AP+Conference+October+2009+(US+Government)

Government and Politics: US**
 * AP Workshop, October 23, 2009

This workshop was designed for both new and experienced teachers, to review the Advanced Placement curriculum, go over the layout and structure of the test, discuss recent changes to the curriculum, and collaborate on teaching methods and materials.

While this workshop may have been useful for new AP teachers, there was very little to learn for those of us who have taught the course before. Because we were a mixed group, we spent a huge amount of time discussing the substance of the course. The presentation was cookie-cutter at best, and the presenter spent most of his time reading from PowerPoint slides.....

That said, the day was not a total loss. As we started to move away from the substance, some great conversations arose among the teachers in the room about teaching methods and resources. I learned about some great Web sites and other sources of materials for the course, as well as some excellent ways to work these audio and video resources into my lessons. I also picked up a lot about the AP curriculum in general, including the process for creating and reviewing test questions, scoring tests, etc.

In addition, we all shared some strategies for teaching multiple choice and free response skills to the class. Most illuminating was a discussion about writing style and substantive expectations on the free response section of the AP exam, along with a discussion about standards for evaluating free response answers. Although I came away truly appalled at the complete lack of writing skill or broad-based knowledge needed for success on the exam, I do find myself in a better position to coach my students toward success on the exam (though I don't plan on sharing these terribly low standards until we begin to review!).

All in all, I came away from the conference with a renewed sense of confidence in my own approach to the class, as well as with a decent set of new resources to incorporate into my curriculum. My experience, however, demonstrated that these conferences may be of limited value for experienced AP teachers (unless, as they did with some disciplines, new and experienced teachers attend separate workshops sessions).