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To: PHYS-L@LISTS.NAU.EDU
Subject: Re: AP Exams (Already?????)
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I agree with Dan Burns. With AP and IB, there's a test that we teach to,
but there's no one telling us what labs to do or how to structure the
material. I'm not persuaded that college professors know any more about
teaching introductory physics than high school teachers, and don't see any
reason to follow someone else's way of doing things just because they're at
a college and I'm at a high school.

The real problem with the tests isn't that they force us to teach certain
stuff. The real problem is that we rarely have enough teaching time in a
high school course to deal properly with the material and still enjoy all
the fun sidelights that provide so much of the joy of science. Most of
these courses are taught in one year when they should be two-year courses.

Digby Willard
IB/AP Physics teacher
Central High School
St. Paul, MN 55104


Responding to the message of Thu, 29 Apr 1999 11:38:22 +0000
from Dan Burns <kilroi@LGHS.NET>:

I would rather have them take the AP exam (Mechanics C) than match my
curriculum and tests to that of a local college. I would feel much more
constrained than I do now.

Dan Burns
Los Gatos High School

Peter Schoch wrote:

I have a better way to alleviate the anxiety -- DON'T SEND YOUR
STUDENTS
TO TAKE THE DAMN EXAM!

We have created an link between our high schools and our (TYC) physics
program that allows the students to credit bank. We match the content
in both classes so that the HS students cover exactly the same material
and labs as our appropriate physics class. Then they take our tests,
on
our time line, and they get credit for both a HS class and a College
class.

NO stupid damn standardized tests to take.
The instructors get to teach Physics, and not teach the test and test
taking skills.
We have NEVER had trouble transfering the credits anywhere.

WHY do we let the standardized test people rule our lives when there is
a better way?!

Peter Schoch

"Raymond A. Rogoway" wrote:

As the time for the AP Physics exams approach you all are probably
rushing the finish the material, holding extra sessions on problem
solving, passing out Prozac to your more excitable students and
caffeine
to your slugs. ITS TIME TO STOP TAKING THINGS SO SERIOUSLY.

What I do on the day before the AP exam is this. The night before the
day before I purchase a couple of boxes of #2 pencils, preferably
Dixon-Ticonderogas. The day before the exam, in my AP class, I get
the
attention of the class (for the first time in two semesters). I place
all the pencils in a box on the demo table. I then place a picture of
Albert (Einstein of course) in the box. I say a few magic words over
the
box (Lord's Prayer, Shema, dirty limericks, etc.). I then tell the
students that the spirit and intellect of Einstein is now in the
pencils
and that they are to use only these pencils in taking the exam. I
then
pass out two pencils to every student taking the exam.

It's hokey but it take a bit of the anxiety away.

--
The woods are lovely, dark, and deep
And I have no more papers in a heap
And in the morning I can sleep
And stroll in those woods so dark and deep.
r. frosted