Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Back to School Shopping for AP Psych

Greetings, AP Psych Students and Parents!


I hope this message finds you enjoying a pleasant Wisconsin summer. However, according to virtually every retail establishment I’ve visited during the past two weeks, it’s time for back-to-school shopping. Whether that thought excites you or makes you cringe, I figured I’d give you the heads up about what you’ll need for AP Psych. That way, we can streamline your shopping trip (whenever it happens).

Required:

  • Be sure to pick up a 3-ring binder for use throughout the year in AP Psych. You’ll need this to keep your notes and handouts organized by topic area. Look for one 1.5 to 2.5 inches in width (3 in is usually too unwieldy to carry in a backpack daily). Note: I do have some free binders generously donated by the parent of a former student (her workplace was discarding them). I’ll have them available at textbook pick-up on a first-come, first-served basis. If you want to save some cash, you are welcome to take one at no cost!
  • You’ll also want paper for note-taking (loose-leaf or notebook, your choice). Student preference is the key here: some folks like to use loose-leaf paper so they can insert notes into the binder by topic area, others like keeping their notes all in one notebook (post-it tabs to mark chapters/units can be helpful if going that route). If you like notebooks, be aware that many students fill up their notebooks by spring in AP Psych, so having more than one on hand will help. Also, some students prefer to keep their book notes and class notes separate (not a bad idea), so you’ll want to think about your “system” when shopping.
  • Pens and pencils are going to be necessary. Perhaps this is obvious, but I thought I’d be thorough.


Optional:
Some students like to purchase these items to assist with their studying and test preparation throughout the year (and prior to the AP Psych Exam). However, they are not required. (Tip: Parents sometimes purchase these as very practical gifts at birthdays and holidays, so you may want to hang on to this for future reference).


    Additional test-prep book(s). There are a lot of these on the market (and you can find them online or at large book stores in the test-prep section), and are not many differences from one brand to another. Cost is usually $17-20. Some students like using them (especially the practice tests usually found in them) as the AP Exam approaches in the spring, but this is completely a matter of personal preference. If purchasing one of these, be sure to look for the 2014-2015 version or later, since our curriculum changes slightly this year (and previous versions will not be up to date). I’ve got examples of these for viewing (or classroom use), so feel free to take a look at them when you come in for textbook pick-up if you want to see what they are like.
  • Strive for a 5 Study Guide (cost $30; accompanies the textbook). This workbook helps students process what they read in the text and practice skills in preparation for unit tests and the AP Psych Exam. The district provides each student with a copy; HOWEVER (and this is a big drawback, I think), because the district’s copies will be reused from year-to-year, students cannot write in them. That is a bummer, because they are set up like workbooks and would be much easier to use if students could write in them. If you are interested in purchasing your own copy, which you could write in as much as you like, you've got some options. I have a limited number of these (from a publisher order) that I can sell directly when students pick up their book (first-come, first-served until they are gone). Or, you can easily order one from an online retailer like Amazon or a similar websites. Just be sure you're looking for the 2nd edition (that's our textbook), as a 3rd edition was recently published.
  • Flash card sets. Like the test-prep books, it’s easy to find these online or at large book stores, and some students appreciate not having to print/make 1000+ flashcards on their own. (Note, however, that online flashcards are linked up to the class website for free;  this would be for folks who like having physical versions on hand for study.) However, if you wait until March or April to buy them, you may have trouble, since they tend to be in high demand as the AP Exam approaches (when, suddenly, 260,000 AP Psych students decide to simultaneously purchase them). Like the test-prep books, I’ve got sample sets for classroom use, so you can peruse them before deciding if it’s worth buying your own.
If you have any questions, feel free to shoot me an email (wellevk@chipfalls.org) or ask when you come in to pick-up your textbook in August. Enjoy the rest of your summer, and happy shopping!

Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Congrats and Thanks

[I sent out this message via Infinite Campus to 2017-18 AP Psych students today, but am posting it here for the benefit of those who no longer have access to their school email/IC accounts.]

Greetings, 2017-18 AP Psych Students and Parents!

It is a bittersweet exercise to send out the last message to this mailing list. While I am happy to report some fantastic news about outcomes from our 2017-18 crop of AP Psych students, this may be the last time many of you receive any communication from me, and that comes with a pang of nostalgia (for me, anyway).

So, first, the good news. Well, GREAT news. AP Score reports for students became available (at apscore.org) last week, so I hope you all have had an opportunity to check your results. I've waited until today to send out this message because I didn't want to spoil the joy you may feel when checking your own score, because as a group we've got a LOT to be joyful about.

As I look at my Instructional Planning Report today, here the big victories that spring to mind:
  1. 91 Chi-Hi students took the AP Psych exam this year and all 91 of them passedTo my knowledge, that's the first time we've achieved this impressive feat. While we've had higher exam volume in previous years (and thus, higher total numbers of passing students), a 100% pass rate is pretty remarkable, given that the nation-wide pass rate this year was about 65%.
  2. 2017-18 AP Psych students did far more than "just" pass this test. Scores of 3 or higher on AP exams are always to be celebrated, since they indicate mastery of course material on par with college-level performance. Yet, the bulk of our scores fell in the 4 and 5 range, indicating our students knew the material well. As a group, our average score on the AP Psych exam was 4.473, an impressive achievement.

The graph in the image linked below illustrates what I mean. In it, the green bars represent score percentages for all AP Psych students globally, while the blue bars represent Chi-Hi AP Psych students. 

So, as you celebrate your impressive achievements, remember what your score reflects. It reflects a LOT of hard work over the past year: doing reading modules and quizzes when you were tired and could have chosen otherwise, going to countless study sessions and practice exams (sometimes during snow storms), developing your study skills, and not giving up even when things weren't easy. And, you did this DESPITE a lot of obstacles, including substantially reduced instructional time and multiple snow days. Some of you were reluctant to even sign up for this exam because you worried that you might not pass, but I hope you now appreciate that it was worth the shot! In addition to some college credit, you've earned a heck of a lot of knowledge about psychology that I hope you'll put to good use in your future academics, your career, and your relationships.

So, with that accomplishment in mind, it's time for me to turn my attention to preparing for the arrival of a new crop of AP Psych students. I'll be at school for the next couple of weeks developing next year's pacing guide and planning out a curriculum that (hopefully) will bring success for 2018-19 students. This means, later today, I'll be purging my Remind list from last year. If you wish to contact me from this point forward, email will be your best choice (wellevk@chipfalls.org).

Congratulations on your accomplishments, and best wishes as you continue your journey.

Sincerely, 

Mrs. Welle

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Summer Textbook Pick-Up for AP Psych

Greetings, 2018-19 AP Psych Students!

I know you are probably in the midst of enjoying a beautiful summer, and the fall may be (understandably) far from your mind, but the beginning of AP Psychology will be here before we know it!

AP Psychology students do not have a “summer assignment” like some other AP courses, but we do have early textbook pick-up in August. At that time, you’ll get your AP Psych textbook, course materials, and directions for your first reading assignment. You also get to meet me in person, and start talking about the great adventure that is AP Psych!

This year, I was able to schedule textbook pick-up dates and times concurrently with registration week at the high school. I’m hoping this will be convenient for students and their families, since you’ll probably be making a trip to the high school that week anyway. I’ll be meeting students and handing out textbooks in rm 136 (my classroom) during the following times:

Monday, August 20th; 9 AM - 5 PM
Tuesday, August 21st; 5 PM - 7 PM*
Wednesday, August 22nd; 9 AM - 5 PM
Thursday, August 23rd; 9 AM - 5 PM
Friday, August 24th; 9 AM - Noon

*Please note the limited hours on Tuesday (8/21). I will be attending the Chippewa Valley Youth Mental Health Summit that day, so I'm only available in the evening.

If, for whatever reason, you will not be available to come in during those times, please feel free to contact me via email to arrange some other time to meet.

Have a great summer, and see you soon!

Sincerely,
Mrs. Welle