CLASSROOM WEBSITE: WEEKLY SCHEDULE BY TOPIC
Every Monday, you will login to the classroom website where you will see everything you need for the week including textbook readings, chapter summaries, video lectures, demonstrations, and your assignments (homework, tests, quizzes, and labs). Assignments are due the following Monday evening.
Since all class materials are available 24/7, you will be able to set your own study schedule during the week.
You can find the 36-week schedule by going to "Course Documents" (bottom of page).
Webassign
You will do most of your assignments using Cengage's WebAssign®, an online interactive homework and testing program. Used by over 2600 educational institutions, WebAssign® is considered to be the most robust and sophisticated instructional system in the world. WebAssign is a great learning tool. I have designed the interactive homework to lead you through the AP® chemistry topics. As you answer the WebAssign questions, you will get immediate feedback on whether or not your answer is correct. Many questions have hints and extra explanations to further ensure that you understand every topic before you go on to the next one. Each assignment has a direct link to the discussion board where students can get personalized help. My assignments are designed for you to mindfully practice what you are learning. There is no busy work in my class!
online discussion board
My course is asynchronous in that it does not have fixed class times. I've found that students like the flexibility that my course provides in that it does not interfere with their other classes and extracurricular activities.
You will be able to communicate with me, my TAs, and your fellow students using my online discussion board which is available 24/7. With its multi-media capabilities, my class forum acts as an instructional meeting place that goes beyond the simple text-message format. When students have questions, they are able to show their work, making it possible for me and the TAs to give in-depth answers through the use of diagrams, videos, and links to helpful resources. My TAs and I monitor the discussion board throughout each day making sure that students get prompt, personalized help.
TEACHING ASSISTANTS
My teaching assistants (TAs) play an integral role in the course. As former students who earned an A+ in the course and a "5" on the AP® exam, they have demonstrated mastery of the AP® Chemistry content. In addition to providing academic support, the TAs provide insights about the AP® Chemistry Exam that only a former student can provide. They are a caring, supportive and enthusiastic team committed to helping students do well in the course and on the AP® exam.
AP® CHEMISTRY PRACTICE EXAMS
The AP® Chemistry exam has very strict protocols and learning how to take the test is as important as knowing the material. I have carefully designed practice exams for every topic in AP® Chemistry.
My multiple-choice (MC) and free-response (FRQ) practice tests look just like the real AP® Chemistry exam, so you will have many opportunities to work on the questions and get used to their unique format. After every test, there is a follow-up to fill in any gaps in your knowledge and sharpen your test-taking skills.
In addition to the practice exams that I have written, you will have the opportunity to take full AP® Chemistry exams that have been released by the College Board for exclusive use by teachers whose courses have passed the College Board audit.
CHAPTER SUMMARIES
The textbook, Chemistry, by Raymond Chang & Kenneth Goldsby, is a College Board approved textbook. However, college textbooks do not match the AP® Chemistry curriculum.
Therefore, I have written detailed chapter summaries tailored to the AP® Chemistry curriculum that will allow you to correctly use the textbook. The chapter summaries will guide your reading in the textbook by focusing on the important AP® Chemistry topics while skipping sections that are not part of the AP® curriculum. Also, my summaries include topics that are on the AP® Exam, but not covered in college textbooks.
By the end of the year, you will have a binder that is a complete and perfect guide for your AP® Chemistry Exam review. Former students have used my chapter summaries to study for their MCATs!
Video lectures and demonstrations
You will watch video lectures and demonstrations that are short, highly focused, and well delivered to provide explanations with examples of important chemistry topics. Although I do some of my own video lectures, others are from top schools including this one by a professor at MIT on Lewis Dot Diagrams. Others are done by a great chemistry lecturer with a quirky sense of humor that keeps students engaged. I annotate each video to point out its relevance to AP® Chemistry.
WEBASSIGN ONLINE GRADEBOOK
Each student has an online grade book that is updated daily. Parents will be able to access the student's online grade book at any time, making it easy to follow student progress.
The grade book shows the grades broken down by category (homework, tests, quizzes, labs) as well as the final exam and overall course grade. I use grade weighting to determine the Semester 1, Semester 2, Final Exam, and Final Course grades.
Global Community
Wherever you are, we are. I have taught AP® Chemistry to students from nearly every state in the US as well as other countries including England, Canada, Italy, Germany, Brazil, the Bahamas, Malaysia, Ecuador, South Korea, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, China, Indonesia, Switzerland, India, Hong Kong, Egypt, Qatar, Colombia, Turkey, Bolivia, Philippines, Portugal, Kyrgyzstan, the UAE, Romania, Kuwait, the Republic of Georgia, Uruguay, Venezuela, South Africa, and the list keeps growing.