Courses and Instructor Information

For New and Experienced Teachers

English Language & Composition

This workshop will examine various approaches to organizing and teaching AP English Language courses as well as proposed changes for the 2008 English Language and Composition Examination. Of primary significance will be attention to the critical reading and writing skills, which facilitate students' recognition of the inherent link between rhetoric and style as markers of meaning and import. Participants will develop course syllabi and individual assignments appropriate to various rhetorical and stylistic strategies. Discussions will cover the structure and philosophy of the AP Language Examination and exercises in holistic scoring of examination essays. Each participant should bring a favorite collection of non-fiction (such as essays), two or three issues of a magazine such asThe New Yorker, Harper’s, or the Atlantic Monthly, and any writing test that is particularly useful.

Instructor:

Mary Jo Potts is a member of the faculty of the Webb School of Knoxville, TN, where she serves as Dean of Faculty, head of the English Department, and most significantly, an AP English teacher. Since 1977 she has been teaching AP English, and since 1981 she has been associated with various aspects of the AP English program: as an AP reader, Table Leader, and Question Leader; a College Board AP and English Vertical Team Consultant; the primary author of The Teacher’s Guide – Advanced Placement English Language and Composition (1998). She was also a member of the AP English Test Development Committee (1998-2002). Currently she serves as a member of the College Board English Academic Advisory Committee.

 

English Literature and Composition

The English Literature and Composition Institute is designed for both beginning and experienced AP teachers. We look at student selection criteria, objectives, course outlines, methods, evaluation, and the exam. We examine teaching strategies, create or revise a course outline, and devise techniques that will help students with the exam. Most materials come from the College Board and from the instructor.

Instructor:

Carol Yoakley-Terrell is an AP English teacher and English Coordinator at Oak Ridge High School in Oak Ridge, TN. She has over twenty-five years of AP teaching experience and has served as a reader for the AP English examinations. She has taught summer institutes for AP teachers since 1985 and serves as a consultant to the College Board. She is past president of Tennessee Council of Teachers of English and past state coordinator for NCTE Achievement Awards in Writing. Carol is the recipient of the Tennessee Humanities Council's Award in Teaching and the Don Jenkins Award in Teacher Excellence in Language Arts.

 

European History

The purpose of the summer institute in European History is to help participants understand the philosophy, objectives, and applications of the Advanced Placement course in European History. The institute will consider the equity and access principle of the College Board, the selection of primary and secondary texts, the pacing of the course, and answering the free response and document-based questions. In addition, participants will examine the role of study skills, reading, writing, past multiple choice sections, movies, and power point presentations in the AP curriculum, as well as the selection and use of primary and secondary documents. Participants will also discuss and practice a variety of teaching methodologies.

Instructor:

Louis Gallo is a Social Studies teacher at West High School in Knoxville, TN. He has taught AP European History since 1996 and has served as a reader since 2000 and a College Board consultant since 2001. In 2003, Lou received the Milken National Educator Award as well as West High School Teacher of the Year. He was named Knox County Teacher of the Year in 2008.

 

Statistics

This workshop is intended for experienced or beginning teachers of AP Statistics.  The workshop will cover all topics needed to start the course as well as the subject matter covered in the course.  In addition, preparing students for the exam, book selection, recruiting students, pace, and selling the course to your administrators.  All four main topics will be studied (descriptive statistics, experimental design, probability, and inference) as well as the exam, its preparation and its grading.  Bring a TI-83 or TI-84, a three ring notebook capable of holding 200 pages, and a big box for complimentary texts and workshop training packets from the 2010, 2011, and 2012 AP Statistics Readings.

Instructor:

Robert Taylor received his Ph.D. in Statistics from Florida State University in 1971.   He is a Fellow and Life Member of the American Statistical Association and Fellow of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics.  He has taught at the University of South Carolina and the University of Georgia where he served as Head of the Statistics Department from 1989-1998.   Dr. Taylor regularly teaches statistical education courses, has been at the AP Statistics Readings 2000-2002, was a Table Leader for the 2004, 2005 and 2006 AP Statistics Readings, was a Question Leader for the 2007, 2010, and 2011 AP Statistics Reading and was the Assistant Chief Reader for the 2008 AP Statistics Reading, has presented one-day and five-day College Board AP Statistics workshops throughout the nation and is currently a member of the Test Development Committee.  He has co-presented the Beyond AP Statistics workshops at the national statistics meetings in Atlanta (2001), New York (2002), San Francisco (2003) and Minneapolis (2005).   Most importantly for this workshop, Professor Taylor has taught the ‘AP Statistics for Teachers’ course twice at Maryville College and nine times at the University of Georgia and Clemson University.  He is currently Professor and Department Chair of Mathematical Sciences at Clemson University.

 

U.S. Government and Politics

This workshop will address the scope and sequence of the AP US Government and Politics course, including a basic outline, important concepts, and suggested time lines for instruction. Participants will also learn about the format of the AP Examination and the skills necessary for success. The workshop format will include lecture, analysis, and discussion of concepts, exam materials, and textbook and supplementary materials. Participants will receive hands-on materials and ideas for instruction from the instructor, and will develop and share their own course outlines, syllabi, evaluation items, teaching techniques, and units of study.

Instructor:

James Wehrli has taught Political Science and Economics at the high school and college levels for over 25 years. He is currently teaching AP Government and Politics (U.S. and Comparative) and AP Economics (Micro and Macro) as well as IB Economics and Government-Honors at Lausanne Collegiate School of Memphis, Tennessee. He is also an adjunct at the University of Memphis in the Political Science Department. For the College Board, Jamie has held several positions. He is an AP consultant and travels in the United States and abroad conducting workshops for Government and Economics teachers. He is a table leader for the AP Comparative Government and Politics exam, and he served for four years on the test development committee during which time he was also the AP Comparative College Board Advisor. Jamie holds a Ph.D and M.A. in Politcal Science and an M.A. and B.A in Economics. In 2006, Jamie was awarded National Board Professional Teaching certification in Social Studies-History. Jamie's most recent publication is "Democracy and Development: Underlying Relationships," an article for the College Board's Democratization Curriculum Module.

 

U.S. History

The U.S. History Institute is designed to provide teachers with effective strategies to prepare history students to successfully take the AP U.S. History Examinations. The institute will include suggestions for course content and organization, materials, methods, and techniques. The writing process for the specialized history essays will be covered in detail, along with information on how the test is constructed and scored. Teachers will be encouraged to fully participate.

Instructor:

Cassandra Osborne is a retired AP U.S. History teacher from Oak Ridge High School in Oak RIdge, TN. She also held the position of Social Studies coordinator. She has served as an AP reader and Exam Leader for the College Board. In addition, she is a consultant for Advance Placement and a National Leader for the College Board. She recently completed a three year term on the U.S. History AP Curriculum Development and Assessment Committee. She has written test items for the Praxis exam.