Consultant Information and Course Descriptions

 

All consultants teach or have taught AP or Pre-AP and are endorsed by the College Board. They include AP Exam Readers and AP award winners, and they serve as lead consultants for other regional and national AP Institutes. In addition, outstanding faculty from UALR and other institutions serve as guest faculty throughout the Institutes.
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June 18 – 21, 2013

English

 Bernie Phelan – (Retired) Barrington, Illinois
AP English Language – Teachers New to AP

Bernie Phelan taught high school English for 40 years and AP English Language and Composition for 30 years. For the past 25 years, he has been a reader and table leader at the AP English Language exam and worked recently with sample selection for the exam as well. He is working with College Board on a project involving performance-based assessments for the exam. He is the chairperson for the SAT test development group for the writing portion of that exam. He has taught over 80 APSI’s in the past 17 years and consults for the Elgin School District in Illinois. In addition, he does work in Arkansas, Kentucky, Texas, and Hawaii having to do with teacher training under a state NMSI grant. He consults with The College Board as well, both for AP and SAT. From 2000-2004, he was an elected trustee of The College Board.

Course Description: This course will help prepare new AP teachers to meet the rigorous standards required of AP teachers in the subject. We will focus on a number of important topics. All participants will be thoroughly schooled in the core competencies for this course: rhetoric and argument. We will spend much time on how to teach the reading of non-fiction to high school students, especially rhetorical reading. We will deconstruct the exam itself, looking at the skills necessary for success on each portion of the exam. We will examine the multiple choice section in detail as well. Some time will be spent on the writing requirement for such a course, and we will, of course, examine the student responses that help us see the thought processes necessary for success on the essay portion of the exam. We will, finally, spend a fair amount of time on the building of a syllabus so that each participant will be ready to meet the challenge of teaching an AP course for the first time this coming autumn.

What to Bring:Participants should bring with them any potentially pertinent materials, plans, etc., in addition to ideas of how they might teach such a course, since they will have brainstorming and workshop time throughout the Institute.

 Kevin McDonald – Edmond Memorial High School, Edmond, Oklahoma
AP English Language – Experienced AP Teachers

Kevin McDonald currently teaches at Edmond Memorial High School, where he co-teaches AP English Language with an AP US History class.  Previously, he taught AP English Language in Guthrie OK.  Additional assignments have included a variety of “on-level” and Pre-AP classes (Grades 10-12), as well as Humanities, Effective Learning Strategies, and he is beginning the work of establishing a school-wide, multi-curriculum writing lab at Edmond Memorial.  He has just finished his 16th year of teaching.

Kevin is an active College Board consultant, serving as such for roughly a decade.  He has been a Language Exam reader since 2002, including serving as a Table Leader since 2007, and acting as a member of the Sample Selection Committee. He has also been a guest blogger on CNN, sharing his experience as a reader.

Course Description:  This session for experienced AP English Language and Composition teachers will focus on applying the English Language Course Description to teachers’ existing curriculum, including a discussion of how these strategies coordinate with Common Core.  We will also decompress the most recent samples from the Exam Reading, as well as look at larger trends that may help inform classroom instruction, including focusing on strategies to help students succeed on the multiple choice portion of the exam.

For this session, it will be beneficial for teachers to have a working knowledge of The Scarlet Letter, Huck Finn and The Crucible. A previous reading of these texts, with a recent summary refresher, should suffice.

What to Bring: Teachers need to bring the titles of major works they teach over the year, as well as nonfiction titles they teach in conjunction with those titles.  Copies of the works will not be necessary, but we will work to create units involving these texts.

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Randy Baker -  Putnam City North HS, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

AP English Literature – New

Dr. Randy Baker, the lead instructor for AP English Literature and Composition class for Inexperienced teachers, has been teaching English for the past thirty-seven years.  A Nationally Board Certified Instructor, Dr. Baker has taught Pre-AP and AP classes for the past twenty-three years and has been a national consultant for the College Board in Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, and Illinois.  He conducted a workshop for experienced AP teachers at the National College Board
Convention in Seattle, Washington, in July 2008.  A Reader for the AP English Lit Exam for twelve years, Baker is chairman of his English Department and has been his building Teacher of the Year in 1986 and 2000 at Putnam City North High School and the District Teacher of the Year also in 2000.  He was named the recipient of the 2010 Oklahoma Medal for Excellence in Secondary Teaching.  He is a past member of the Oklahoma State Master Teacher Program and President of the Oklahoma Council of Teachers of English and received his doctoral degree in English Education at the University of Oklahoma.In addition, he is also an adjunct at Oklahoma State University in Oklahoma City and St. Gregory’s University in Shawnee, OK.     Dr. Baker says that he loves to conduct Summer AP Institutes because he learns much more from the participants than they learn from him.

Course Description:    The 2013 Summer AP English Literature and Composition Institute at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, will introduce inexperienced teachers to the various elements of an AP English Literature course—the study of prose and poetic works.  Beowulf, Chaucer, Hamlet, AP Comedy, teaching fiction and poetry, The Multiple Choice Question, the AP Research Paper, and a Simulated Reading of an AP Literature Examination are just a few of the units that will be presented and discussed.

What to Bring: Participants should bring 30 copies of a “best practice lesson” or unit to be presented on Friday of the Institute.

 Lynne Weber - St. Mark’s School of Texas, Dallas, Texas
AP English Literature  – Experienced AP Teachers

Lynne Weber teaches AP Literature and Composition (12) and sixth-grade humanities at St. Mark’s School of Texas in Dallas, Texas, and has also taught during the past twenty-seven years Pre-AP English 10, Talented and Gifted Humanities, and many other English and history classes at every ability level. For a number of years she has led AP and Pre-AP sessions at summer institutes in the Southwest, as well as presenting a variety of sessions at College Board two-day conferences.  For the past thirteen years, she has also served as a senior lecturer at The University of Texas at Dallas, teaching Curriculum and Instruction in English to pre-service teachers.   In 2005, Ms. Weber received the College Board’s Special Recognition Award. She holds a BA in history from UCLA and a Master of Humanities degree from The University of Dallas.

Course Description: Participants in this course will learn the skills and strategies necessary to prepare high school students for success in AP Literature and Composition classes.  The course materials will provide participants with ample resources to anchor their curriculum and to guide the progress of their students.  The workshop leader will place particular emphasis on activities involving higher-order thinking skills and student-centered teaching.

Topics will include the following:

·    Close reading and annotation
·    Writing about literature, including both timed and process writing
·    Composition, including grading, rubrics, and writers’ conferences
·    The content of the Advanced Placement test in Literature and Composition
·    Teaching grammar in the context of writing
·    Making literature meaningful to today’s students
·    Building better, more confident thinkers
·    Strategies for challenging students without leaving them behind
·    Using visual texts and graphic representation to aid student understanding

Text to purchase and read before the start of the course: Please bring to the Institute any edition of Shakespeare’s Hamlet.  If you teach a Shakespeare play other than this in your course, bring that play.  We will construct a unit designed for Advanced Placement based on the Shakespeare play you choose.

What to Bring:
·    Copy of Hamlet
·    Sticky notes
·    Highlighters

Elizabeth Villarreal – New Braunfels High School, New Braunfels, Texas
Pre-AP High School English – Teachers New to Pre-AP

Elizabeth Villarreal has taught all levels of English from grades six through eleven. She teaches AP English Language and Composition at New Braunfels High School. She has taught English for the past twenty years, sixteen of which have been in Pre-AP/AP courses. She is an endorsed College Board consultant and an Educational Testing Service Reader for the AP English Language and Composition Exam. She is also an SAT Reader and a member of the NCTE. She has presented at workshops and Pre-AP/AP Summer Institutes in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. In addition, she has been a presenter at the AP Annual Conference and at the AP Colloquium for Equity and Excellence. Elizabeth has also served on the Texas Education Agency End–of-Course Advisory Committees and STAAR™ Item Review Committees for reading and writing.

Course Description: Basic Training: Strategies for Success in English Language Arts
In this interactive workshop, participants will learn foundational Pre-AP strategies that align with AP English Language and Composition and AP Literature and Composition. These strategies include close reading application for fiction, non-fiction, and visual texts. Additionally, participants will learn methods for teaching introductory skills for research, argumentation, rhetorical analysis, and synthesis writing tasks. Participants will leave with hands-on activities, lessons, and graphic organizers and will also learn strategies for integrating these tools into their existing curriculum. This institute will feature many new curriculum pieces to include Pre-AP synthesis units and timed writing workshop strategies.

What to Bring:

  • Course syllabus and titles of major works taught
  • Copies of a few passages of major works taught from fiction-novels, short stories, poetry, and drama
  • Copies of a few selections from nonfiction- essays, visuals, speeches, etc.

If you have a copy of the AP Vertical Teams Guide for English, please bring it. If you do not, one will be provided.

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Teresa Tyra, Noble  High School, Noble, Oklahoma
Pre-AP High School English – Experienced Pre-AP Teachers

Teresa Tyra is a 26-year veteran English educator. She currently teaches English II and III at Noble High School.  She has taught English to grades seven through eleven, college-level Composition I and II, Survival Reading for College, eighth grade and high school US History, honors Oklahoma History and adult basic education/GED preparation.  Ms. Tyra has been a college board Pre-AP consultant since 2003 and has presented at several Summer Institutes and one- and two-day conferences. She is a mentor teacher-trainer for the University of  Oklahoma College of Education and its K-20 Authentic Teaching and Authentic Learning grant program. She holds a BS in Education (language arts and social studies) and a Master’s in Liberal Studies from the University of Oklahoma.

Course Description: During this Pre-AP High School English Institute, participants will learn practical applications aligned with the Common Core Standards for guiding learners to higher-level thinking.  In addition to strategies to prepare students for AP courses, we will also discuss how Pre-AP strategies can be used in all classrooms for all students. Participants will have opportunity to share best practices, especially those implementing technology effectively.  Mostly, we will discuss the power of language and how we can empower our students with language analysis in both their writing and reading.

What to Bring:

• Any good lessons you have used in the past
• Plenty of paper for note-taking and lesson designing
• A core text you use in your course

 Jan Harris – Clear Brook High School, Friendswood, Texas
Pre-AP Middle School English- Teachers New to Pre-AP

Jan Harris has been in secondary education for twenty years, teaching in high schools and junior highs around the Houston area. Jan holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and English from Stephen F. Austin State University and a Masters of Literature from the University of Houston, Clear Lake. She has taught high school English for ten years, teaching ninth, tenth, and twelfth grades and teaching academic, honors, and Advanced Placement levels. For the past ten years, she has been teaching seventh and eighth grades, with a concentration in Pre-AP and Gifted and Talented levels. At present, Jan teaches English IV AP at Clear Brook High School in Clear Creek I.S.D. Jan has worked for Lee College in Baytown, Texas, from 2000 to 2010, teaching freshman and sophomore English night courses and came on board with the College Board in 2000 as well. She has participated in two-day seminars in Houston, San Antonio, Austin, and Norman, Oklahoma, in the last nine years and has led AP Summer Institutes in Rosenberg, Texas, Donna, Texas, Southern Methodist University, University, the University Texas, Austin, University of Texas, Brownsville, Texas Christian, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and will present this summer at University of Texas, El Paso and A&M University, Laredo. Jan also presents English Vertical Teaming, composition seminars,  and English Differentiation seminars for the College Board.

Course Description:Our week will be spent looking at all areas of English for the Pre-AP Classroom: Organization, Reading, Writing, and Poetry. We will look at rigor and how to bring a Pre-AP classroom up to a rigorous level of reading and analyzing that our students need not only to  be prepared for high school, but also for the AP Exams and college.

What to Bring:
• Your favorite poem
• Any questions you may have
• Your Pre-AP Vertical Teams Guide will be provided

 Christian Cicoria – St Mary’s Hall, San Antonio, Texas
Pre-AP Middle School English – Experienced Pre-AP Teachers

Since 2001, Christian Cicoria has taught at Saint Mary’s Hall in San Antonio. Prior to his arrival in San Antonio, Christian taught sophomores and juniors in Corpus Christi, Texas.  For the past eight years, he has led Pre-AP English sessions at one, two-day, and week-long workshops in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico.  Additionally, he has worked with several school districts in Texas focusing on curriculum alignment, strategy-based instruction, and vertical teams to increase classroom rigor while also equipping students for success.  For the past five years, he has served as an instructor for the Independent School Association of the Southwest’s annual Beginning Teacher Institute.

Course Description: This workshop will emphasize a variety of analytical, close reading strategies appropriate for middle school students with the goal of fostering greater student independence and proficiency with poetry, prose and non-fiction, as well as preparing them to do more analytical, more insightful, and more substantial inquiry in high school.  Additionally, the course places considerable emphasis upon the reading-writing connection, asking students to read as writers and write as readers.

Course Activities:

  • Bridging the fiction – non-fiction divide
  • Exploring style, syntax, voice, and word choice through mimics of quality sentences and longer pieces of prose
  • Utilizing strategies that shift the “brain work” to the students to build confidence and independence with text and with writing
  • Utilizing quality professional models as foundation for student writing toward student adoption of “mature” elements in their own writing
  • Constructing quality, targeted rubrics for student writing
  • Broadening the approach to syntax within the middle school classroom to help students refine voice and style in the context of their own writing
  • Integrating student-led literary and style discussions into the middle school classroom as a means of increasing both student understanding and higher-level thinking, as well as assessing these skills.
  • Equipping students with strategies to facilitate independent analysis of poetry and fiction as well as pinning down that pesky “tone”
  • Building and maintaining a working vertical team and examining how middle school Pre-AP aligns with the high school program and the exam

What to Bring: 

  • One significant/major piece of prose that you teach in your classroom
  • Sticky notes
  • Highlighters

Bruce Smith – Rio Ranch High School, Rio Rancho, New Mexico

AP US History – Teachers New to AP

Bruce Smith has been teaching since 1988.  He has taught in Paupua, New Guinea, as a Peace Corps Volunteer, 1988-1990. He taught ESL in Seoul, Korea, and then taught Native Americans on the Navajo reservation and at Jemez Pueblo in New Mexico.  Since 2004 Bruce has been teaching at Rio Ranch High School. Bruce earned his Masters in Secondary Education at the University of New Mexico, a Masters in English at Middlebury College, and a third Masters in Liberal Arts from St. John’s College.  He has been teaching AP courses since 2001 and has been a College Board consultant since 2005.  Bruce has been a reader for AP United States History since 2006.

Course Description: AP United States History is an opportunity for high school students to earn college credit. The course is going through a revision, and the current expectations will come to an end in the 2013-2014 school year.  The changes for the 2014-2015 will be discussed in this APSI. Students need to learn United States History from colonial Jamestown to the present.  The revised course will take students further in both ends: Teachers will be expected to cover the pre-Columbian era and get the students up to present history — 21st century.  Though more time will be covered, the revised course will allow greater flexibility for the teacher and students.

What to Bring: Teachers need to bring the textbooks they use for this course.  We will design our syllabus and learn how to teach the given College Board themes in a timely fashion.

(added May 14, 2013) Bruce will spend 20% of his time on the AP US History changes.  He would like to work with you in the computer lab so you can start writing their APUSH syllabus for the AP course audit.  BRING a jump drive so you can save your work and the textbook that you are currently using so you can start aligning their text to the new skills, time periods, and learning objectives that APUSH teachers need to address in two years. 

  John Irish – Carroll Senior High School, Southlake, Texas
AP US History – Experienced AP Teachers

John P. Irish teaches AP U.S. History and is the UIL Social Studies coach at Carroll Senior High School.  He is a nationally certified consultant in AP U.S. History and AP European History for the Southwestern Region of the College Board and serves as a reader and table leader for the AP U.S. History Exam. He was just named to the College Board Curriculum Development and Assessment Committee for the redesign of the AP U.S. History Course and Exam. He just published the Student Guidebook for the 15/e of American Pageant and has published the Instructor Resource Guide and the Testbank for previous editions of that textbook. He was also on the writing team that published a four-volume, updated edition of the AP U.S. History Workbooks by the Center for Learning, along with a curriculum unit on Edward Bellamy’s novel, Looking Backward, also by the Center for Learning. Mr. Irish holds a B.A. in Political Science and Philosophy from Southern Methodist University and an M.A. in Philosophy from the University of Arkansas. He has also done post-graduate work in history from Rice University. He is currently working on a Masters Degree from Southern Methodist University with a concentration in Humanities and American Studies. He is a member of the American Historical Association, Society for History Education, and the Organization of American Historians.

Course Description:  This course will cover both the content and pedagogy necessary for teaching the AP U.S. History course successfully. In addition, participants will receive an overview of the AP Program and any changes on the horizon.  Approximately 30% of the course will be dedicated to the course and exam redesign, as directed by the College Board. Presentations and discussions of 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. Teaching strategies will focus on the development of critical thinking skills, document analysis, and writing skills. Historical content will focus on American social, political, economic, and intellectual thought, and we will explore the ever-changing interpretations of U.S. History (for a meaningful and on-going discussion of current historical literature, participants are encouraged to bring favorite books or articles to share). Note: All content, lessons, and activities for the course in 2013 will be from the second half of the course, Reconstruction to the Present.   Participants will also explore classroom resources, including online and multimedia resources. This AP U.S. History Summer Institute will create an active learning environment; all participants will be expected to read, write, and actively engage with the material. Please come prepared to participate.

What to Bring:  Participants are encouraged to bring favorite books or articles to share and successful lessons they have created to share with the entire group.

 Blaise Ferrandino, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas

AP Music Theory

Dr. Blaise J. Ferrandino is Professor and Division Chair of Music Theory and Composition at Texas Christian University, where he has been since 1990. From 2000-2002, he served as Interim Director of School of Music.  Besides his work as a composer, Ferrandino is a Music Theorist and Double Bassist.  Dr. Ferrandino is active in publishing, presentation, and composition/performance and is lead editor and author of The AP Vertical Teams Guide for Music Theory.  He has given numerous workshops and presentations related to this book in places such as Houston, Los Angeles at the AP National Convention, Dallas, St. Joseph, MO, San Antonio at TMEA and Ft. Worth.  Dr. Ferrandino is active in Music Theory teacher training, teaching week-long courses for over eighteen years at TCU and  in Philadelphia, Albuquerque, Little Rock, Taos and Chicago.  He has organized and presented at a two-day workshops at the College Board regional AP Music Theory conferences.

Course Description: This week-long seminar provides a review of basic theoretical material. It also deals with aspects of ear training and sight-singing.  The course is approved by the College Board to provide the successful participant with the qualifications necessary to teach the AP course in Music Theory at the high school level.  The curriculum is designed to fulfill these requirements.  Pedagogical approaches occupy a large portion of the curriculum. Participants learn how to teach the material through observation of the instructor, participation as students, interaction with other participants in designed model-teaching exercises, review of tests and assignments, discussion of the variety of approaches, and creative/compositional exercises.  In the process the participant will strengthen her/his knowledge of Music Theory.

What to Bring: Participants should bring writing implements, eraser, and staff paper.  All should purchase and bring The AP Vertical Teams Guide for Music Theory. The VT Guide is available through the College Board at: http://store.collegeboard.com/sto/productdetail.do?itemkey=995218.

 Lisa Tobias -John Paul II Catholic High School, New Braunfels, Texas

Pre-AP Middle School Science

Lisa Tobias currently teaches Pre-AP Physics, Pre-AP Chemistry, Earth Science, and Physics I at John Paul II Catholic High School in New Braunfels, TX. Prior to that, she taught Pre-AP eighth-grade physical science and sixth-grade robotics. She has been teaching science since 2000. Mrs. Tobias holds a BS in biology and history from Bates College and an MA in education from Barry University. She has been consulting for the College Board since 2007 in Pre-AP Science and inquiry-based laboratories, as well as science vertical teams and is currently a consultant mentor.

Course Description: Participants will explore the advantages of a Pre-AP program, discuss content and curriculum, address the challenges of meeting the academic needs of all students, bring inquiry into the classroom, and modify instruction with Pre-AP skills in mind. All of this will be done through the lens of a Physical Science curriculum. Participants will gain a Pre-AP skills list, classroom-ready labs, and project and assessment ideas to integrate into the classroom.

Topics will include the following:

  • Performing and modifying labs
  • Interdisciplinary and non-traditional projects
  • Traditional and alternative forms of assessment

What to Bring:

  • Copies of labs or lab ideas currently used
  • TI-83 or TI-84 calculator, if available
  • Laptop, if available


June 25-28, 2013

Social Studies

 Paul Philp – John Paul II High School, Plano, Texas

AP World History – Teachers New to AP

Paul Philp received both a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service and a Certificate of German Public and International Studies from Georgetown University in Washington, DC. He earned his State of Texas certificate in secondary education in composite social studies from the University of Texas in Dallas. Both his Master of Art’s degree in Modern History and State of Texas endorsement in gifted and talented education are from Texas A&M University – Commerce. After thirteen years as a classroom teacher and Academic Decathlon coach, Paul Philp became an administrator of curriculum and special educational programs in both public and private schools for ten years. While no longer an administrator he teaches a full load of AP, Pre-AP and regular World Geography and World History classes. He is a presenter for the College Board, has written multiple choice questions for the Advanced Placement World History exam, was a national grader of the Advanced Placement World History essays for five years, and taught history at the local community college for nine years. Publications include the study guide for Peter Stearn’s Advanced Placement textbook, 3rd edition, World Civilizations, a collaborative study of the Industrial Revolution in an international, world historical context with the Woodrow Wilson Institute at Princeton, New Jersey, and Document Based Questions in both European and World History. Paul is a past associate editor for the Encyclopedia of World History published by Berkshire Publishers of Boston and currently chairman of a committee creating teaching materials for the new STAAR exam for the State of Texas World History exam. He is currently writing a science fiction novel involving alternate history.

Course Description: The purpose of the AP World History course is to develop greater understanding of global historical processes and contrasts viewed against the interaction of different types of human societies. The course highlights the changes in international framework, their causes and consequences, as well as comparisons among major societies. The course emphasizes relevant factual knowledge used in conjunction with leading interpretive issues, types of historical evidence, and appropriate analytical skills. Focused primarily on the past 1,500 years of the global experience, the course builds on an understanding of cultural, institutional, and technological precedents that, along with geography, set the human stage prior to 1000 CE.

This AP Summer Institute in World History is for novice and intermediate year teachers of AP World History. The assumption is that the teacher has never taught AP World History before attending this institute or has taught the course for three to five years. Nevertheless, experienced teachers are welcome and can lend their experience to the institute.

Please note: while this uses as its basis the skills and content of AP World History which is usually taught on the 10th grade or sophomore in high school level, pre-AP teachers in grades 6th through 9th who wish to learn the skill sets for vertical integration are also welcome. However the focus will be AP World History as opposed to pre-AP.

Presentation time is devoted to 50% pedagogy and 50% 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 the College Board has a special topic –Cross-Continental Trade in Afro-Eurasia 200 BCE to 1450 CE before the advent of the European maritime empires.

The four days are organized as follows: The Course Guide, Skills and Geography; Your Syllabus: Structuring the Course; Writing and Essays; and Taking the Multiple Choice Test, Enrichment and Helpful Hints. Mornings are devoted to pedagogy and afternoons to content.

I will provide you with two CDs containing all of my lessons and works. So come prepared to work but learn about a wonderful AP program.


 

 Colin Ramsay – Lemon Bay High School, Englewood, Florida

AP World History – Experienced AP Teachers

Colin Ramsay is a Social Studies teacher at Lemon Bay High School in Englewood, Florida.  He teaches AP World History, AP Human Geography and AP US Government and Politics.  He began teaching AP courses in 1981 and has also taught AP European History, AP American History, AP Macro and Micro Economics, and AP Comparative Government.  He has been a reader of the World History exam since 2002 and is currently a table leader at the AP Reading in World History.  Colin has been a College Board Consultant in World History since 2004.

Course Description: This workshop will include discussions and techniques covering the successful introduction and implementation of the AP “habits of mind” into the World History classroom.  Emphasis will be on the chronological periods covered in the AP World History course description.  Activities and presentations that work will cover the following: using creative lessons and activities to open the door to student confidence and AP success; writing a practical course syllabus for an accelerated block and/or a traditional school  schedule; examining the released exams for improved test-taking strategies; improving student study skills; teaching effective essay-writing and critical-thinking skills needed for success on the AP test; and learning how to grade the three essays for maximum correlation with the AP test readers.

What to bring: (May 14, 2013) Please bring the text you use in class and, if you have one, your laptop computer.

 

 Eugene Chase – Edmond North High School, Edmond, Oklahoma

AP US Government and Politics

Eugene Chase teaches US and Comparative Government and Politics at Edmond North High School, where he serves as Social Studies Department Chair.  A table leader at the AP US Government reading, he has been consulting for the College Board since 1999 and has presented AP and Pre-AP workshops nationwide  and at the AP National Conference.  Gene is a National Board Certified Teacher (AYA Social Studies – History) and has served as an assessor for the National Board. Gene has been an AP Government advisor for two textbooks and has provided staff development to many school districts including Chicago Public Schools and Boston Public Schools. Also working with the Education Testing Service, he has been an assessor for the Praxis series teacher licensure tests.  Gene has his BA in Political Science from the University of Oklahoma and his MA in Political Science from the University of Central Oklahoma.  Continuing his relationship with the University of Central Oklahoma, Gene also serves as an adjunct faculty member in the College of Liberal Arts, teaching Social Studies Methods and American National Government.

Course description: In this course, participants will cover the six areas of the AP U.S. Government and Politics and practice scoring the AP exam.  AP U.S. History teachers transitioning to AP U.S. Government will have the opportunity to examine the different scoring methods of the free response section of the exam.  New teachers will be given assistance in writing their syllabi.  The course will also cover test item design and construction, and participants will be able to exchange ideas with their colleagues.  Of special interest will be the development of a “hybrid” course (partial on line instruction). Participants will have the opportunity to work collaboratively with others to develop and refine lesson plans.

What to Bring: 4GB or larger flash drive and a copy of a favorite lesson.

 Ann Linsley – Bellaire High School, Bellaire, Texas

AP Human Geography

Ann Linsley is from Houston, Texas, and has taught at Bellaire High School in the Houston Independent School District for the last 25 years. She teaches IB/AP (International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement) Geography and IB Environmental Science.  Ann earned a Master of Science in Geo Science from Texas A&M University in 2006. She also holds a M.Ed. in Curriculum and GT and a Bachelor of Arts in Russian, from the University of Houston.  Ann is also a teacher consultant for the National Geography Society, the Texas Alliance for Geographic Education and College Board. She is the recipient of several national and state awards, teacher of the year recognition, and has been honored with the opportunity to participate in national programs to extend her field-work experiences sponsored by NOAA, NSF, NCGE,  and NGS.  Ann has worked with the College Board Geography program since its inception as a reader, writer, consultant and summer institute trainer.  Ann was a PolarTrec teacher to McMurdo Station, Antarctica, participating in a human impact study of the region with a team from Texas A&M Geography Department and sponsored by ARCUS/PolarTrec and the National Science Foundation. She is also a National Geographic Fellow and a participant in the NGS Arctic-Svalbard program.  Ann’s focus for her students is to develop a better understanding of the interdependent nature of our actions between man and the environment in an attempt to foster a sustainable world. She believes that students should apply their knowledge when they can be in the field.  Fieldwork is a necessity for her courses and encourages her students to follow the words of Rachel Carson: “The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe, the less taste we shall have for destruction.”

Course Description: This session of the  AP Summer Institute is structured for teachers both new to APHG and those seeking a review of the course and teaching strategies.  The session will include an overview of the content and teacher resources.  Guest lecturers will provide in-depth discussion of topics on specific content areas intended to help participants gain a broader understanding of the various scales of the topics. Attention to effective teaching strategies supporting the lecture content and building success on the AP exam will be included. A special focus will be placed on the roles of globalization and development as they apply throughout the curriculum. We will review on-line mapping and Internet sources for teaching topics in Human Geography. New materials and resources will be provided to the course participants. Participants are requested to bring a copy of the Human Geography textbook and samples of the role of globalization as it applies to the APHG curriculum, which could include readings, maps, news articles, or other related materials. Teachers will participate in a field study in the area to apply some of the topics in the APHG curriculum.

Topics will include the following:

  • Teacher preparation for teaching AP Geography
  • What is Human Geography
  • Using multiple textbooks, supplementary materials, and the Internet
  • Thinking geographically, spatially, conceptually
  • Course outline
  • Field studies and class research projects
  • Preparing for the exam and what to do with the results
  • Content topic challenges
  • Prevailing themes of globalization and development

What to Bring:

  • Human Geography textbook
  • Samples of globalization materials appropriate for the AP level
  • If we are able to do field work, clothing and shoes appropriate for the weather and terrain
  • 2 gig jump drive for lots of materials for you or set up a drop box account at dropbox.com
  • Questions and ideas that work for you

 Jo Anne Roler – Daniel Wright Junior High School, Lincolnshire, IL
Pre-AP Middle School Social Studies – Teachers New to Pre-AP

Jo Anne Roler earned a bachelor’s degree in Social Studies/History Education from Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN and a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from National Louis University in Chicago, IL.  She is National Board Certified.  Jo Anne is an adjunct professor at both Dominican University and Southern Illinois University, where she teaches elementary and secondary social studies education classes and middle school endorsement classes.  She is one of the co-authors of the original AP Vertical Team Guide for Social Studies.  Jo Anne also works as professional development provider and curriculum consultant.  She has been honored in Who’s Who of American Women.

 Course Description: The Pre-AP Social Studies workshop will include a detailed explanation of the skills required for students to be successful in Pre-AP and AP classes.  We will discuss social studies education as a process and the importance of building AP vertical teams. This workshop will include strategies for improving student comprehension of primary and secondary sources, as well as strategies to promote critical thinking and successful test-taking.  We will also discuss ways to improve student writing and ideas for supplementing curriculum through the development of projects, the use of literature, and the analysis of political cartoons.  A variety of resources will be presented.  Sample Pre-AP projects, DBQs, and AP course descriptions and exams will be shared.  The impact of Common Core on social studies education will also be discussed.

What to Bring:  Please bring the textbook you are currently using in your classroom.  You are also encouraged to bring any of your successful lessons/ activities you would like to discuss and share. Please bring a flash drive in order to download more activities and information.

 Nancy Schaefer – Cabot Junior High South, Cabot, Arkansas

Pre-AP Middle School Social Studies  – Experienced Pre-AP Teachers

Nancy Schaefer draws from her teaching experiences in private and public schools to present ideas and strategies that work well with young adolescents.  She holds  B.A. and M.Ed degrees from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.  Nancy is a College Board Consultant in the Southwestern Region and has 20 years of teaching experience at the middle school level with 13 years as a Pre-AP teacher.  Nancy has presented at  three AP National Conferences as well as AP workshops and summer Institutes in Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Florida, Maryland, West Virginia, and Illinois, Mississippi and Alabama.  Nancy spends her time developimg curriculum for middle school social studies. Her instructional experience includes U.S. History, world cultures, economics, and English.  She is a member of the National Council for Social Studies and the Arkansas Council for Social Studies.  Nancy is a member of the Teacher Advisory Board on Economic Education at the Little Rock Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank.

Course Description: This Pre-APcourse is designed to help middle school teachers develop lessons that will prepare students for the challenges of social studies courses in the AP program.  Daily sessions will provide opportunities for middle school teachers 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.  The course will include primary source analysis and document-based questions along with discussion groups, close reading techniques, ladders of questions, timed writings, vocabulary building, interdisciplinary projects that involve research and technology, and ideas for designing effective test questions. Participants should come ready for an informative and intellectually stimulating week.

What to Bring: Bring one lesson or best practice to share with the other participants.  We will use the AP Vertical Teams Guide for Social Studies during the sessions. If you have a copy, please bring it.  One will be provided if you do not have a copy.

 Eddie Carson – Houston Christian High School, Houston, Texas

Pre-AP High School Social Studies

Edward Carson earned a bachelor’s degree in History and Social Science and a master’s degree in Curriculum Administration/History Education at Harding University in Searcy, AR. For four years he taught AP World History and AP European History at Central Arkansas Christian School in Little Rock, where he served as chairman of the History and Social Science Department. He currently teaches Pre-AP World History, European History, and AP US History at Houston Christian High School in Houston, TX. Edward is an AP European History and Vertical Team specialist for the Southwestern Region of the College Board and has presented at various two-day College Board conferences and summer academic institutes, as well as at several professional historical and educational meetings.

He is currently a member of the AP European History Test Development Committee and has been a European History reader and table leader for six years. He holds his professional memberships with the American Historical Association (AHA), the Organization for American Historians (OAH), the Society for History Education (SHE), and the World History Association (WHA).

Course Description: Participants will engage in a week-long discussion, focusing on the construction of a Pre-AP course. Furthermore, a great deal of time will be spent discussing the role of a vertical team, essay construction, and analytical tasks devoted to improving the essential skill set needed for AP: evaluation, synthesis, categorization, generalizations, assessments, and analysis. Teachers will break down various AP courses, looking to measure deductively what is asked of students in AP so that a clear sense of structural design and activities can be organized for successful Pre-AP teaching. Each participant should bring his or her course curriculum/objectives and a sample of successful in-class activities.

What to Bring: If you have an AP Vertical Teams Guide for Social Studies, please bring it. If you do not, one will be provided.

AP Spanish

  Gloria Garza – Westlake High School, Austin, Texas
AP Spanish Language

Gloria Garza is a Texas educator of long standing.  She holds degrees from the University of Texas Pan American (BA/1973; MA/1975) and the University of Texas at Austin (Ph.D./1992) in Latin American Studies, Spanish, and Latin American & Brazilian Literature, respectively. She was instructor of Spanish and Portuguese at UT-Pan American (1976-1983), Assistant Instructor of Spanish and Portuguese at UT-Austin (1983-1990), and Lecturer in Spanish and Portuguese Languages and Brazilian Literature at UT-Austin (1992-1994). She teaches AP Spanish language and AP Spanish literature and French language at Westlake High School.  Gloria is the recipient of a number of academic and teaching awards, including Best Dissertation of the Year, UT-Austin/Spanish Portuguese Dept., 1992, Outstanding Educator Awards from UT-Austin, 1998,Fulbright Scholar, 1992-Brazil, 1999 and 2000 – Spain.  She has been a college Board Consultant since 1998 and has served as an AP Reader, Table Leader and Question Leader for over  15 years.  She is an enthusiastic, energetic, and inspiring teacher.

Course Description:The course will be divided into two parts. One part will be dedicated to language teaching strategies employed in an Advanced Placement Spanish Language course; the other will focus on cultural topics of interest related to an AP Spanish Language course. Specifically, the language segment will emphasize teaching strategies related to the four linguistic skills, i.e., reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The cultural portion will focus on topics of general cultural interest, specifically, through the use of podcasts from a Website called “notespanish.com.” Additionally, topics relating to the study of literary analysis will be discussed. Participants will be provided with grammatical and cultural supplementary materials for classroom use.

What to Bring:

  • pens/red & blue
  • a couple of pencils
  • post-it notes (small)
  • writing pad
  • lots of questions
  • any good strategies you use
  • a positive attitude
  • enthusiasm

 Cameron Stephen – Cy-Fair High School, Cypress, Texas
AP Spanish Literature

Cameron Stephen teaches at Cy-Fair High School in the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District, located in Cypress, Texas.  He has taught there for all 12 years of his career and has served as department chairman since 2009.  He is a product of the AP Spanish Program at Kearns High School in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he took the AP Spanish Language exam in 1993. His passion for teaching was born while serving a mission for his church to the Dominican Republic from 1994-1996.  Upon returning home, he graduated with a BA degree in Spanish Lit from the University of Utah in 2000.  He completed a Masters of Arts degree in Spanish Literature from the  University of Houston in 2009.  He has taught Pre-AP and AP Spanish Language since his first day in the classroom.  He was responsible for re-starting the Native Speakers program at his school in 2001 and started the AP Spanish Literature program in 2002.  When Mr. Stephen started at Cy-Fair, only three students participated in the AP Spanish Language exam.  Now, his school regularly has more than 70 students that participate in AP Spanish Language and 10-15 that participate in AP Spanish Literature exams each year.  He has presented several workshops and sessions at the Foreign Language Association.  Mr. Stephen has been a College Board consultant since 2011, conducting workshops and summer institutes.  He has served as a reader for the AP Spanish Literature exam since 2005 and has been a Table Leader since 2009.  In 2012, Cameron became a member of the College Board’s Test Development Committee for AP Spanish Literature and Culture.

Course Description: The AP Spanish Literature and Culture course is an activity-oriented course that will prepare participants for the new curriculum that begins in 2012-2013 school year and helps them develop strategies for building a successful self-sustaining program.  Participants will receive numerous ideas, handouts, strategies, and materials that will engage, develop, and motivate students to succeed.  Our Institute will focus on understanding the new curriculum framework and preparing to teach the new reading list.  We will also look at strategies for teaching the works that will prepare students for the new AP exam.  This will include recommended strategies and activities to work with literary terms, contextualization of the literary works, and the development of thematic lessons and units with a particular focus on appropriate formative and summative assessments.  In addition, we will also discuss the importance of vertical teaming and the integration of technology into the literature classroom.  Finally, participants will begin to prepare for the course audit and have opportunities to share their best practices that work with students.

What to bring: Participants are encouraged to read the course and exam description and the works from the required reading list before the course.  Participants are welcome to bring lap top or tablet computers and should bring any lessons, materials or websites that they wish to share.

Studio Art

 Patricia Winnard – Heritage Hall School, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

AP Studio Art – Teachers  New to AP

Patricia has taught art for 40 years and Advanced Placement Studio Art for 24 years.  She is a Fulbright Scholar, National Board Certified teacher and a NAEA  Teacher of Distinction. Over her teaching career she has received the AP Outstanding Recognition Award, Teacher of the  Year, Finalist for Oklahoma State Teacher of the  Year, Oklahoma Art Teacher of the Year, Secondary Art Teacher of the Year, and Western Region Art teacher of the Year, and finalist for National Art Teacher of the Year.  She has done extensive brain research with renowned author and originator of the Multiple Intelligences, Howard Gardner, at Harvard University.  She has received over $66,000 in grant funding.

She is an AP Studio Art Reader and has conducted over 104 1, 2-day and summer training institutes as a consultant for the College Board for the last 15 years. She was a guest lecturer at the 2008 and the 2012 AP National Conventions.  She also taught AP Studio Art in Beijing, China as an exchange professor with the Freeman Foundation in 2011.

Patricia is a published writer and illustrator for Christian children books. She is is currently an AP Studio Art teacher at Heritage Hall Upper School in Oklahoma City, where she began and has nurtured a thriving program for the last 11 years.  She is also a mentor for the Master Teaching Program for the Oklahoma State City Schools and Integris Health Network.  Last year she was selected to participate in the Robert Rauschenberg Project in Washington DC.  She was selected as one of the 2010 Cambridge University Who’s Who Among Executive and Professional Women in Teaching and Education.

While teaching teachers across the country I am often asked; How do you get students to perform at a level of excellence?  I always simply reply as Michelangelo did when sculpting his immense figures. . .  It is already there, I only help to bring it out.

Course Description:  An overview of Pre-AP and AP Studio Art will be examined and discussed. Strategies and tips for organization and implementation  of the studio course will follow.  Participants will engage in a series of new activities using a variety of methods according to their level of expertise.  This study will include both technological, photographical and by-hand surface preparation processes.  A body of work could be in the form of a deconstructed journal, Trish’s Terrific 12, using strategies developed by the instructor or an independent study.  Participants will also be introduced to creative Imagery Exercises developed by the presenter to stimulate creative choice as well as the student’s voice through the art making experiences.  Tips from Trish on photographing and submitting images digitally will be discussed.  The issue of teaching students benchmarks for “quality” in art forms will be addressed with the use of reflective, summative and oral evaluation systems.  The Reading 2013 and scoring the portfolios will be reviewed and discussed, from the vantage point of a reader, through an overview of images.  AP Central and other instructional resources will also be discussed and shared.

What to Bring:  Suggested supply List for Participants:

  1. Apron
  2. Assortment of papers, paints, brushes, drawing mediums
  3. Rubber gloves
  4. Sketchbook
  5. Hardbound used book
  6. Photos
  7. Misc. collage supplies
  8. Small hardside box
  9. Digital cameras/USB connection cords
  10. CD’s
  11. Jump Drive
  12. Card reader
  13. Laptop computer
  14. Favorite websites and “best practices/lesson plan to share
  15. Any other “stuff” you want to bring!

Note:  I am going green this year.  I will provide participants with workshop materials on a CD only.


  Quiquia Calhoun – Oklahoma City Public Schools, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

AP Studio Art - Experienced AP Teachers

Quiquia Calhoun has taught AP Studio Art for 26 years of her 36-year teaching career with Oklahoma City Public Schools. She received her BA of Art and Education (Pre-K to Grade 12) from Oklahoma City University in 1977 and a Masters in Clothing and Textiles from Oklahoma University in 1978. While teaching at Northeast Academy for Health Sciences and Engineering, she has served as AP Studio Art National College Board consultant for nine years. Quiquia was selected Southwest Region AP studio Art Teacher of the Year in 1998. She has been an AP College Board Reader since 2001. In addition, she was National AP Vertical Team Guide Co-Author for AP Studio Art and panelist at the AP Equity Colloquium in 2008. Previously, she received an Excellent Education Award from Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation and was a Teacher of the Year nominee in the Oklahoma City Public School District. In 2009, Quiquia completed AP Summer Institute Workshops at the following locations: University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, and Washburn University, Topeka, Kansas and University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, Arkansas.

Course Description: The AP Summer Institute will be a valuable resource for teachers in connecting middle and high school students to a higher level of learning in the visual arts. It will give teachers the strategies and tools they need to engage their students in the development of higher visual studio art skills and computer knowledge.

Teachers will have an understanding of the Advanced Placement Studio Art Program to help students to prepare a portfolio. The teachers will learn a variety of approaches to representation, abstraction, expression, and the investigation of the principles and elements of art standards.

The institute will provide lesson ideas for three levels: emerging, proficient, and advanced. These levels will not necessarily correspond to a particular grade level. Teachers will view a PowerPoint showing works in a portfolio, demonstrating a breadth of conceptual, compositional, and technical works of art  to address a very board interpretation of drawing, 2-D Design, and 3D issues. Photography, computer lessons, and various print-making will be incorporated in the activity lessons.

What to Bring:

  • Digital camera and flash drive
  • Any drawing or painting supplies you like to use such as colored pencils, watercolors, oil pastels, sharpies…etc.
  • Personal photographs (no larger than 8×10)
  • (Added May 14, 2013) Jump Drive / memory stick

Institute Schedule:

Tuesday Morning Session:
Introduction of participates and Agenda for the week
Inventory of needs and goal objectives from the workshop participates
Introductions and Logistics to AP Studio Art
Overview of the AP Studio Art Program course outline and the components of each portfolio
Discussion on the new digital submission at the AP Studio Art reading in Salt Lake City, Utah
Overview of the week long syllabi, scheduling and activities

Tuesday Afternoon Session:
Overview: PowerPoint of students works
Discussion: PowerPoint presentation; examine the approach to 2D-Design and 3-D Design issues
Activity: Photography techniques using a digital camera

Wednesday Morning Session:
Activity: Introduction of various artistic media to create a Breadth and Concentration of work.

Wednesday Afternoon Session:

Activity: continuation of hands-on activities, creating various works of art from photographs using various media

Thursday Morning Session:

Activity: creating a compositional story using photographic images, such as Romare Bearden, Holly Roberts, Keith Haring creating with various media

Thursday Afternoon Session:
Activity: continuation of the morning session creating a Breadth  and Concentration of work. Museum Field trip excursion (Date and time is subject to change).

Friday Morning Session:
Activity: Work on the computer and demonstrate with Adobe Photo-Shop techniques to show 2-D Design and Drawing Compositions. (Date and time is subject to change.)

Friday Afternoon Session:
PowerPoint Presentation: Student’s works of art and grading of work using the AP rubric. Wrap-up all art activities

Share Lesson Plans and distribution of free art books
Review goals and outcomes of the week long workshop
Question and Answer
Evaluation forms and Certificates

Pre-AP Middle School Science

  Nancy Stitt – Dixie M. Hollins High School, St. Petersburg, Florida

Pre-AP Middle School Science

Nancy Stitt has worked as an educator in Pinellas County, St. Petersburg, Florida,or the past 30 years.  The last four years she has work at the high school level as a Science Instructional Coach/Staff Developer for the district.  Previous experiences include working with the Gifted Science Department, IMAST- Integrated Math and Science with Technology and AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) in the middle school environment. She has been the Master Science Content Coach/ Middle Schools for the county and mentored new teachers and teachers pursuing alternative certification (Transition to Teaching) within her school.  She served as the Science Department liaison for Meadowlawn Middle School. Nancy earned a B.A. in Biology/Education and a B.S. in Nursing from the University of South Florida and a M.S. in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment from Walden University.  She became Nationally Board certified in Early Adolescence/Science in 2000.  She is a College Board endorsed consultant for Pre-AP® Strategies in Science:  AP Vertical Teams, Creating a Learner-Centered Classroom, Inquiry-Based Laboratories; and Pre-AP®: Effective Thinking Strategies for All Students.   Ms. Stitt has been an APSI presenter at UTA (University of Texas at Arlington), Auburn University, University of Oklahoma, UTEP (University of Texas at El Paso) and UALR (University of Arkansas at Little Rock-Hot Springs).

Course Description: The workshop will focus on the three R’s- Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships, while working in the science classroom.  A positive middle school science experience is important to increasing student access and success in AP science courses.  Activities and labs in the workshop will equip participants with ways to help their students organize information so students can independently use strategies to add to their knowledge and understanding of science. Along the week’s journey, participants will develop an understanding of AP Vertical Teaming and acquire classroom strategies and tools to prepare their students for the rigor of courses in high school and college-level work.  Topics include: Team Building, Interactive Notebooks, Collaborative Structures, 5E Instructional Model~ Inquiry Based Laboratories, Formative Assessment, Differentiated Instruction via Multiple Intelligences, Foldables, Common Core State Standards~Reading and Writing Standards for Literacy in Science.

What participants should bring: Dress for success in both lab and outdoor activities.

  • Comfortable closed-toe shoes
  • Visor/hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses
  • Portable flash drive to share information
  • Your most engaging lab activity (on flash drive)  (R’s=Rigor and Relevance)
  • Item of importance to you to share with the group (R=Relationships!)

Participant’s Manual: Pre-AP: Topics for AP Vertical Teams in Science will be provided.