I came across a wonderful article and video this past week that happens to piggy-back on my previous post quite well. Before you read on, please watch this op-ed video on the New York Times website...
Although I found the issues presented in the video to be quite engaging, one line stood out to me the most. One of the interviewees, when referring to advanced placement classes, characterized them as "preparation for the college application - not college itself." In other words, she argues that most students are taking advanced placement classes solely because they have been told that it looks good on a college application. Students are not taking AP courses to edify their knowledge base or because they have a great love for the content. They are simply trying to boost their GPA.
The other portion of the video that I found to be poignant was when the biology teacher was explaining how his course must cover such large amounts of information in a relatively short amount of time. On this account he is correct. Most AP courses are about breadth of information and have little time to go in depth with any particular topic. College courses, on the other hand, tend to be rather focused (with the exception of entry level, general courses) and do not cover nearly the amount of information that is required for a high school level AP course. In defense of the teachers, I must state that the breadth over depth approach is necessary since College Board (the creators of AP tests) tends to pull information from a wide range of topics under the umbrella subject area.
But, is this the best way to approach the education of our students? If students were willing to expand upon their studies on their own, then offering a large amount of information would work out well. During non-school hours students could easily engage in further exploration of those topics that sparked an interest. Unfortunately though, this is rarely the case. "School stuff" stays in the school realm and, for most students, there is no crossing over the "non-school" line during personal time.
I have seen (and experienced) the positive and negative effects of dedication and hard work during the high school years. But, I am not yet convinced that AP courses are the best that we have to offer for students that are willing to reach their highest potential.
18 comments:
The statement that the video made about "students taking AP classes to have a good application" is completely true. If students don't take APs they feel the pressure from their parents and from their friends, because they need to have a good application(and colleges only accept kids who take harder classes right?)---(sarcastic). APs can be beneficial and worthless. A large percentage of the student population doesn't see the power that you gain with education, they're not joining these higher level classes to become more enlightened or be tested. If you compare the different APs that students take, you can conclude that all students take phycology because its and easy AP, and they dont want to be challenged.
I definitely agree with the video. I tend to be incredibly stubborn and sometimes ignorant to the things going on around me. This year I began to realize that, hey, I'm not taking any AP courses,I have hardly any honors courses, what am I doing? But that doesn't mean I regret not taking them. As I said before, I'm stubborn. I probably wouldn't do the work because I honestly have no interest in the classes. I do plan to take AP English next yer because I have an honest interest in literature. I didn't like the focus of the course this year so I refused the many people who tried to push me into taking it. The only thing you get from a course you're not interested in, where you're pushed farther than you're comfortable with is wasted time. I don't know about the other students, but I value my time. You only have youth once. College is important but I'm not trying to get into the best. "Que sera sera," what will be, will be.
I believe this video shows good solid information about how students feel about AP courses. I agree, with the fact that students take these classes to look good on their college resume or application. I do not like that colleges are starting to evaluate your transcript based on how many AP classes you can take during your high school years. I feel that students should be evaluated based on how well they do throughout their high school subjects even if they do not have any AP courses. I believe it shows more effort having excellent grades on your honors and regular programs than having an average grade in an AP course.
I agree with some things in the video, like the fact that AP courses add a lot of unnecessary pressure on students and that students are forced to take them, because that is what colleges want. But, I disagree that that is the only reason for taking an AP course. I am only taking AP courses that I enjoy, and because I want to have a glimpse at what attempting to be a doctor is like, I am taking two AP sciences. I think that AP courses should remain in high schools because they can be enjoyable, especially if the topic is enjoyable.
I agree with many parts of this video, but not others. First, I agree that most student's reason for taking an AP class it to boost his gpa. Secondly, I agree that students feel pressured into taking them because they are constantly told that will get them into college. Third, I agree with the statement that said students took AP classes to have a good application, not to gain knowledge. On the other hand, I still believe it's necessary to keep AP classes because it gives people who are willing to challenge themselves an opportunity to do so.
I agree with the video. Ap courses are very rigourous and time consuming as well as stressful. They are basically speed classes with a wide range to cover. However they do pay off and are looked at very positivley by colleges, which is why i think that so many students take them more for the looks than the actual educational benefit. Personally thats why i take Ap courses because they look good on a college application and colleges like to see a student that challenged themselves, and didnt just take the easy(regular) way through school.
I think that to some degree the video was over exaggerating because I have friends that are taking three and even four AP classes and none of them are having medical problems. For people that are not intellectually capable I think that they should not be in AP classes because they are designed with a certain caliber student in mind, and those that cannot handle it should not participate. On the other hand I haven't killed my self with AP classes because I know my work ethic. Since around 6th grade all of my teachers have told me that I was bright (which I am still skeptical about) and that I have such a huge potential. I am taking one AP currently and it is indeed because this school has the mentality that you must take AP classes in order to get into a good school. I completely agree with the video in that students are taking AP classes not because they love the subject (although some may be) but in order to get the upper hand in this competitive college world.
When the biology teacher was talking about how he felt he was doing the kids an injustice I felt an overwhelming sense of our education system is doomed. When you have teachers saying that they feel that they are doing an injustice because the lack of material that they are able to teach and the speed they must go to teach it, then we have a fundamental problem and maybe the AP program should be removed from schools.
I agree with the video completely! I find it very sad that the competition is just looking good on the application and forgetting it all after that 1 test. This year and last year, I decided to take 1 A.P. course. I know I am very busy after school, so therefore, I always plan out my school schedule efficiently. I would never plan on taking more than 1 A.P. a year, because I know how demanding and how much effort there is to it. I always make sure to not overwhelm myself too much, because then it would effect all of my other classes and even my performance in my after school swim practices. Also, when picking an A.P. course, I make sure it is something that I am interested in. For example, this school year I am in A.P. U.S. HIstory. I have always loved and enjoyed learning about society and changes within it. To me, I look getting the A.P. credit as an extra because I find it more important that I am learning and retaining knowledge, rather than just feeding it back and gaining nothing for it. With my A.P. class, I know the information will be significant to me for the rest of my life.
I have to say that Advanced Placement courses are only taken by students because they wish to boost their GPA and get accepted into college. I am currently taking two AP courses, and I would not have taken them if they did not help my GPA. Yes, I do find some of those classes interesting and enjoy some of them, but the amount of stress that comes with these classes and the amount of work that they assign is sometimes to much to handle, especially when it is combined with homework from other classes. I could have taken more than two AP classes, and I have been persuaded by many teachers to do this, but besides the fact that I wouldn't be able to do the homework and fit in extracurricular activities in the time that I have, I don't have any interest in some of the classes that I could have taken. (No offense Mrs. Stoklosa, but I didn't take AP English because Language Arts isn't really my favorite subject; I'm more inclined towards engineering or science. I really like your class though. :) ) I just don't see what the point of taking an AP class is if, like the video mentioned, the student won't use the information gathered in that class after having taken the AP exam. It really becomes more a matter of who can memorize the lectures and notes better, rather than actually understanding and digesting the subject, which becomes a problem, because college, and especially life, requires a bit more than memorizing and regurgitating the lesson learned. This might be why foreign students fare so much better than American students; They actually understand what they are taught, while we only seek to memorize and later discard it.
I don't agree with what you said about the students, "during non-school hours students could easily engage in further exploration of those topics that sparked an interest. Unfortunately though, this is rarely the case." In my case, and many of my friends and people I know, we spend many hours of our free time "exploring" topics that spark our interests and that we're sure that will have influence in our future.
It is also true that, as they say in the video, students should take the AP courses because they are actually interested in it and they now they will enjoy it, not because it just "look good in the applications." In my own personal experience, I know I would never take a AP Biology, AP English, AP Anatomy, AP History, or AP Psychology classes because they have nothing in common with what I want to be in life, an Audio engineer.
I agree with concept of the video that taking AP classes does bring extra pressure to the students, but it the best way to test their potential. AP classes challenge students to work hard and brings out their true potential; for many students it is a big reality check. By taking AP classes they realize how college is going to be like and they might change their work and study habits. I think that AP classes are a great test of knowledge and a good predictor of the future.
I believe that AP courses are meant to be college like. If students can’t take it then they shouldn’t be in the class. But if they are dedicated enough then they will go on with the class and do it well. Even though it is true that students take AP classes to look good for colleges and bust their GPA up, students should still be at least somewhat interested in the class so it becomes easier. But if a student decides to take everything AP then it might come to the point that they fail all AP classes. Students have to be careful with the amount of classes AP they take. It can become harmful toward their grade as well and dangerous towards their health. Students should know going into an AP class that it’s not going to be easy, so it shouldn’t be a surprise if they are stressing over it so they shouldn’t take so many at one time. I also believe that students show take breaks between classes and study time so they won’t get so stressed and feel their brains all fried up. Also school stuff should stay in school, outside students also have a life and I think they should take a break after a long day of being school for about 8 hours. They need a break and to relax. But we get so much homework we end up doing it throughout the whole day and that is not healthy either. I feel this way because this is what I go through. Still yet I go to sleep around 12 or 1am doing home to get up again at 6 to redo it all over again. I don’t get a break and I don’t have AP classes at the moment. What about the weekends? Yes well I get homework and projects which won’t let me rest as much as I would like. All this and I’m still an average students not even first in my class, I can only imagine what those students go through every day.
Okay I really liked that video, it opened my eyes to the AP programs. I have not taken one yet and after seeing that I really do not want to take one. I have friends who are in them and they're always stressed out. I don't want to do that to myself, I just don't see the point. I like honors courses and I have taken a bunch of them because I enjoy them.
It would be wrong to take away AP classes because it would punish those who really want to expand their knowledge on specific topics; however, AP classes are mainly used to raise GPAs and to get kids into college. I have heard, numerous times, "What is the easiest AP class?" simply because students have been told that in order to get into a good college you must have AP classes other wise you will end up in a community college or a lower ranked school. It is sad to admit, but true that I am taking AP US History simply to get into a specific school. Last year one of my teachers told us that the University of Florida will not even consider you as a student unless you take and pass five AP classes during high school. They do not prepare you for college and they are not being used in the right ways like the video stated.
I agree that most students take AP courses because it looks good on their applications rather then taking it because they are very interested in the subject. Although AP courses are suppose to prepare you for collge courses, I don't feel like they sometimes go overboard. My mother has recently gone back to school and she has been telling me about her classes and assignments, and compared to the amount of work from what I've seen my friends have, there is a difference. My friends have told me that in some AP classes they are assigned to read a whole chapter, answer questions and then be prepared for a test the next day. Whereas my mom has told me that she would be assigned to read a chapter or two and answer some questions and have it be due in the next week or two; my brother and sister, who are both in college, have told me similar stories. There is also a difference in the amout of class time; in high school, classes are about an hour or two long, whereas college courses usually tend to range from two to four hours long. Of course not all college courses are the same, some will be a lot harder than others, but it seems that AP classes sometimes tend to be extremely hard. They are suppose to help us transition into college level courses, they should at least start off a little easier and get harder as the year goes on. As the teacher in the video said, AP classes should be taken by students who are really interested in the subject and who want to expand the knowledge on it, and for those who want to be prepared for college, special courses should be created.
I agree with everything in this video. I am taking an AP class now and truthfully its not because im so interested in AP psychology its because i wanted to boost my GPA and I heard it was the best one. We move at a fast pace and I barley have time to take in and allow myself time to enjoy the material being presented to me. there are negatives and positives about AP classes for sure. I think dropping the program overall would be the best solution. Its not worth the stress kids put themselves through.
The information presented in this video is completely true. In my case, I take AP classes because I have been told by many people especially counselors and teachers, that it looks better on your transcript. I try to take all honor classes too, but it’s getting to a point where I’m always stressed out and I find myself studying for tests even on weekends. Like the video stated, they don’t really learn the material they just memorize it for awhile to pass the AP exam but after that, all that knowledge disappears from your brain. I realize that some colleges observe a student’s extracurricular activities and also evaluate a student based on that. Colleges should evaluate us in a balanced manner between good grades and activities performed outside of school.
I believe that students really only are taking AP classes just to look good. It sounds ignorant and all but it is so true. The students see that it helps them in the long run, but all they want is a higher GPA and to show that they excell. Of course there are exceptions, people do take the class just for self fufillment. I know personally, that in my AP Psychology class I have taking so much out of it. I actually am absorbing the information, its not a task. I find the class and take the lessons as life lessons, and I don't pay attention to them solely to pass a test. So the fact that students take the course just so they look good is selfish but is most certainly true.
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