in teaching literature and will work on ways to incorporate music and film into the AP classroom.
TARGETED TOWARD both experienced (more than two years) teachers and inexperienced (two years or less) teachers
HISTORY: EUROPEAN July 26-30, 2010
CONSULTANT: Robert Wade
Bryan Adams High School, Dallas, TX
32 years teaching experience, 21 years as AP European History teacher; 11 years as a College Board consultant in the Southwest Region; 10 years as a Reader for AP European History; 7 years as a Summer Institute Lead Consultant.
THE FOCUS of this APSI is to help participants develop an understanding of the principle themes and eras in European History. In addition teachers will be presented with ideas for setting up their course using various schedules, establishing guidelines for their students and course, and strategies for teaching the course. Teachers will also learn the importance of historical writing; both on the AP Test and in their classrooms, along with how to write and score the DBQ and Free Response Questions. Teachers will also be shown possible ways to prepare students for reviewing and taking the AP Exam.
TOPICS include intellectual and cultural history, political and diplomatic history, and social and economic history; basic chronology as well as important events and trends from the fifteenth though the twentieth century, the Renaissance through the European Union; analysis of primary source documents, recognizing the bias often found within, and expressing understanding of history in a written format.
TARGETED TOWARD both experienced (more than two years) teachers and inexperienced (two years or less) teachers
YOU SHOULD BRING a 4 gig drive, questions, sample lessons from this or any other course, and most of all a POSITIVE ATTITUDE FOR THE WEEK!!!
HISTORY: US July 26-30, 2010
CONSULTANT: Marsha Gray
Carroll Sr. HS, Southlake, TX
29 years in education; 12 as an AP teacher; 8 as an AP consultant
Membership in National Council for the Social Studies; cited in Who’s Who Among American Teachers; Fulbright-Hays scholar; AP United States History exam reader for the last 7 years, table leader for the exam for the last 2 years; consultant for Vertical Teaming for Social Studies
THE FOCUS will be on how to improve your students’ AP scores, to set up the AP course, and all covered before the exam.
TOPICS content-specific lectures, hands-on activities with proven success records, and new material for those who have attended in the past.
TARGETED TOWARD both experienced (more than two years) teachers and inexperienced (two years or less) teachers
YOU SHOULD BRING examples of your best practices (activities to share with others).
HUMAN GEOGRAPHY July 26-30, 2010
CONSULTANT: Susan Hollier
The Woodlands High School in The Woodlands, Texas.
Susan Hollier teaches Advanced Placement Human Geography and World Geography at She consults for The College Board in Advanced Placement Human Geography and Pre-Advanced Placement World Geography and is a National Training Leader for SoapsTone, as well as having served as a Reader for the Advanced Placement Human Geography Qualifying Test. She served on the TEA Lighthouse AP/TEKS Document Writing Team for Social Studies. Susan is a 2002 recipient of the Distinguished Teaching Achievement Award from the National Council of Geographic Education and is listed in Who’s Who in American Teachers. Her classes have received national recognition for winning the National NewsBowl Current Events Competition and placing in the National Geography Olympiad. She is the World Affairs Council Houston’s 2004.
THE FOCUS This course will focus on helping teachers prepare to teach a one semester college- level course in Human Geography. Employing a blend of content presentations, effective teaching strategies, and technology, the Institute will provide an overview of the systematic study of patterns and processes that have shaped human understanding, use, and alteration of Earth’s surface. In addition, strategies to help students prepare for the AP exam will be addressed. All materials are updated for 2010.
TOPICS will include The role literature plays in the geography classroom; using current events daily to strengthen critical-level thinking; strategies to create an exciting, innovative classroom atmosphere; incorporating writing methods that actually improve students’ skills; tap your local resources to bring the world into your classroom.
TARGETED TOWARD both experienced (more than two years) teachers and inexperienced (two years or less) teachers.
YOU SHOULD BRING a copy of your own text book and a world atlas.
PHYSICS B & C July 26-30, 2010
CONSULTANT: Mark Kinsey
William P. Clements High School, Sugar Land, TX
31 years in education; 29 as an AP teacher
Memberships in American Association of Physics Teachers, Texas Section of AAPT, Texas Academy of Science, Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented; awarded Tandy Technology Teaching Award, Jesse A. Dorrington Teacher of the Year Award - Science & Engineering Fair of Houston, Senior Division, Excellence in Physics Teaching Award - Texas Section AAPT, Sigma Xi Outstanding Teacher Award - Rice/Texas Medical Center Chapter of Sigma Xi.
THE FOCUS will be to prepare teachers to teach AP Physics features two levels: Physics B (noncalculus-based) and Physics C (calculus-based).
TOPICS include strategies and resources including lab ideas, technology, pacing, development and grading, and AP exam trends. Previous AP exams, solutions and grading standards will be distributed.
TARGETED TOWARD both experienced (more than two years) teachers and inexperienced (two years or less) teachers
PRE-AP ENGLISH HS July 26-30, 2010
CONSULTANT: Teri Marshall
Saint Mary’s Hall, San Antonio, TX
34 years in education; 2 years as an AP English Literature teacher, 11 as an AP English Language teacher and English Vertical Team Leader for Saint Mary’s Hall; 16 as an AP consultant and workshop leader
Member of the AP English Language Test Development Committee (beginning July 2010), Table Leader for the AP English Language Exam, Author of an upcoming article for AP Central on teaching rhetoric; member of NCTE, CCCC, Phi Delta Kappa, ASCD, TCTELA .
THE FOCUS will be on providing teachers in grades 9-10 with the strategies, techniques, and tools necessary to design a high school English program that prepares students for the challenge of both AP English Language and AP English Literature. In order to do this, there must be a strong focus on writing at the ninth grade level with a corresponding strong focus on literature at the tenth grade level. Teachers will have many opportunities to practice reading, writing, and discussion strategies that will challenge students to go beyond superficial thinking about poetry and prose. Participants will also receive a short course in classroom assessment design, with a particular emphasis on rubric development. The workshop will conclude with discussing possibilities related to vertical teaming.
TOPICS include AP English Language vs. AP English Literature expectations, Concept of Pre-AP, Strategies for reading and writing, Introduction to rhetorical analysis, Fiction/nonfiction selections and analysis techniques, Sentence sophistication and style, Discussion techniques, Argumentation, Language concepts, Literature concepts, Assessments, Rubric development, and AP Vertical Teams.
TARGETED TOWARD both experienced (more than two years) teachers and inexperienced (two years or less) teachers
YOU SHOULD BRING a copy of the AP Vertical Teams Guide for English (if you have one), but it is not necessary to bring a lesson plan to share.
PRE-AP MATH HS July 26-30, 2010
CONSULTANT: Susan Thomas
Alamo Heights High School, San Antonio, Texas
36 years teaching experience. She has helped develop algebra and geometry assessment documents for the Charles A. Dana Center, has been an item writer for the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a TAKS Exit level item reviewer, and a reviewer for Agile Mind pre-calculus and Algebra II materials. In addition to presenting at College Board conferences and summer institutes, she has spoken at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics’ annual conference and at the Conference for the Advancement of Mathematics Teaching. She is past president of the Texas Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the Alamo District Council of Teachers of Mathematics. She holds a BA in mathematics from Vanderbilt University and an MA in curriculum and instruction from UTSA.
THE FOCUS In this course, participants will learn the purpose and value of the AP program, and how to incorporate skills and concepts into Pre-AP classes to help students make an easy transition to AP Calculus and Statistics. Participants will also explore setting up a Pre-AP program, developing a strong vertical team, and using the SAT and the internet as teaching tools. Strong emphasis will be given to the appropriate use of graphing calculators and computers, with examples taken from Texas Instruments Cabri® Jr. geometry software and Geometer’s Sketchpad™ software. TI-SmartView software will be used throughout the week.
TOPICS will include functions, parametric equations, sequences and series, logic, accumulation, logistic functions, optimization, modeling, and assessment.
TARGETED TOWARD both experienced (more than two years) teachers and inexperienced (two years or less) teachers
YOU SHOULD BRING an activity to share with the participants.
PRE-AP MATH MS July 26-30, 2010
CONSULTANT: Debbie Preston
Keystone School, San Antonio, TX
25 years in education; 21 as an AP teacher; 14 as an AP consultant
College Board's Report to the Nation recognized that Keystone's 2005 Calculus BC AP scores were the best in the nation for small schools (2006); one of 50 teachers, nationally, selected as a Tandy Technology Scholar (1999); state awardee, Presidential Award for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching (1998); one of 50 teachers selected nationally to attend Woodrow Wilson National Foundation's high school institute, "The Mathematics of Change," Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey (1993); National Council of Teachers of Mathematics; authored Instructor's Guide, Calculus: Concepts and Applications, co-author, with Paul A. Foerster, KeyCurriculum Press, Emeryville, California and Computer Literacy at Saint Mary's Hall Upper School; Computer Literacy at Saint Mary's Hall Middle School, co-author, with Jeanette Cotner; both privately published for school use.
THE FOCUS Experience a variety of activities, strategies, and methods to increase student understanding of the concepts and basic skills needed for success in middle school mathematics.
TOPICS Manipulatives, graphing calculators, and other tools will be used, in groups and individually, to explore and reinforce topics, with an emphasis on problem solving and exploration.
TARGETED TOWARD both inexperienced (2 years or less) and experienced teachers.
YOU SHOULD BRING an activity to share with the participants.
PRE-AP US HISTORY MS July 26-30, 2010
CONSULTANT: Nancy Schaefer
Pulaski Academy, Little Rock, AR
18 years in education; 13 years as a Pre-AP teacher
Membership in National Council for Social Studies, Arkansas Council for Social Studies, and Arkansas Historical Association; Teacher Advisory Board on Economic Education Little Rock Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank
THE FOCUS is to assist Pre-AP teachers in developing lessons that prepare students for the challenges of AP courses in social studies. The sessions will provide opportunities for participants to learn a variety of instructional strategies that will motivate students and foster the development of skills necessary for success in subsequent history classes in high school and in college. Teachers will be active participants in the sessions and will engage in hands on activities and the sharing of ideas. Participants should come ready for an informative and intellectually stimulating week.
TOPICS settlement of the New World, American Revolution, Jefferson’s presidency, nationalism and economic expansion, and the Civil War along with ways to write a syllabus, journal writing, strategies for critical thinking, ways to take class notes, primary source analysis using APPARTS, OPTIC, and other acronyms, vocabulary cartoons and cartoon analysis, conceptual identifications, categories and generalizations, document-based questions, Socratic seminars and discussions, close reading techniques, ladders of questions, timed writings, rubrics, designing effective test questions, and interdisciplinary projects.
TARGETED TOWARD both experienced (more than two years) teachers and inexperienced (two years or less) teachers
YOU SHOULD BRING one lesson or best teaching practice to share with the participants. Suggested books to read: Washington’s Spies by Alexander Rose, Ten Days That Unexpectedly Changed America by Steven M. Gillon, The Civil War Soldier by Ray M. Carson, and Adopted Son by David A. Clary.
PSYCHOLOGY July 26-30, 2010
CONSULTANT: Kay Minter
Westwood HS, Austin, TX
Currently presiding National Chair for the American Psychological Association's Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools (TOPSS); over 23 years in education; 18 as an AP teacher; 16 as an AP consultant. Experienced with AP, IB, and Regular psychology curriculum; College Board Lead Consultant in Psychology traveling throughout the Southwestern Region and beyond; AP Reader of psychology exams for many years; recipient of the College Board's Excellence in Teaching Award for 1996; "Teacher of the Year" at Westwood High School for 2000-2001; Southwestern Regional Coordinator for APA's Division 2-TOPSS for 3 years; author of AP Psychology Instructor's Manual for a McGraw-Hill college textbook in Introductory Psychology released in January 2007; contributing author to the most recent APA Lesson Plan on "Modern Psychodynamics" released nationwide in 2009; recipient of the 2008-2009 National Teaching Excellence Award from the American Psychological Association - Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools (TOPSS).
THE FOCUS will be on the College Board curriculum, AP Audit, various syllabi for one and two semester courses, pacing, some textbook options, materials, and other resources to help in the AP classroom. Additionally, we will cover Fun classroom activities will be demonstrated, including building brains from Play-doh. Toward the end of the week, the AP Exam will be reviewed and "best practice" ideas for exam success will be shared. Come ready to learn and leave energized and excited to be teaching AP Psychology!
TOPICS include several content areas that are typically more difficult for students including Neuroanatomy and physiology; the Biochemistry of Behavior; Research Methods; Statistics; plus the new Evolutionary Psychology, or other topics selected by the group.
TARGETED TOWARD both experienced (more than two years) teachers and inexperienced (two years or less) teachers "Newbies" especially welcomed!
YOU SHOULD BRING plenty of notebook paper for notes; pens, highlighters, 6-8 colored pencils, sharpened; 1 Four-Pak of Play-Doh brand play dough (that's 4 five-oz canisters = 20 oz. total); post-it notes (one color is fine); if you have a favorite student-pleasing activity, plan to demonstrate it to us, and bring instructions as handouts for 25 people.