| AP ENGLISH
LITERATURE & COMPOSITION |
We have three sections, one taught by Debra Bell, one taught by Molly Richman Inspektor and one taught by Ruth Green. Space in all sections is limited.
Instructor: Debra Bell debrabell2000@yahoo.com
Communications: Course instruction occurs through e-mail, the website and my contribution to the forums. I also have some MP3 files of audio lectures; and I do phone tutorials upon request. I plan to add more interactive technology as I am able.
Technical needs: Broadband, high speed Internet and an e-mail account that accepts large files. Weekly assignments are downloaded as PDF files from the website.
Time Commitment: The qualified student will spend 5-10 hours per week on this class. This accounts for reading the assigned texts, answering multiple-choice questions, writing short essays and discussing class work and reading assignments with others in the forums.
Class Meeting Time: Students do not "meet" at a scheduled time, but all homework is due via e-mail by Thursday evenings, midnight EST. I update the website syllabus and send out weekly class updates via e-mail on Thursdays.
Qualifications: This is my sixth year teaching AP English. Currently, I am a doctoral candidate in Educational Psychology at Temple University; I also have a Masters in English. Writing instruction and home schooling are my research interests. I am permanently certified to teach in PA, with experience at both the high school and community college level. From 1988-2008, I taught literature and composition classes at several home school co-ops.
Cost: $525, plus required texts - which can be obtained used.
Class Description: The number one priority of this course is to prepare you to nail the AP English Literature exam in May. (More than 80% of prior students earn a 4 or 5 on the test). But transcending that noble goal, I aim to deepen and broaden your love for literature and the arts and improve your ability to write analytically and elegantly about it. You will do a lot of reading and a lot of writing. And you will receive a lot of feedback from your peers and from me.
Required Texts: I realize many students have probably studied some of these texts before, and I am frequently asked to consider different texts for that reason. However, that’s missing the point of studying literature. I’ve purposely chosen several books I hope many students have read previously. Great literature bears increase pleasure and understanding with every re-reading. And most students are yet inexperienced at reading critically, which only begins once we are beyond reading for plot alone. So, if you have read some of these books, all the more reason to consider the class:
Who should apply: Students should be in 11th or 12th grade and have some experience writing analytically (creative writing does not apply). The well-prepared applicant also has completed a noteworthy reading list of classics and modern titles of literary merit. Also, online learning requires a great degree of organizational and time management skills from the student. So, are you ready to improve in this area and/or take responsibility for initiating interaction with me if you are confused or discouraged? Then ask for an application and let’s get started.
Click here to read class reviews from previous participants in Debra Bell's class
Instructor: Molly Richman Inspektor (minspektor “at” pahomeschoolers “d0t” com) Tuition: $500 The Application: Click HERE to download the application as an MS Word document. If you are unable to open MS Word documents or if you have trouble with the application, please e-mail me. Required Texts:
Required Texts:
Registration deadline: Applications will be accepted through August, though the class may fill up sooner.
Tech needs: Full web and printer access (broadband Internet recommended but not required). Students will need to sign up for a free Gmail account so that they can upload documents to Google Docs.
Length of course: Tuesday, September 2, 2008 to Thursday, May 7, 2009 (the exam date!)
Hours of study each week: Approximately 10-12 hours. (We don't meet at set class times; rather, you will have assignments due by midnight Eastern Standard Time on most days of the school week.)
Who should apply: Students with a love for literature who would like to invest time and energy into pondering the deeper meaning and construction of the texts they read. Students should come in with the ability to write with relatively minimal grammar errors, but they do not need to have had extensive prior formal literature study or extensive experience writing formal essays. They should, however, come in with extensive experience as avid readers!
Course description: This highly interactive, college-level course is designed to prepare students for the AP English Literature and Composition exam in May. It will push students to read imaginative literature (novels, poetry, and plays) closely and deeply. We will explore the way that writers manipulate their readers, and seek to recognize the way that historical and social context impacts writing. We will actively engage with literature on every level and tease apart its complexity, considering (for example) diction, style, theme, imagery, symbolism, and tone.
I have selected books that I feel can be enjoyed even more upon rereading and that can be used fruitfully in open-response questions on the AP exam. These range from 16th century to 20th century works and involve some mature situations and themes, although I have tried to avoid books with strong sexual content or vulgarity. We will also study a range of poetry and short stories, using Perrine's Literature as well as online sources.
Students should anticipate reading 40-60 pages each week and writing one essay (or the equivalent) weekly. Students will also pose and respond to critical questions about the weekly readings on our online discussion board and will thoughtfully critique each other's writing. Finally, they will engage in targeted test preparation for the AP English Literature and Composition exam.
The writing assignments students will complete during this course will vary. They will include informal journal entries, discussion question responses, formal analytical essays, creative presentation of research related to a book we're reading, poetry, and perhaps even a fun round robin story or parody! I will also emphasize peer review and the writing process, as students bring their essays through multiple drafts and hone their ability to write organized, creative analysis. During the second half of the year, students will write 10-page papers in response to novels and literary criticism that they will read independently. Students will also have the option of sharing their creative writing for peer review under the “writer's corner” portion of the web site.
Ultimately, I hope students leave this course with a zest for uncovering the many layers of meaning in the fiction they read and an appreciation for the music and meaning of poetry. They will gain not only an arsenal of literary terms, but also a sense for the patterns that underly the books they read. Literature throughout the ages is an interwoven web, and I look forward to exploring this web with my students.
Instructor Qualifications: This is my second time teaching online AP English Literature. I graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh in 2004, majoring in English nonfiction writing and Psychology. I obtained a Masters of Education in Secondary English from Carlow University, studying homeschooling English programs for my master's thesis. I taught at a private school in Pittsburgh for the past two years and had a wonderful time teaching this online course (as well as online AP English Language) during the 2007-2008 school year. In addition, I've taught creative writing classes at the School of Advanced Jewish Studies in Pittsburgh and served as an SAT tutor for a major test preparation company. Now that I've moved to Israel, I hope to have the most amazing assignment response time ever: I can literally grade while you sleep, because I'm seven hours ahead of you. :) As a past participant in many online AP courses (including AP English Literature), I'm thrilled to have returned as a teacher!
Details: I am happy to respond to any and all questions about the class; my e-mail is minspektor “AT” pahomeschoolers “D0T” com. (Note: for certain addresses, my spam filter automatically diverts e-mails coming to this account. If you don't hear back from me within a few days, please try sending a message to mayarichman@yahoo.com.)
Click here to read letters from Mrs. Inspektor's students during the 2007-2008 school year.
Click here to download an application for Mrs. Inspektor's AP Language class.
Instructor Qualifications: I hold a B.A. in English Literature (High Honors) from Lehigh University, as well as completing graduate level Summer Institutes in Advanced Placement Literature teaching at both Goucher College, Maryland, and St. Johnsbury, Vermont. For the past twenty one years I have been a homeschooling mother to five sons, and have taught literature classes in my home through many of those years. For seven years I taught literature and history at The Master's Academy of Fine Arts, Quakertown, and currently serve as a substitute teacher in the English Department of Lehigh Valley Christian High School. This is my sixth year teaching on-line AP English Literature & Composition with PA Homeschoolers, and I love it!
Technical needs: full Internet access
Class fees: $500 (purchase of novel texts is at the discretion of the student; required purchase is limited to a released exam and practice workbook -- approximately $20)
Class Description: This highly-interactive, web-based class is designed for 11th and 12th graders who have demonstrated an interest and aptitude for literature study. My class prepares the student to appreciate and articulate the subtleties and complexities of language through close readings of poetry, drama, short stories, novels, and essays of the English canon. The class emphasizes the lively discussion of ideas, and the effective formulation of those ideas in written form. Students should be avid readers and competent writers--courageous enough to share their opinions and writings with classmates, and courteous enough to respond to others in a manner which fosters intellectual exploration and debate.
The first semester will highlight American literature; the second semester will survey British literature. Likely major works to be included are: Hamlet, The Chosen, Night, Frankenstein, The Great Gatsby, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Remains of the Day. Works with strong sexual content or vulgarity will be avoided, though parents should understand that the works included in this class were written for an adult audience, and the class replaces a college freshman seminar. Students should have the emotional maturity to consider mature themes. Students will also complete independent novel and poetry projects.
My goal in the class is to help students develop independence of judgment, a capacity for critical reading, and a strong, clear voice as writers. Above all, I want to instill in them a lifelong love of reading, the kind of reading that fully engages both the intellect and the imagination.
Although the focus of this class is the study of literature, we will also be doing exercises specifically intended to prepare the student for the challenging AP exam. We will use released exams for practice in both multiple choice and essay writing. Students can expect to gain a vocabulary of literary terms as well as a familiarity with test-taking skills and strategies.
The class is conducted on a password-protected web site. Assignments are given out on a weekly basis. Students do not need to be available at any particular time, and can arrange their work around other responsibilities. This class is moderately to highly interactive. More importantly, students and their parents should understand that the reading and writing commitment is significant. A student who can not easily read eighty pages a week will struggle to keep up with the assignments. Plan to allow 1 1/2 - 2 hours per day for this subject.
Details: I am happy to answer questions directed to mrsgreen@cdgreen.org. Students interested in the class should request a registration application, which will include a request for the student's high school reading list, previous literature or language study, and a sample essay.
Click here to download an application for Ruth Green's class
Click here to read class reviews from former
participants in Ruth Green's class
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