Advanced Placement Biology Summer Institute For High School Teachers
July 14-20, 2013
Ferris State University
Big Rapids, MI 49307
Endorsed by the College Board
COST: $1,125
Includes instruction, university housing, meals, textbooks and supplies
Graduate Credit (3) available for additional fee ($225)
About the Institute: The 2013 AP Biology Summer Institute will follow the new revised AP Biology course description and upon completion, participants will be thoroughly acquainted with the structure of the new AP Biology Curriculum and Exam. Most importantly, participants will have developed (through hands on experiences) the skills, knowledge and confidence needed to conduct and assess all thirteen of the new, student centered, inquiry based AP Biology labs.Participants will receive assistance in developing a syllabus that will pass the new course audit. Participants will receive lab manuals, College Board manuals, textbooks, and resource catalogs along with intensive hands-on instruction in conducting the new AP Biology inquiry based labs. The daily schedule consists of pre-lab discussions, followed by the lab itself. Additionally, there will be a special emphasis on methods teachers can use to develop the analytical and writing skills their students will need to be successful with free response questions based on the content of each lab. Students should also expect evening lab sessions as part of each day’s schedule.
Schedule: The Biology institute will begin on Sunday evening (July 14) at 6:30 pm. The institute will conclude on Saturday (July 20) at noon. A specific agenda will be provided to you at that time for the entire week. Beginning Monday, lab sessions will run all day (8:30 an -5 p.m.) and evening (7-9 p.m.). All participants will be provided with lab manuals, AP College Board manuals and textbooks.
Instructors: John Gehring has 30 years experience in AP Biology and AP Biology Summer Institutes. He has been both a Reader and Table Leader at the AP Biology Reading for the past 25 years and in 1999 was honored with the Siemans Award For Advanced Placement. He will be assisted by Robert Hamilton who has 25 years experience teaching AP Biology and 20 years as an AP Biology Summer Institute instructor. Rob has been a Reader of the AP Biology exam for 15 years.
Graduate Credit: If you are applying for the 3 graduate credits, you must complete an application form and return it before July 1, 2013 to receive graduate credit. The application can be faxed to 231-591-3539 or mailed. You will receive the application form when you register.
Comments from a former APSI Participants:
I wanted to give you a big thank you for the lessons learned last summer at the AP Institute (you are probably starting up another one today if I remember correctly!) I just received the AP scores for my class and was blown away. At our school, there were typically classes of 10 or so every other year under the teacher who taught the class before me. This year I started with 14, 9 of whom completed all 3 trimesters and took the exam. Not only did all the kids I had take the exam pass, but they all had a 4 or better! We had five 5's and four 4's with a class average of 4.556. Not only that, but the class is going to be offered next year without skipping a year & enrollment has doubled! Thanks for all the wisdom and skills - not to mention confidence - that you gave me last summer. If we can do this well with me making mistakes all the way through the year & barely getting through my 1st year teaching the course, I am really excited about what I can do next year and afterwards! Kim Haveman, Kudlack Ionia High School, Ionia MI.
When I first taught AP Biology I was most apprehensive about setting up and conducting the complicated AP labs. After this workshop, my apprehension was greatly reduced, because the simple truth is that John and Rob will get you ready for the AP labs. You and the other Bio teachers will spend many hours at the lab tables working as the students while completing all of the AP labs. You will find out very quickly what students need to do in order to be successful at these labs, and you will be in a much better position to guide them. The instructors also give insightful information concerning the acquisition of materials, and the steps needed to set up and guide the labs, and how to avoid many potential problems. Additionally, John introduces several topics to the attendees just as he has done for his AP students for many years. His approach avoids the “talking book”, lecture format that so many upper level classes seem to take, and instead he requires students to think and to participate in the learning process. Each time John led the class through a Biology topic, I found myself re-evaluating my methods, and I felt inspired to do a better job. Steve Long, Northrop High School, Fort Wayne IN.
This is my final year of teaching and, after attending the AP Bio Institute at FSU, I'm ready and energized for the challenge of incorporating the new AP Biology Curriculum Framework into my class.I went to an Institute taught by John and Rob the summer before my first year teaching AP Biology in 1999, and I knew that they would provide me with the most comprehensive preparation for teaching my last year of AP Bio with the revised curricula and labs. I have attended many other Midwest institutes and workshops for AP Biology over the past 11 years, none have been as productive as John and Rob's. I joked that the original version of the course should have been called AP Bio Boot camp due to the structure of the week and the amount of material we covered. This current course was no different, and I mean that in a most positive way. Their organization and preparation is, hands down, the best I have experienced for AP Biology professional development. Sign up early! I've already recommended it to my replacement. Sue Gorr, Wheeling High School, Wheeling IL.
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(Please note when you get to this website, you need to click on new or sign-up to get a password so you can register)
For additional information contact Alicia Freye, Ferris State University Conference Services, at 231-591-5820 or email AliciaFreye@ferris.edu
Register early! A letter of confirmation, additional information and map will be sent upon receipt of registration.
Ferris State University reserves the right to cancel the institute due to insufficient enrollment.
