Once again this summer, I plan to offer two, online AP Chemistry Teacher Workshops. I’d love to have you join me.
Below you will find details of the workshops, but, if after reading this post (and some of the anticipated FAQ’s) you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thanks for taking the time to check this out, I hope to serve you this summer!
When? A one week workshop in early July 2015, and and another one week workshop in early August 2015. The dates are Sunday, July 5th – Saturday July 11th 2015, and Sunday, August 2nd – Saturday, August 8th 2015.
What? The content will be similar to that which I have delivered in my regular, in-person, 3 day, AP workshops over many years, but obviously without the hands-on lab component*, and with limited synchronous meetings. There will be a number of modules that you can work through at your own pace (see below) including a discussion of the 2015 AP exam questions, a deconstruction of the practice exams, discussion of common misconceptions, new & newly emphasized content (Mass Spec, PES, biological references, particulate diagrams) and other topics.
*labs and lab components will still be discussed, but obviously without doing them.
How? The course will be delivered via the Canvas LMS. Most of the modules involve some reading of documents and web based items, followed by reporting back via discussion groups. You will also be asked to contribute by creating material (questions/activities) that can be shared with the group.
Who? I will moderate and create all of the content, discussions and assignments that make up the course, BUT the success of the course certainly relies upon the input from the delegates.
How much? The cost of the course will be $250.00 which is non-refundable (see below for an exception if the course does not ‘make’). The cost of the course includes a $10 credit at the Amazon Kindle store for you to purchase my Crash Course AP Chemistry book that we will reference during the workshop.
How do I sign up? Contact me and I will respond on an individual basis by processing invoices, checks or school PO’s, or alternatively simply purchase immediately via PayPal.
A few points to note;
- Success in the online environment is somewhat dependent on the willingness of participants to contribute, so please bear that in mind before signing up. The course can only be as good as your involvement, so I am looking for willing souls and enthusiasm!
- Before a course can run, I need a certain minimum number of paid participants. This means that I must have your payment, in my possession, one week prior to a course starting. At that point I will assess if the course can run, I will then do one of two things;
either cancel the course (because too few people have signed up) and process a full refund of the cost (highly unlikely) or,
confirm that the course will run, and begin the process of giving out access details prior to the course starting.
FAQ’s;
Can I get a heads-up on the type of things that will be covered in the workshop?
Yes, here is a brief summary of the content from the online workshop in the summer of 2014.
MODULE 1 – Welcome & Introduction – Say ‘Hi!’. Where are you?
MODULE 2 – Course Planning & Delivery – What’s In? What’s Out? Misconceptions, order of topics, LO’s, SP’s, EK, BI, EU & SWOT
MODULE 3 – New Topics & New Emphasis in the New Curriculum – PES, Mass Spec, Particulates, Bio, explanations etc.
MODULE 4 – Lab Work – Overview, College Board lab manual, my inquiry labs in 2014-15
MODULE 5 – New Exam Questions – Practice exams, the 2014 & 2015 exam, 2015 reading
MODULE 6 – Share-a-thon – Your contributions
MODULE 7 – Review – My Review Timetable 2014 and 2015
The online course is not the same as the in-person workshops that I have run for many years, but it does have a few similar components. Here are a couple of summaries from the 2012 and 2011 in-person workshops, that should give you another window on some of the content that you can expect.
Will you accept a school/district check or PO? Yes, as long as I get payment in my hands one week prior to the course beginning. I can also issue invoices very easily.
I already have your AP Crash Course book so do not need to purchase it. Do I still get the $10 gift card? Yes, congratulations, you just made $10 on Amazon!
Do I have to use the Amazon Kindle gift card to buy the AP Crash Course book? I suppose not, but parts of the online course will refer to it so you will ‘need’ it.
Do I have to own a Kindle to access the AP Crash Course book? No. You can either purchase the book in hard copy prior to the course starting, or read the book electronically on a Mac or PC using Amazon’s free reading apps.
Are there assignments that I need to complete during the course? Tasks will certainly be asked of you but they are completed at your discretion. However, all of your fellow participants will be most grateful if you do complete the tasks, since they add to the value and the richness of the course. Without your willingness to contribute to discussions and post your thoughts, comments and ideas, the course could be very dry – please be enthusiastic and contribute! There will be a specific part of the course that asks you to post a ‘classroom ready’ activity.
Can I get ongoing, professional development credit (PLU’s) for the course? This is complicated, but the short answer is ‘yes’. However, there are MAJOR changes coming to the professional development system in Georgia, that will potentially change the answer to this question.
The training program entitled ‘AP Chemistry Workshop’ (this workshop), was approved for 2 PLUs on 06/03/2014 and was listed on the GADOE Professional Learning website. It remains accredited, however, the PLU system in Georgia is about to be completely dismantled and discontinued, in favor of a system where schools and districts become responsible for their own teacher training/professional development without the need for any state interference. This means that vendors of professional development in GA (me, via this course), can no longer get any kind of state accreditation going forward since no such thing will exist in the future! The new system will require teachers to ask their school/district/system, if they will grant professional development credit for this course. Since the state of GA used to give PLU’s/credit for this course, there is no reason to think that it should not attract such credit going forward – however, that is a question that must be resolved between the individual teacher and the individual school/district/system on a case by case basis.
What if I can’t make the synchronous meetings? I will attempt to offer more than one time for each, synchronous meeting, hopefully meaning that you will be able to make one of the slots. In the event that is impossible, you can always arrange a time to speak with me individually. None of the course is actually delivered during these meetings, so you will miss no content per se, rather you will simply be missing out on the live discussions.
Does the course come with access to all of your AP materials? No, but some materials will be used such as specific worksheets and excerpts from the notes. In addition I will be offering discounted rates on subscriptions for workshop participants.
Will I know who else is taking the course with me? Yes, I will provide all participants with the contact details of all the other participants, so we can improve collaboration and collegiality.
What special hardware and software do I need? A free Skype account, a computer with a webcam and internet access is about the size of it. I may ask participants to create a free Google+ account if Skype does not fulfill our needs (to be determined). Please feel free to contact me with other questions.
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