Connelly English Teacher Dorothy Morris traveled to England this past summer to attend an AP Summer Institute at Oxford University. The following is her reflection on her experience and how Connelly students will benefit.
By Dorothy Morris
My AP Summer Institute at Oxford University was both inspiring and practical. I have already been able to put what I learned there into practice. My main goal this year is working with all of my students to give textual support for their assertions, not just in writing but also in class discussions. By emphasizing this critical thinking skill, my students will become used to the idea that back-up is essential to justify every opinion, which will enable them to read texts more closely. I will also be working quite a bit this year with my students’ writing styles. Based on what I learned over the summer, I’ll be focusing on clear, concise, purposeful writing and effective quote integration. I am looking forward to the results these emphases will produce.
Science Chair, Helen Wagner, attended Chem Ed 2015, at Kennesaw University, Georgia this past summer. Chem Ed 2015, brought together high school and college chemistry teachers from schools all over the US as well as other countries, especially Canada. Teachers collaborated on the best new teaching strategies and methods for chemistry. Innovative demonstrations, activities, labs, and exercises were shared. Very practical and tested techniques that could easily be duplicated in another classroom were discussed. In my chemistry classes at Connelly, students have already made “density bottles,” an activity that was presented at the conference. I look forward to further enriching my chemistry classes this year with even more exciting activities.