AP stuff... maybe I have it figured out? It's not a pretty thing.

I think I may have figured out at least part of the AP website conundrum. We'll see. The youtuber I found was somewhat helpful, but clearly, the website has been changed a little since the video was created. So, we'll see. I set up a 55 question practice "quiz" for the kids to do next week. 

One thing that is troubling me a lot is the way some teachers are using AP Classroom material as graded assignments. Not in my school, but the people yammering in the social media groups. We were expressly told, over and over and over again, that the AP material was never to be used for a test grade; the most we could do is use it for a "completed" assessment. Yet these yahoos are using the multiple choice questions, etc. for grades-- and are complaining that the kids are not doing that well, so O Woe, what to do about the grades in their high-stakes classes? Seriously. Do your damned job. If you are a teacher, please create material that reflects what you are teaching. But wait-- these people, for the most part, are just using what the College Board has put out there, day by day, week by week. Which is fine, to a point, but I'm confused now. Okay, not confused. I am using my syllabus that was accepted by the College Board, doing what I know is useful and successful after 38 years of doing this stuff. 

I'm probably never going to be a full adherent to the AP ethos. I see people's posts about what they are doing, and it 's all so mechanical, so rote-- maybe I'm missing something? Creating little test-takers, using rigid formulas for writing, etc. is one of the reasons kids hate school. Now, they hate it, but are driven to succeed in this bleak fairy-tale atmosphere-- honestly, to crack open the AP test and score highly is nice, but is it a good predictor of college success, as they claim? I'm not sure. Yes, the rigor of study is useful, and making deadlines, and so on, but encouraging deep scholarly discourse and a habit of inquiry is likely a better set of skills. 

I dunno. 

All I do know is that I'm trying to play the game, and I see so many people not doing the hard work. Nothing new there, but still-- it's eating up my brain space. I sure hope it is worth it for the kids. I am a huge proponent of the dual credit model, and have been for over 15 years. I only agreed to do the AP thing in order to please the folks in our educational system who think it matters. And one of them-- the biggest cheerleader for AP-- has left. 

Ah, if I'd only known that the pressure would be off. We'll see how it all turns out. 

In the meantime, enjoy your weekend. Holly's birthday party (part one) is today at IFB. G can't make it due to work, so I'll be sitting in the corner by myself while Tim's folks and Meg's friends with kids are grouped accordingly. Maybe it'll turn out better than that, but we'll see. I have anxiety about social gatherings anyhow, so it's probably just me projecting. We usually do this party on a Sunday, but not this time. I hope it all goes well. 

Ciao for now, and please, hug those you love a little tighter. 

C