AP English Literature and Composition Reviews for Class Taught by Debra Bell
AP English Literature and Composition Reviews for Class Taught by Debra Bell
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GREAT Class! posted by Jacob Pritt on May 26 2008 at 13:17:42
This class definitely prepared me for the AP exam. Mrs. Bell is a great teacher: although she requires a lot of work (usually 5-10 hours each week) the results are definitely worth it. My favorite assignment was writing my own short story, and the collaborative groups were also fun and helpful. Any students who are willing to work hard and learn will do well in this course.
Thorough course - Great preparation for the AP Lit Exam posted by Douglas Kanner on May 23 2008 at 21:37:57
I found Mrs. Bell's course to be very complete. Not only did it thoroughly prepare me for the AP Lit exam, it also covered English Literature in a way that went beyond simple test prep. I definitely expanded my analytical and comprehension skills, while also improving my essay writing.
I enjoyed the way the students had an opportunity to work together in collaborative groups. It gave Mrs. Bell's course an additional element that is so often lacking in online courses.
The workload for this course is moderate. Dedicated students will be able to handle the work without too much trouble. I'd definitely recommend the course - I suggest coming to it prepared to work hard. This is not an easy class, but it is a valuable step on the road to understanding Literature.
An AWESOME class! posted by Liz Weiser on May 15 2008 at 18:08:17
I am SO thankful to have been able to take this class! It was one of the most challenging and stretching classes I have ever taken, but also the most enjoyable and rewarding!
Did I feel prepared for the AP exam? - most definitely yes! We had been doing practice tests since almost the beginning, obviously more frequently as it got closer to May, so I felt very comfortable with the way the test worked. (I even felt more prepared when, the day of the test, I heard the other public school students around me saying, "Okay, so how does this part go? How many essays do we have to do?) And Mrs. Bell did an excellent job helping us establish and polish up our essay skills.
How many hours a week did I put in? - I'd say about 5-10 hours a week, although if I procrastinated on something, say, like a big theme paper, until the day before, I'd end up spending most of that day writing. But I'd say the average would be 1-2 hours a day. Definitely manageable.
Favorite assignments? - Definitely the reading. Also researching on Enotes and practicing thinking analytically by parsing different passages. And working and discussing with my classmates. That was lots of fun and very educational at the same time!
Did the course enhance my interest in literature? - Absolutely!!! I had always loved reading before I took this class, but now I can really appreciate the author's hard work and purpose in writing their works. This class also greatly enhanced my enjoyment and appreciation of poetry, which I had never really liked until this year.
Did I find my communications with the other students to be interesting or valuable? - Yes to both! The forum discussions and collaberations were some of my favorite assignments, and everyone always had really good comments and thought provoking questions! It was also very neat to get to know everyone and see their different personalities and talents.
What sort of student would do well in this course? - Anyone who is hard-working, self-motivated, and enjoys reading, even a little. Because if you like it a little starting out, you'll really love it by the end!
Would I recommend this course to other students if they are willing to work hard? - Yes, yes, and yes! Mrs. Bell is an excellent teacher; like others have said, she won't hold your hand and walk you through everything, but she is always ready and waiting to help you if you ask for it and give you constructive criticism and encouragement, with a dash of hunor thrown in at just the right time. This class is a very good preparation for college since it really makes you manage your time and test your abilities.
In my opinion, this class was definitely worth all the hard work it required. I didn't just come out knowing how to ace the test, I also have a greater appreciation of literature and writing which will benefit me for the rest of my life.
An Amazing Class! posted by Michelle Nance on May 14 2008 at 21:04:36
First, let me just say that this was the BEST class I have EVER taken!! I learned so much and had tons of fun at the same time. But now I will respond to the questions that Mrs. Bell has asked us to answer:
Did you feel the course prepared you for the AP exam?
Definitely! To tell the truth, I hardly did any outside studying for the AP Literature exam. Of course, I haven’t received my grade yet, but both the multiple choice section and the essay section went smoothly, and they seemed even easier than the practice exams I had taken in the class.
How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course?
About four to six, when our assignment did not include reading a long novel. But I don’t really think that reading counted, because the books we read were so enjoyable. If we had to read an extremely long book, and if I had procrastinated and not started it early enough, I would spend more time on AP Literature, maybe up to eight or nine hours a week. But normally, I spent about four or five hours a week.
Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable?
I think all of the assignments proved valuable, but my favorites include the collaborative discussions on the weekly multiple-choice questions, the two essays on theme, and the short story. Near the beginning of the year, Mrs. Bell divided those who wanted to collaborate on the multiple-choice questions (MCQ) into groups of three to five. My group really helped me reason through my answers to MCQ, and it also provided me an opportunity to interact with fellow students. I have always loved writing, so I enjoyed the essays. And the research I did on the novels for the essays helped me understand the books and remember them for the actual AP exam. And the short story.... At first, the idea that I would write a story scared me half to death, because I have never been a creative writer. But once I got started (which was way too late in the year—don’t procrastinate on your assignments like I did!), I had so much fun. It was exciting seeing my story take shape. Also, the help from the other students in the class was invaluable.
Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?
Yes! I have always loved reading, especially novels, but since I have taken this course, I now love to delve deeper into the books I read. It has become almost addictive now—I just love searching for the “deep meaning,” or the theme of the classics I read. This course will strengthen your love and appreciation for literature and will change how you read novels—in a good way.
Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable?
Yes! As I already mentioned before, the collaborative groups greatly helped me with the multiple-choice questions. Also, the discussions we had on the assigned novels and short stories enabled me to better grasp their themes and other important components.
What sort of student would do well in this course?
I think anyone who is hard-working and has at least a basic interest in reading should take this course. You don’t need to have taken a literature course before, but if you love reading and don’t mind writing, you should take this class!
Would you recommend this course to other students (if they are willing to work hard)?
Definitely!!!!! I am going to recommend this class to all highschoolers I know. But I cannot forget to warn you that this class is challenging. It demands a lot of work. However, if you already enjoy reading, it will help with the workload.
Overall, I had just a fantastic time taking this class, and I think all my fellow students enjoyed it a lot too. Even if you don’t plan on majoring in literature or English, this class will teach you how to truly value good literature and will give you skills you can apply almost everywhere. I am sure you will enjoy this class! Honestly, after my AP Literature exam ended, I felt sad that I would no longer get to study under Mrs. Bell. She is such a wonderful, encouraging, and creative teacher. I certainly hope you take this class!!!
This class gets a 5. posted by Matt Muller on May 14 2008 at 19:10:25
Ever since I was little, I've been an avid reader, so I was familiar with quite a few of the works we studied in class. Nevertheless, this course gave me a fresh appreciation for the nuances of English literature, as well as a set of analytical reading skills that are useful even beyond the scope of reading fiction.
Though my results for the AP exam won't be returned for another few months, I felt very familiar and at ease with the test itself, thanks to the number of practice tests we did in class, as well as guidance from Mrs. Bell. What I particularly enjoyed about the course was the fact that it prepared me thoroughly for the AP exam, without feeling like it was strictly teaching to the test. In other words, we didn't just focus on tips and tricks for getting a 5, we built a fresh understanding of literature, in all its varying forms.
One of my favorite assignments was writing a short story (about 1000 words), using all of the literary techniques we'd been taught during the course. Though the workload was tough, it wasn't unmanageable for anyone willing to put in a couple hours a week of study time, in addition to the time spent writing. I strongly don't recommend procrastinating on assignments, as you'll find yourself falling behind pretty quickly.
This course is definitely oriented towards those who have a strong and active interest in books and writing, as well as a sense of initiative. Mrs. Bell won't babysit you, but she is very accessible for help when needed. I highly recommend her as a teacher, and will be taking classes with her again in the fall.
posted by Emily Melton on May 14 2008 at 12:21:52
Mrs. Bell didn't lie when she said this course would be difficult! This was definitely the hardest class I have ever taken, but I think it might also be my favorite. I've always liked reading good books, but now I can appreciate them even more. Some things, like short stories and poetry, I hadn't studied very much before, but I learned a lot about them and now enjoy reading both.
Throughout the year I think my critical reading and writing skills have improved immensely, mostly because Mrs. Bell had us writing lots of essays. Mrs. Bell gave us many different handouts and adjusted assignments to incorporate things we were having trouble understanding. She was also always available to answer questions.
My favorite assignment we did this year was our final class project, writing a short story. It was a lot of fun because it was different than the analytical essays and papers we'd been writing all year, and it let us demonstrate everything we learned about literature so far. I also liked working on assignments with other students. Mrs. Bell let small groups of people discuss multiple choice questions and sometimes other things. We even wrote a poem together.
AP Lit was a lot of fun, but definitely a lot of hard work, too. After taking it, I love literature even more than I did before, I'm not afraid to write essays, and I felt well prepared for the AP test and also for college in the future. Actually, I liked Mrs. Bell's class so much, I decided to take another class with her next year!
An Extremely Helpful Course posted by Molly Dean on May 13 2008 at 22:11:09
At the end of this class, I felt completely prepared for the AP exam. Mrs. Bell had given us many practice exams and provided a comprehensive study of literature. All the works that we studied were very valuable. Through discussions, essays, and multiple choices passages, we thoroughly learned the material. Mrs. Bell was attentive to our needs and provided not only the usual explanatory handouts, but also found us additional ones for the areas in which we as a class specifically struggled. Through this course, my critical reading and writing skills have increase significantly, especially in the area of poetry. To be honest, I had little understanding of or appreciation for poetry before taking this course. Now I thoroughly enjoy reading and studying it. This course has helped me to be more grateful and respectful of all types of literature and has deepened my enjoyment of them.
I definitely recommend this course to future students. Those who are hard working, interested in literature, willing to accept and apply corrections, and eager to appreciate literature more will succeed and benefit from this class.
But... I can't think of a creative title! posted by Katrina Weston on July 30 2007 at 14:55:43
-Did you feel the course prepared you for the AP exam?- Definitely. On the free-response question of the test, I could have used at least 3 of the books we read. We also wrote weekly essays that were exactly like the ones on the exam, did multiple choice questions in a simliar layout, and took practice tests from previous years. When it came time to take the actual test, the format was old stuff, and we'd done so much practice that it wasn't all that new or intimidating. -How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course? - I didn't always need to put so many in, but about 10 hours a week did it for me (2 hours a day). When we had a big assignment or if I ran close to a deadline, I'd be up to 20 or more hours - but generally 10-15 should be good.
-Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable? - Although I dislike writing essays, the constant practice made it a lot easier on the real test. I also liked how we were supposed to discuss our books together. Hearing other people's insights really helped me get a good view on the books we were reading.
-Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?- I've always loved English and reading. What AP Lit did was expand my appreciation for literature itself. I came out of the class disliking a lot more fiction, but wanting to delve more into the classics because of what I learned about how to read literature. So, I would say yes. -Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable? - I guess I already answered that. I loved the class I was in. I used to be really big on foruming, so getting to know people across the Net was fun. But I definitely would not have done as well in the class without having the input and discussion of others. Mrs. Bell was great with communication, too - tough, but really helpful. :-D
-What sort of student would do well in this course?- If you've read this far and are still interested, I'd say that you have to be very committed. You can't slack at all. If you have a job, play two instruments, and are looking into AP Comp, Psych, and Bio as well, it may be hard for you to find the time. It's not a good idea for you to just read the assignments; you have to have the brain space to meditate on the books you read. If you are discouraged easily, I wouldn't say not to take the course. But Mrs. Bell isn't the type who will let you cry on her shoulder about low grades. When you start the course, your grades probably will be low. If you're the type you can accept that and keep going, working hard and plugging away knowing that you can improve, you'll do all right. If you are willing to do a virtual book boot camp, this class is for you.
-Would you recommend this course to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)? - Oh yes. Mrs. Bell may be tough and strict, but it's a class that you learn a lot in. Even if you don't get a 5 on the test, if you're willing to work hard and keep a mentality of wanting to learn, I think you'll appreciate being in this course.
My Review posted by Korynne Bolt on June 09 2007 at 17:34:54
First of all, this class is the best kind of preparation I can imagine for the AP English Literature and Composition exam. For homework, we worked almost entirely from the kind of multiple-choice questions that the exam would have, and we practiced countless actual previous essays used on the test. That said, my favorite assignment was probably the least directed one, creating a study guide for a particular author. In that case, we had the freedom to explore whatever facets of an author's work we wanted and really learn a lot about a particular area of literature.
Your experience of this class depends largely on what you are looking for. If you are not intending to take the AP exam, there are still valuable things you can learn, but it's probably not worth your time to do all the very specific practicing for the test. The way this test is designed makes it necessary to write essays in a very particular way, which is good discipline but may cramp your style. If you are in fact planning to take the exam, this course is invaluable in having you so prepared that organizing essays becomes second nature, eliminating all the stress of planning and agonizing on test day. Throughout the year, we all wrote dozens of essays and saw each other's responses and grades. Though at first understanding the criteria for writing essays was difficult, by the end of the year it came very naturally. Mrs. Bell is honest in her grading, sometimes brutally so, and I like to think of her as a loving drill sergeant. She knows what we need to do, and pushes us to achieve that level.
This class is not an immersion in every great work of literature ever written, nor do I believe it is intended to be. Rather, this class preps you for future reading by helping you hone the necessary skills for perceptive reading. If you're looking for more familiarity with major works, there is always the option to practice those skills by reading extra books that aren't in the course (I'm sure Mrs. Bell would be delighted). While I didn't read as many literary works as I'd expected, now I'm really excited for my future reading, because I feel I've learned (at least begun) to understand literature on my own. And for everyone, that is a valuable skill.
AP English Lit Review posted by Laura Koller on June 04 2007 at 20:00:52
The many practice exams that Mrs Bell gave us helped me immensely in preparing for the AP exam. And by the time I had completed multiple choice worksheets almost every week during the year, I felt prepared to take the test. When I sat down in the exam room and opened up the booklet, it was just like all the other practice exams and essays I had written, and it made me feel very comfortable taking the exam. I have always excelled at english, which I believe helped me with this course, but the course was harder than I thought it would be. I was very frustrated with the essay writing at times, but Mrs Bell guided me through that and was very encouraging, and on exam day I felt that I did very well with the essay section. I loved writing the long papers on books we had read, and the author project was a valuable research and writing experience. No lie- you've gotta work hard in this course and do everything that Mrs Bell assigns and says to do, but it is worthwhile college preparation and english experience for any highschooler.
Positives and Negatives posted by Lauren Sturdy on June 01 2007 at 12:24:30
I took Mrs. Bell’s AP English Literature course as the capstone of my high school English. The course had many facets, both positive and negative. These points are in terms of positives and negatives for me; for others the positives may be negatives and vice-versa.
Positive:
Negative:
The preparation for the exam was amazing, but I found many of the aspects of the course itself to be frusturating.
posted by Deb Gunsch on June 01 2007 at 10:08:25
We've been waiting to have kids old enough to take the AP classes from PA Homeschoolers after hearing how great they were years ago. Our son, Jesse, took two this year and he enjoyed both. However, Mrs. Bell's class was very different for him. Although he's been a great student, reading comprehension has been the bigger struggle than any other class and he knew it would be the same here after reading the course description. Jesse took a long-term view always wanting to see improvement from one assignment to the next. By the time he took the final practice exam, he felt very comfortable with his work and felt like he did very well on the AP test. AP History came much easier for him, but this ended up being his favorite class...probably because he had to work so hard to do well. He put in many hours. He would often be working late at night, or staying in bed reading in the morning while things were quiet in the house. The communication between the students and Mrs. Bell was really good, whether about class information or just learning about each other. We had many great conversations about the books he was reading and all he was learning, which made it good for all of us. I highly recommend this class. Jesse looked at me one day and said "You wrecked me for life. I can't read books the way I used to." I'll take that condemnation!
... NO TITLE FOR YOU!!!! posted by Jesse Gunsch on May 31 2007 at 21:30:31
This English class is probably the most difficult class I've taken. Ever. Mrs. Bell really pushed us all, and it took a lot of personal work and dedication to keep up with everything in the class. Between all the reading, the constant multiple choice quizzes, weekly essays, and occasional practice exams, I went in to the AP exam feeling completely prepared. It's possible to succeed in this class if you're willing to put the time and effort in... I usually put anywhere from 10 to 20 hours per week of work into this class, mostly through all the reading and essays we had to complete. The online environment is very well-suited for teaching this class, and being able to interact with others (as well as seeing their essays with Mrs. Bell's grades and comments) was a huge help in figuring out how to write properly. I've never enjoyed anything English-related, whether it's reading comprehension or writing essays... this class changed that, and finally made it interesting. I'm expecting I did well on the AP test, but even if I didn't, I know I learned more in this class than anywhere else. Mrs. Bell is an amazing teacher; not only is she very knowledgeable, but she's always willing to give additional suggestions or help when needed. I most highly recommend this class.
Kristynn Sullivan's Review May 17 2004 at 13:49:08
Alright, I think the best way to go about this is to answer each question posed individually...so here it goes! (I was a student in Mrs. Bell's class.)
Did you feel the course prepared you for the AP exam? Definately. I felt fairly confident going in to the test that no matter how I did, I really couldn't have done much more to prepare myself.
How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course? It really varied, but since we had to do a lot of reading, and write at least one essay a week, as well as research on our own, I'd say 6 to 7 hours a week. It varied though.
Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable? I actually began to like some of the essays (as crazy as that sounds!) I particularly liked and benefitted the most from the questions that had us compare and contrast two poems. Every practice test that I took, as well as the actual exam, had a question of this type, so it was good to have that practice.
Did the course enhance your interest in the subject? Yes, definately. I came into the class loving literature and writing, but this class just enhanced that love. I especially grew to appreciate poetry more.
Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable? Yep! The forum format was extremely helpful in that I actually could interact with my classmates. Since we had to critique each other's essays, this was valuable. Plus, I actually got to know them, which wouldn't have happened as much otherwise.
What sort of student would do well in this course? Would you recommend this course to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)? I would say as long as you're not a complete slacker, this class would be very good to take. Even if you are a slacker, it might help whip you into shape! I highly reccomend this course, I thuroughly enjoyed it, and Mrs. Bell is a great teacher. :)
Review by Laura Rebecca Cook (student) May 18 2004 at 17:16:20
~Did you feel that the course prepared you for the AP exam?~
I would say yes. With our assignments including essays to be written from former exam prompts, plenty of practice on multiple-choice questions of AP Lit standard, and two practice tests of actual exams from previous years, I felt that we were being sufficiently prepared to face the exam in May. Though some of us may have struggled with certain aspects of the exam (for me, it was the time limit for essays), Mrs. Bell worked with all of us so that we would not only understand what the AP readers were looking for, but more importantly, that we would understand the deeper aspects of the literature.
When it really came down to it, I realized that while I would strive for a five on the exam, it didn’t quite matter what score I ended up making, because all of the knowledge that I have gained through this class and Mrs. Bell’s teaching is truly invaluable.
~How many hours of work per week did you generally put into the course?~
During the first semester of the class, I probably spent somewhere around 16 hours per week, depending on the assignment (that includes reading). The spring semester was less demanding.
~Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable?~
Early on in the course, Mrs. Bell had us complete a study guide for Jane Eyre, with each person in the class contributing to one specific area (such as characterizations of secondary characters, point of view, motifs of dreams and the supernatural, et cetera). Besides causing me to really dig deep into the subject that I covered, the other students’ notes on the other topics opened my eyes to many details of the novel that I would have otherwise overlooked.
When it was all completed and put together, our class had created a fairly extensive study guide for the novel, and this assignment was really valuable in that it caused us to look at the deeper aspects of the story—such as themes, motifs, and symbols—and not just the plot.
~Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?~
To be perfectly honest, at first it detracted from my enjoyment of reading because I was so conscious of the analysis that I was required to do. I’ve learned so much in this class, though, that now it does really enhance my love of literature and writing. (The analysis is still there, but now it’s rather subconscious—and that’s a good thing.)
~Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable?~
Yes.
To me, the online class thing was new and a bit strange, and it is still weird that I never actually met my classmates. But as Kristynn said, the forums were a wonderful way for all of us to interact, and I did feel that I began to know my fellow students and their different personalities. The peer comments on essays and analytical discussions on the texts were very valuable, and we were able to learn from each other in that.
~What sort of student would do well in this course? Would you recommend this course to other students?~
Being a master procrastinator myself, this class was, as Kristynn said, an excellent way of whipping me into shape. :)
Seriously, though—this is a demanding class (in a good way), and you have to be prepared for that. Other than that, I would say that you need to be willing to read, write, and think a lot. If you are willing, and you like English even just a little bit—go for it. Mrs. Bell really is a great, caring teacher, and you will learn so much.
A review by Jesse Larson of a truly first-rate course May 24 2004 at 12:50:57
Mrs. Bell’s AP English Lit class was an intense and valuable class that strategically prepared us not only for the test but for long-term college level essay-writing and gave us skills for identifying specific literary tools that convey different and precise meaning. The class also familiarized me with many important mainstays of English literature.
In the class, we received detailed feedback from the teacher, and conducted some of the most valuable writing practice, re-writing after receiving feedback. In this way, the proactive and motivated students who had a genuine desire to do well and to take advantage of the instruction available were the ones who did well and those that have the most to gain from this class.
Like other online classes, the degree of participation was often greater than is usually found in the traditional classroom because our essays were posted on a board available for peer-reviews. This allowed us as students to get multiple perspectives and opinions of our work, and also allowed us to all profit from the effort of others and from the valuable teacher’s comments.
Finally, the class gave me a new appreciation for literature and poetry, and a fascination with the art of words.
Elizabeth's review of AP Lit July 28 2004 at 20:00:12
Class wise, this year was one of firsts. I had never taken an AP course before, nor had I taken an online class. Naturally it took me a little while to get used to the dynamics of my two AP courses. The course load, requirements, and styles of my classes were different, so I had to learn to adjust. This year was Mrs. Bell's first year teaching an AP course, so she too had to do some revising as she learned what works best in an online course. There were some snags here and there, but she gave us lots of ideas about studying and outside resources (websites, books) to prepare us for the test. I ended up receiving a "5" on the AP Lit test. Mrs. Bell has tweaked and streamlined the syllabus during the first year, and I'm confident that incoming students who are willing to work hard will receive a high score on the AP test and have a great experience in her class. The daily time that I spent working on AP Lit homework varied from week to week. In my other AP course, if I didn't spend a mandatory 2 hrs every day, I was pretty much sunk because there was more memorization involved. I would spend anywhere from 1-3 hrs on AP Lit every day. The norm was probably between 1 1/2-2 hrs. (Don't get scared kids, I didn't spend 3 hrs every day!!) As I mentioned before, Mrs. Bell made lots of outside resources (i.e. outside of assignments) available to us to help us prepare for the test. You must have intiative and take advantage of the learning opportunities laid before you if you want to do well in an AP course. AP Lit, and pretty much any other AP course you will take, requires a lot of reading and writing. If you despise one or the other (or both), then this course probably isn't for you. I feel more prepared for boatloads of college writing now that I have taken AP courses. My favorite part of the course was surely the poetry section. Perrine's Sound and Sense is an incredible text. It gave me a solid foundation in poetry. A lot of the instruction in poetry in Perrine's also helped me to analyze themes, devices, and purpose in prose. S & S was not only my favorite part of the course, it was also the most helpful. Make the most of it! Mrs. Bell is a very caring teacher who is interested in the success of her students. She also really knows what she is talking about! I highly recommend taking her course if you enjoy literature (and aren't scared of a little elbow grease).
Elizabeth
Elizabeth's review of AP Lit July 28 2004 at 20:02:28
Whoa, sorry about the lack of paragraphs in the above review. I forgot that this server demands that you hit return at least 2 times!!
Class wise, this year was one of firsts. I had never taken an AP course before, nor had I taken an online class. Naturally it took me a little while to get used to the dynamics of my two AP courses. The course load, requirements, and styles of my classes were different, so I had to learn to adjust. This year was Mrs. Bell's first year teaching an AP course, so she too had to do some revising as she learned what works best in an online course. There were some snags here and there, but she gave us lots of ideas about studying and outside resources (websites, books) to prepare us for the test. I ended up receiving a "5" on the AP Lit test.
Mrs. Bell has tweaked and streamlined the syllabus during the first year, and I'm confident that incoming students who are willing to work hard will receive a high score on the AP test and have a great experience in her class.
The daily time that I spent working on AP Lit homework varied from week to week. In my other AP course, if I didn't spend a mandatory 2 hrs every day, I was pretty much sunk because there was more memorization involved. I would spend anywhere from 1-3 hrs on AP Lit every day. The norm was probably between 1 1/2-2 hrs. (Don't get scared kids, I didn't spend 3 hrs every day!!) As I mentioned before, Mrs. Bell made lots of outside resources (i.e. outside of assignments) available to us to help us prepare for the test. You must have intiative and take advantage of the learning opportunities laid before you if you want to do well in an AP course.
AP Lit, and pretty much any other AP course you will take, requires a lot of reading and writing. If you despise one or the other (or both), then this course probably isn't for you. I feel more prepared for boatloads of college writing now that I have taken AP courses.
My favorite part of the course was surely the poetry section. Perrine's Sound and Sense is an incredible text. It gave me a solid foundation in poetry. A lot of the instruction in poetry in Perrine's also helped me to analyze themes, devices, and purpose in prose. S & S was not only my favorite part of the course, it was also the most helpful. Make the most of it!
Mrs. Bell is a very caring teacher who is interested in the success of her students. She also really knows what she is talking about! I highly recommend taking her course if you enjoy literature (and aren't scared of a little elbow grease).
Elizabeth
Bell's AP English excellent, challenging August 05 2004 at 14:30:16
My 11th grade son took Debra Bell's English AP during the 2003-04 year. It required him to work hard, and he rose to the challenge. He worked consistently without many parent prompts. I was an English major at the University of Virginia, and I was very impressed. My son learned things I never learned--and I took English AP in high school (I forget my score). I asked my son what his favorite home school class ever was. He said AP English, "Because I learned so much." He got a 5 on his AP test, which I found pretty amazing. My son is bright, and has read widely, but we have given him nothing resembling a typical high school English program.
Bell's AP English excellent, challenging August 05 2004 at 14:30:37
My 11th grade son took Debra Bell's English AP during the 2003-04 year. It required him to work hard, and he rose to the challenge. He worked consistently without many parent prompts. I was an English major at the University of Virginia, and I was very impressed. My son learned things I never learned--and I took English AP in high school (I forget my score). I asked my son what his favorite home school class ever was. He said AP English, "Because I learned so much." He got a 5 on his AP test, which I found pretty amazing. My son is bright, and has read widely, but we have given him nothing resembling a typical high school English program.
Jeremiah Blocki's Review May 15 2005 at 22:13:19
There were many literary geniuses in my class this year, unfortuanately none of them were named Jeremiah. I am writing this review for the students who are like me (not for literary geniuses) and are perhaps more inclined to other areas of schoolwork like mathematics, science etc...now you are wondering now: could I survive AP English Literature? Even if you are more mathematically inclined (like me) you should still consider this course.
Of all the courses that I took this year, this course probably required the most of my time. And I did take some tough courses this year: General Chemistry 1 and 2, Statistics, Calculus 3, Apologetics, Political Science and Micro/Macro Economics. But this is not to say that the work load was unmanageable, I spent perhaps 9-10 hourse a week reading the assigned material, doing practice multiple choice essays, writing practice essays and even reading extra material (yes, if you are like me you may NEED to read some extra material). If you are not self motivated or willing to put in the necessary effort then you should not take this course. However, if you are willing to work hard (maybe take an extra practice AP test, read extra commentary on the books etc...) you may yet find yourself well prepared actual AP Exam. I felt fairly confident that I got at least a 4 on the test and I have not given up hope on that ever elusive score of a 5. Do not give up on AP English Literature just becaue Literature is not your talent. You can survive AP English Literature though it will require hard work and maybe even a little extra effort.
My Review of APEL May 25 2005 at 10:47:59
I have a rather unique viewpoint on this class, because I dropped out halfway through to become Mrs. Bell's teaching assistant. :-) Accordingly, I have an ulterior motive for praising APEL to the skies and encouraging you unsuspecting students to sign up: more class members means more papers to grade and more money for me! lol...just kidding.
Ahem, more seriously now, here is why I have been recommending this literature course to everyone I meet. I have had Mrs. Bell as my English teacher for the past four years, and I can testify that she is bother passionate about her subject and willing to put forth all sorts of effort to make YOU passionate about it too! She is truly interested in all her students, and she wants them to increase more than their knowledge of literature -- she wants them to see how wonderful it can be and to have fun working with it! This year, our lively conversations in the online forums included discussions of Hamlet's fatal flaw, comparisons of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, and debates over whether LOTR qualifies as "a work of literary merit." (We never came to a satisfactory conclusion on that, so maybe the class of 2005-2006 can finish the argument once and for all!) Writing a good paper is hard work for anyone, but Mrs. Bell is always ready to give you comments, advice, and encouragement. Peer reviews of weekly timed essays are also helpful in pointing out flaws and strengths in your writing style, not to mention your analytical skills.
The ideal student for APEL (and for any online class) will be self-disciplined, punctual, and intrinsically motivated. But don't worry if you are lazy, late, and lethargic...unless you want to have bad grades, APEL will force you to develop the aforementioned positive qualities. And if you lack motivation and are constantly excusing yourself by saying "but I'm a procrastinator!" now is the time to start working on that. When August comes around, you will be glad that you have practiced getting things done on time.
I hope to make your virtual acquaintance in the fall!
--Rebekah Wilhelm
Michelle Gray May 27 2005 at 12:03:05
I felt that by taking this course I was extremely prepared for the test. During the course however I did not feel this way, but when it came time to sit down for the test, and actually start answering questions, or writing essays, all the work I had done throughout the year came flying out and was very helpful.
I would work about an average of three hours per week on assignments. It would vary however, some weeks I would spend 5 to 6 hours, some weeks I would spend 2. It all depended on the workload, or how much I studied for a certain section.
I found that all the MCQ we took were extremely important, and helped me to be familiar with the test. I also found that the Perrine’s reading helped me a lot because during the test I was able to remember something that the book had said about say, musical devices, and use that. My favorite assignments however were the character, theme, and point of view papers. I was more comfortable writing those papers then the essays we wrote every week because I had more free range, and I was able to talk about my interpretation of the book.
This course definitely enhanced my interest in the subject of English. Like I said before, during the course I struggled internally, but when I noticed my own enthusiasm after the test, I realized that English is a subject I definitely want to pursue with more vigor.
One reason that I loved this course was because of the students. They were so helpful, and inspirational. I wanted to strive to keep up with the level they were performing at. Their advice and help was really what kept me going. I was also kept going by Mrs. Bell, who would always help me when I was in need of assistance.
A student who has a strong background in literature, and comprehension of that Literature would do best in this course. But honestly, I think that any student that is willing to work as hard as they possibly can in order to succeed would do well in this course. I was not exactly the most prepared student for this course, but I stuck with it, and learned a lot, not just about English Literature, but about myself, and perseverance! It’s a great learning experience to take on a course of this magnitude.
BethanyY's Review of AP English Literature and Composition May 28 2005 at 12:30:46
-- Did you feel the course prepared you were for the actual exam? *I felt quite prepared for the exam. I felt that I could have had more direction regarding our four outside books, however, and that's the part of the exam I felt less prepared for.
--How many hours of work per day of per week did you generally put into the course? *It varied per week, contingent on what assignments were due. Reading the novels of course required much time, and sometimes I would spend perhaps 1 hour a week on rare occasions, and another time perhaps 10 hours a single week. It's probably better to exercise more regularity, however, by spending a consistent number of hours per week on the class...
--Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable? *The essay requirements were excellent (having to do one every week!). I LOVED the work we did with poetry, also...the MCQ poetry selections we worked on in group units was an excellent learning activity, because we had to collaborate and brainstorm together to find the right answers to really DIFFICULT poetry. The poetry explications and analyses we had to write were as helpful as they were purely enjoyable...seriously--a student who previously hasn't had much experience with poetry will benefit from such assignments as will a learned poetry aficionado.
-- Would you recommend other homeschoolers sign up for this course in the future (if they are ready to work hard!!)? *Absolutamente!
--What type of student do you think does best in an on-line course like this? *An independent, perseverant, indomitable-spirited students...preferably someone who has previous experience with English. Any advice for future students? Make sure you are ready for this class or you may find yourself struggling throughout the year. Take pre-AP classes or prepare yourself by reading, writing, etc. with pre-AP level material. Don't fall behind during the class...keep up by participating in the forums, keeping in close contact with Mrs.Bell, etc. Work with practice books (Barron's, Princeton's, 5 steps to a 5) EARLY ON in the year!!!
--Did the course enhance your interest in the subject? *Undoubtedly. It is now possible to find me reading poetry in my spare time, but more importantly, the course has definitely inspired me to continue improving my acquaintance with English in general--writing, reading, literature, even grammar and vocabulary! Higher-division courses are certainly on my list of college courses to take wherever I end up in a year!
Marshall Sharpe June 03 2005 at 15:14:42
I really feel that this course helped prepare me for the AP exam. It was a huge commitment, one that turned out to be much bigger then I had initially expected, but I felt that the payoff was tremendous. I learned SO much this year about analyzing literature, about digger deeper, to find the richer truth.
I think that one of the things that I enjoyed the most this year was how we would all read the same book at the same time, and then talk about it as we went along. I really enjoyed that, because we all got to share our ideas and learn from each other. There were some really incredible minds in my class and yet I really felt that everyone had something new to say, some different perception of one thing or another. And yet because there were so many of us, involved in this class, (21, I think) I felt that we were able to cover a very large spectrum of ideas/thoughts on every aspect, without it feeling too overwhelming.
In general I think that I put in about 6 hours of work, on an easy week, and 12 hours of work on a more difficult week and I always felt that I was behind schedule (which I often was). I guess that, in the beginning, I just didn't realize how difficult this class was going to be. I've taken some community college classes before, and they were all a breeze, and so I guess that my idea of a "college level course" was nullified by that. I can't remember exactly, but I believe that Mrs. Bell expected us to put in about 3 hours of course work per day. Although there were many days when I put in far more then 3 hours, I can't remember a time when I specifically put in 3 hours of work every single day. This of course, does not mean that the "3-hour expectation" was wrong; it simply means that I didn't work hard enough to keep up with the work.
I would have to say that this course really enhanced my interest in literature in general. Although I am not inspired to become an English major any time soon, I think that this class really opened up a whole new world for me. Before, I always read books begrudgingly. It was always difficult, and often boring, however, after taking this class I've learned how to appreciate the little things, and I'm much more interested in picking up a book, and seeing what that particular author has to say. I've also learned that a group discussion is MUCH MORE rewarding then simply reading a book by myself and then moving on to the next one. Whenever we discussed things as a group, I think that we all got so much more out of our reading, and that really made it fun.
I found that communication with other students was absolutely essential. There were so many times when I would be upset, confused or discouraged about this course, and yet, after I talked to one of the other students, I always felt SO much better. It just makes a world of difference. I would really encourage future classes to share their e- mail addresses, and screen names with each other.
I think that someone who is fairly independent, very focused and driven and has a will to learn would do very well in this course. I think that any student who has problems with procrastination (like me) will find this course to be very frustrating and discouraging at times. In any case, I would encourage all students to schedule out their time, plan ahead and be aggressive about getting assignments done early.
Another consideration to take into account is the whole "online community" aspect. Although I have really enjoyed this class, I do not think that I will take another online class in the near future. This is because, I think that I am a very personable type of person. I really like to see someone face to face and have a conversation with him or her. It's much more difficult for me to sit down to a computer and type on the keyboard through AIM or e-mail. For this reason, I found it difficult to really connect with some of the other students or even Mrs. Bell and I found that communication became much more difficult.
In summary, I would highly recommend this class to anyone who is interested in learning a TON about understanding and developing literature! I would suggest this class to any Jr./Sr. who is interesting in boosting their literature skills and I would remind them that they will have to work their butts off, but that the payoff will be tremendous if they stick with it. THANKS TO MRS. BELL AND MY LIT CLASS FOR AN AWESOME YEAR!