AP World History

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There’s an open note reading quiz on Unit 4 next Friday. I wonder why he’s now making it open note…could it be he realizes his non teaching method doesn’t work? Gasp.

DD and I talked about it this morning. I told her that it has been my experience that open note tests are a trap. They tend to be harder than closed note tests, and there is rarely any time to look up all the answers. She said that's the case for her as well, it's mostly about confirming the answers of a question or two she is unsure of at the end of the test, if there is enough time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s an open note reading quiz on Unit 4 next Friday. I wonder why he’s now making it open note…could it be he realizes his non teaching method doesn’t work? Gasp.

DD and I talked about it this morning. I told her that it has been my experience that open note tests are a trap. They tend to be harder than closed note tests, and there is rarely any time to look up all the answers. She said that's the case for her as well, it's mostly about confirming the answers of a question or two she is unsure of at the end of the test, if there is enough time.

I told my kid the same thing - go into it already knowing the material because there isn’t enough time to look it up!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s an open note reading quiz on Unit 4 next Friday. I wonder why he’s now making it open note…could it be he realizes his non teaching method doesn’t work? Gasp.

DD and I talked about it this morning. I told her that it has been my experience that open note tests are a trap. They tend to be harder than closed note tests, and there is rarely any time to look up all the answers. She said that's the case for her as well, it's mostly about confirming the answers of a question or two she is unsure of at the end of the test, if there is enough time.

I think it’s his way of throwing them a bone somewhat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s an open note reading quiz on Unit 4 next Friday. I wonder why he’s now making it open note…could it be he realizes his non teaching method doesn’t work? Gasp.

DD and I talked about it this morning. I told her that it has been my experience that open note tests are a trap. They tend to be harder than closed note tests, and there is rarely any time to look up all the answers. She said that's the case for her as well, it's mostly about confirming the answers of a question or two she is unsure of at the end of the test, if there is enough time.

Open note tests are given to encourage kids to take notes...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nope. There is no teaching in any of her AP classes this year.

How do you know this?

Are you in class with her?

One of them posts videos of their “lessons”. If you listened to them, you’d unlearn even the things you used to know. The second posts nothing, other than ‘Do this, do that, you have a test on date X’. There are no lessons, no study guides no material. The third does post their slides. [/b]There are generally about 5 slides per 30 page chapter, and it’s missing significant portions of what’s in the textbook, the material that they get tested on.

So, she’s watching YouTube videos, we’re buying resources, and she’s self teaching.

At my son’s back to school evening the APUSH teacher explained that students got their first tests back and he is aware that most students are used to getting above 100% on tests because they get extra credit and are shocked that they got below 70 percent on the first test.

He said students come up to him and say, “but I watched extra YouTube videos, I listened in class, I reviewed my notes, I made 100 flash cards and got a C or D. [b]And he tells them what he told them the first day- This is a college level class where you are required to read the textbook. There is no substitution for actually reading every single one of the assigned pages.”

So now I can see what he is talking about. There are only 5 slides because your kid is expected to independently read the 30 pages.

This is precisely what the kids have been doing. They are reading and taking notes. But because there is no one going over the material (the 5 slides is in a different class), discussing it, contextualizing it, etc. in class, retention is poor. At least for my kid, her studying involves reading and taking notes, listening to at least two separate YouTube teachers who teach the class (their emphasis is slightly different, so she gets more out of it than listening to one), then using supplemental material I bought to go over overarching themes, SAQs, MCQs, etc. It's like that for all 3 of her AP courses this year. She would do just as well if she never attended a single class; in fact, she'd probably do better since she'd have a few extra hours to go over the material.

She is doing fine in terms of grades so far. In one of her classes, her teacher asked her to come to him after class, and asked her what material she was using to study because she got the highest grade he has ever given out on that particular unit test. She is just incredibly stressed because teaching yourself a whole day's worth of material after coming home is incredibly time consuming and exhausting.

Mom - you need to back away…

NP. No she doesn’t.

Yes, when a mom is complaining about when her child will receive specific SAQs, she is spending WAY too much time in the weeds of the class. - AP teacher (not in FCPS)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nope. There is no teaching in any of her AP classes this year.

How do you know this?

Are you in class with her?

One of them posts videos of their “lessons”. If you listened to them, you’d unlearn even the things you used to know. The second posts nothing, other than ‘Do this, do that, you have a test on date X’. There are no lessons, no study guides no material. The third does post their slides. [/b]There are generally about 5 slides per 30 page chapter, and it’s missing significant portions of what’s in the textbook, the material that they get tested on.

So, she’s watching YouTube videos, we’re buying resources, and she’s self teaching.

At my son’s back to school evening the APUSH teacher explained that students got their first tests back and he is aware that most students are used to getting above 100% on tests because they get extra credit and are shocked that they got below 70 percent on the first test.

He said students come up to him and say, “but I watched extra YouTube videos, I listened in class, I reviewed my notes, I made 100 flash cards and got a C or D. [b]And he tells them what he told them the first day- This is a college level class where you are required to read the textbook. There is no substitution for actually reading every single one of the assigned pages.”

So now I can see what he is talking about. There are only 5 slides because your kid is expected to independently read the 30 pages.

This is precisely what the kids have been doing. They are reading and taking notes. But because there is no one going over the material (the 5 slides is in a different class), discussing it, contextualizing it, etc. in class, retention is poor. At least for my kid, her studying involves reading and taking notes, listening to at least two separate YouTube teachers who teach the class (their emphasis is slightly different, so she gets more out of it than listening to one), then using supplemental material I bought to go over overarching themes, SAQs, MCQs, etc. It's like that for all 3 of her AP courses this year. She would do just as well if she never attended a single class; in fact, she'd probably do better since she'd have a few extra hours to go over the material.

She is doing fine in terms of grades so far. In one of her classes, her teacher asked her to come to him after class, and asked her what material she was using to study because she got the highest grade he has ever given out on that particular unit test. She is just incredibly stressed because teaching yourself a whole day's worth of material after coming home is incredibly time consuming and exhausting.

Mom - you need to back away…

NP. No she doesn’t.

Yes, when a mom is complaining about when her child will receive specific SAQs, she is spending WAY too much time in the weeds of the class. - AP teacher (not in FCPS)

What are you talking about? This Mom here had to help direct her child to resources to help study for the test since the teacher doesn’t teach. She’s curious how her child did since she’s invested time and energy into getting resources to help her child. The child took a test almost 3 weeks ago and has received no feedback on an important part of a test which will affect the quarter grade and may possibly need a retake. Meanwhile it’s been so long the material isn’t fresh anymore.

How does it take 3 weeks to grade what essentially is a paragraph?

[Anonymous]

Heading into almost 4 weeks and the teacher still can’t get back a simple SAQ. How on Earth will he manage to get back the DBQ for any meaningful feedback once that is taken?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Generally ap world history is the first ap kids take. From a work and content perspective, it is probably the hardest it gets before calculus and physics. As a sophomore, you’re being asked to essentially learn from the dawn of time to the present day for the world.

A great ap world teacher doesn’t curve because they know what’s required for the course. Someone said their kid got a 5 and a B. That kid is gonna be golden in other APs, I guarantee it. Because that kid didn’t just learn history, they learned the commitment to time management, study skills, reviewing, asking questions, and all the things that you need to be successful. Ap world is a great litmus for can I do this.

This class was modified quite awhile ago and now begins in the 1300s. It used to be a lot more difficult.

It was the longer version as recently as 2018

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD tells me that he told them that he was planning to grade the SAQs on Monday but couldn’t because of the AWS outage. And that that should not affect the retake anyway because that was only MCQs. I hope that the kids that did the retake did well.

Yep. What a lousy excuse! He’s had two weeks and he’s just now getting started?!

Would you two please exchsnge numbers and start a text thread, instead of trash talking about a specific teacher?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD tells me that he told them that he was planning to grade the SAQs on Monday but couldn’t because of the AWS outage. And that that should not affect the retake anyway because that was only MCQs. I hope that the kids that did the retake did well.

Yep. What a lousy excuse! He’s had two weeks and he’s just now getting started?!

Would you two please exchsnge numbers and start a text thread, instead of trash talking about a specific teacher?

A better idea is you leave the thread since it doesn’t affect/pertain to you.

[Anonymous]

Shocker - the SAQs have not been graded yet and now the gradebook went down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Generally ap world history is the first ap kids take. From a work and content perspective, it is probably the hardest it gets before calculus and physics. As a sophomore, you’re being asked to essentially learn from the dawn of time to the present day for the world.

A great ap world teacher doesn’t curve because they know what’s required for the course. Someone said their kid got a 5 and a B. That kid is gonna be golden in other APs, I guarantee it. Because that kid didn’t just learn history, they learned the commitment to time management, study skills, reviewing, asking questions, and all the things that you need to be successful. Ap world is a great litmus for can I do this.

This class was modified quite awhile ago and now begins in the 1300s. It used to be a lot more difficult.

It was the longer version as recently as 2018

Which is seven years... quite awhile ago.

[Anonymous]

I wonder what any sane parent thinks they are getting out of this topic. The teacher knows it is here and knows they are being based on the site. The teacher has probably figured out who the kid and parent is based on the comments that are being made.

I doubt that this topic is helping in any way, if anything it is proof to the admin and other teachers that the parent is kind of crazy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Shocker - the SAQs have not been graded yet and now the gradebook went down.

And you started another topic to complain about the same issue. Impressive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wonder what any sane parent thinks they are getting out of this topic. The teacher knows it is here and knows they are being based on the site. The teacher has probably figured out who the kid and parent is based on the comments that are being made.

I doubt that this topic is helping in any way, if anything it is proof to the admin and other teachers that the parent is kind of crazy.

Highly doubtful. He was most likely spending the whole weekend knee deep in grading at this point. lol.

To the other parent from the class: did you hear about what happened today?