AP seminar and AP research

[Anonymous]

Can you tell me about these classes? What is the seminar on? I’m assuming the research class is how to write a research paper.

[Anonymous]

My child who is planning on majoring in engineering took both Seminar and Research in high school. I think it’s a good yet painful path for a smart kid who hates writing.

Seminar is really just a higher level English class. Honors English is kind of worthless anyway so Seminar adds rigor into your schedule. For Seminar, I believe my son had to write 2 papers and give a presentation.

AP Research is a full year independent research class. While your kid most likely won’t discover anything “worthwhile”, I think going through the exhaustive process in HS good preparation for college research.

Like everything YMMV.

TL/DR- I recommend it due to the learning growth but it’s a lot of work and not for the faint of heart.

[Anonymous]

DD hated it. There was way too many process details and not enough actual learning. It's really a bad class.

[Anonymous]

My 11th grader is in AP Seminar now (along with AP Lang) and will do AP Research and AP Lit next year. She has really enjoyed seminar; the teacher is very experienced with this class and it's been a good mix of research, writing, and presentation skills. It's probably the most in-depth research and writing that she's done since being in the Humanities magnet for middle school. She thinks the skills and practice she's getting through seminar and will get through research will serve her well in college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 11th grader is in AP Seminar now (along with AP Lang) and will do AP Research and AP Lit next year. She has really enjoyed seminar; the teacher is very experienced with this class and it's been a good mix of research, writing, and presentation skills. It's probably the most in-depth research and writing that she's done since being in the Humanities magnet for middle school. She thinks the skills and practice she's getting through seminar and will get through research will serve her well in college.

Also, many of the kids in seminar are 10th graders; my daughter considered it last year but it didn't fit with her schedule. I think some schools are allowing Seminar in place of Honors English 10, and she would have done that if it was offered.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 11th grader is in AP Seminar now (along with AP Lang) and will do AP Research and AP Lit next year. She has really enjoyed seminar; the teacher is very experienced with this class and it's been a good mix of research, writing, and presentation skills. It's probably the most in-depth research and writing that she's done since being in the Humanities magnet for middle school. She thinks the skills and practice she's getting through seminar and will get through research will serve her well in college.

Also, many of the kids in seminar are 10th graders; my daughter considered it last year but it didn't fit with her schedule. I think some schools are allowing Seminar in place of Honors English 10, and she would have done that if it was offered.

It is great that MCPS is letting kids do this instead of Honors English 10, but a better option would be to actually cohort the "Honors" English classes and raise the expectations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD hated it. There was way too many process details and not enough actual learning. It's really a bad class.

Learning skills is still learning. I'm not sure how you decide what "learning" is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 11th grader is in AP Seminar now (along with AP Lang) and will do AP Research and AP Lit next year. She has really enjoyed seminar; the teacher is very experienced with this class and it's been a good mix of research, writing, and presentation skills. It's probably the most in-depth research and writing that she's done since being in the Humanities magnet for middle school. She thinks the skills and practice she's getting through seminar and will get through research will serve her well in college.

Also, many of the kids in seminar are 10th graders; my daughter considered it last year but it didn't fit with her schedule. I think some schools are allowing Seminar in place of Honors English 10, and she would have done that if it was offered.

There is a specific version of AP seminar that is for English 10. The general class does not fulfill the requirement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 11th grader is in AP Seminar now (along with AP Lang) and will do AP Research and AP Lit next year. She has really enjoyed seminar; the teacher is very experienced with this class and it's been a good mix of research, writing, and presentation skills. It's probably the most in-depth research and writing that she's done since being in the Humanities magnet for middle school. She thinks the skills and practice she's getting through seminar and will get through research will serve her well in college.

Also, many of the kids in seminar are 10th graders; my daughter considered it last year but it didn't fit with her schedule. I think some schools are allowing Seminar in place of Honors English 10, and she would have done that if it was offered.

It is great that MCPS is letting kids do this instead of Honors English 10, but a better option would be to actually cohort the "Honors" English classes and raise the expectations.

I very much agree with this

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 11th grader is in AP Seminar now (along with AP Lang) and will do AP Research and AP Lit next year. She has really enjoyed seminar; the teacher is very experienced with this class and it's been a good mix of research, writing, and presentation skills. It's probably the most in-depth research and writing that she's done since being in the Humanities magnet for middle school. She thinks the skills and practice she's getting through seminar and will get through research will serve her well in college.

Also, many of the kids in seminar are 10th graders; my daughter considered it last year but it didn't fit with her schedule. I think some schools are allowing Seminar in place of Honors English 10, and she would have done that if it was offered.

My daughter is taking Seminar in place of Honors English 10. She likes the class, but she likes writing research papers. She tells me that there are a lot of students in her class who struggled to get their papers finished.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD hated it. There was way too many process details and not enough actual learning. It's really a bad class.

Which class is this referring to?


Mine enjoyed AP Seminar - I thought the skills on how to vet internet sources was good. It was overall a really good experience and made child confident in presenting a complex topic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 11th grader is in AP Seminar now (along with AP Lang) and will do AP Research and AP Lit next year. She has really enjoyed seminar; the teacher is very experienced with this class and it's been a good mix of research, writing, and presentation skills. It's probably the most in-depth research and writing that she's done since being in the Humanities magnet for middle school. She thinks the skills and practice she's getting through seminar and will get through research will serve her well in college.

Also, many of the kids in seminar are 10th graders; my daughter considered it last year but it didn't fit with her schedule. I think some schools are allowing Seminar in place of Honors English 10, and she would have done that if it was offered.

It is great that MCPS is letting kids do this instead of Honors English 10, but a better option would be to actually cohort the "Honors" English classes and raise the expectations.

Does it really matter what th name of the class is?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD hated it. There was way too many process details and not enough actual learning. It's really a bad class.

Learning skills is still learning. I'm not sure how you decide what "learning" is.

Nothing in the PP referred to "learning skills".

[Anonymous]

DD hated it. Took it in 10th grade. It's really an 11th grade class for kids that like to have homework. 70% of the work is outside of class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD hated it. Took it in 10th grade. It's really an 11th grade class for kids that like to have homework. 70% of the work is outside of class.

I'm sold. Sounds like a legitimately challenging honors level class.

OK to not want that, but delivering on the advertising is good