(2-16-2001)
The TRC is deliberately designed to be flexible. It does not place many restrictions on the content or format of information contained within the several fields that each catalog entry contains. Nevertheless, to maintain overall consistency and enhance the usability of the application, it is important that the creators of catalog entries adhere to agreed upon editorial conventions. The editorial guidelines outlined below are established by subject area editors with a view to striking a balance between the need for overall consistency and the specialized requirements of individual disciplines.
Audience: We are creating this Catalog specifically for AP classroom teachers. Typically, these teachers are passionate about their subject and enthusiastic about teaching an AP course. Some have been teaching AP for many years, others are teaching their first course. Some are very knowledgeable about the content, others less so. Some are very comfortable using technology, others are just getting started. They teach in settings ranging from small independent schools to large inner-city classrooms. Their students may have studied advanced topics or may be starting advanced study for the first time. The Catalog plays an important role in keeping all teachers up to date with changes in AP Calculus and the wealth of resources available.
Length and substance: A standard summary/review will be between 200-500 words. In general, the review should evaluate the resource’s usefulness to AP teachers. The review should evaluate the resource’s purpose and, if appropriate, its place in the course. If needed, include enough general background to orient readers who may be unfamiliar with the content or method.
Format: When AP teachers use the Resource Search, they obtain a list of titles and the first 75 words of the resource summary/review. For that reason, the first 75 words need to capture interest and convey content. You might want to use those first sentences to explain why and how these materials would be of interest to AP teachers. They may include a brief summary of the important points of the review, whether the resource is useful, available, accessible to high school students, etc.
Questions to consider:
Special questions for online resources:
What Resources to Catalog?
As AP Calculus recently changed to reflect new thinking about the role of computation and an increased emphasis on concepts, new resources have also become available to teachers to support teaching and learning. These resources fall into categories that address content or pedagogy and those that support the use of technology (computers, calculators, and data collection devices).
Teachers are primarily interested in finding a textbook that covers all the topics in the Course Description, has good explanations and graphics, and enough practice problems. Often textbooks are bought and must be used for several years, so the textbook decision is an important one. A recommendation from a satisfied user of a textbook is important to a teacher deciding from a vast array of publishers’ offerings. Often textbooks come with many ancillaries -- including exploration problems, test banks, CDs, videos, software, student solution books – that may influence the decision to adopt a textbook. The review/summary of a textbook should indicate how the selection can help the AP teacher and student and enhance the teaching/learning experience.
Other books, articles, periodicals or online documents are used by AP teachers as reference material or as a source of additional problems, labs, or projects. Newer books provide material to supplement what is presented in older or more traditional books. Books, articles and periodicals should be chosen for their content and approach to topics in the Course Description or to enhance those topics. Teachers often look to reference books for suggestions on pedagogy and teaching strategies.
In addition to books, other resources that encourage visualization are important to the course. Computer or calculator programs, graphing programs, videos, multimedia CDs or 3-d models should be in the Catalog. Some of these resources are available on the Web for free download or purchase and others must be purchased.
A teacher planning to teach a topic will be able to go to the Catalog and easily find accessible materials, in a variety of formats, that will supplement what is available in the textbook. These resources may include a reference to research in a professional journal, a project or lab, a set of homework problems, an interactive applet on a web site, or a calculator program.
Starting in 1995, graphing calculators have been required on the AP Calculus Exams. In addition, since technology is used in the classroom for investigation and exploration, as well as problem solving, the Catalog should include hardware, software, and written materials to support the use of technology. Listings in the Catalog will help teachers who are involved in making decisions about the choice of graphing calculators and then help them select books that provide instruction on using the calculator or activities that can be performed with the calculator to enhance understanding of topics in the course.