Psychology

About the AP Psychology Summer Institute: The APSI will focus on the content and pedagogy of the AP Psych course, utilizing the newly redesigned Course and Exam Description. The participant will prepare a detailed scope and sequence for their class and leave with many teaching ideas and a broad exposure to every unit in the course’s content. Focus will be provided for difficult topics and units, such as Biological Bases of Behavior and Cognitive Psychology. Participants will also gain practice with FRQ writing and grading. The AP Psychology class introduces students to the systematic and scientific study of human behavior and mental processes. While considering the psychologists and studies that have shaped the field, students explore and apply psychological theories, key concepts, and phenomena associated with such topics as the biological bases of behavior, sensation and perception, learning and cognition, motivation, developmental psychology, testing and individual differences, treatment of abnormal behavior, and social psychology. Emphasis will be placed on the changes resulting from the redesign to prepare both experienced and new teachers for the course.

Course objectives:

The overall goal is to provide an overview of a college-level intro to psych course, emphasizing demonstrations, activities, instructional methods, and assessments (including AAQ & EBQ writing) that enhance student learning and engagement.

1. Participants will understand the mission statement of the College Board and how it affects the development of an AP psychology course, including an emphasis on equity.

2. Participants will understand and develop best practices related to the online College Board resources, including AP Classroom, Exam results evaluation, and AP community.

3. Participants will devise or improve a curriculum that includes the nine units outlined in the AP Psychology Course and Exam Description (CED) that covers the scope and sequence in the most effective way for their course and school calendar (including differences between the year long and semester courses)

4. Participants will leave prepared with new demonstrations, activities, assessments, active learning strategies, tips, resources, and effective instructional techniques.

5. Participants will have effective strategies for the separate components of the AP Psychology exam, including both the multiple choice and free response portions.

6. Participants will develop a strong understanding of how the FRQs are graded and learn specific practical techniques that will effectively prepare students for this portion of the exam.

7. Participants will be provided with additional resources (e.g. review materials, websites, discussion groups) to keep up to date with changes in the field and prepare for the 2024-25 redesign.

Instructor: Tricia Castellanos

Tricia Castellanos has been working as an educator for 22 years and has taught Advanced Placement courses for 16 years. She has a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and a m social work. She started her teaching career at The Woodlands High School north of Houston where she taught government and psychology. After moving to San Antonio in 2000 she began working at Reagan High School where she took the initiative to begin the AP Psychology program at that school and for the district. Upon the birth of her third son in 2003, she took a few years off to stay home with her children full time. In 2009, she returned to her love of teaching and was hired at Johnson High School where she has been ever since. There she teaches psychology, AP Psychology, and AP Government. Her students consistently score well above both the state and global averages on the AP exams. Her AP Psychology course is one semester long as opposed to a full year, so she brings the unique perspective on how to be successful with a semester long AP course. Additionally, she has been an AP reader for the College Board grading the AP Psychology Free Response Questions for four years which allows her to provide insight on how to best prepare students for success on the free response portion of the exam. She has been involved in district-wide textbook adoption decisions for AP courses and helped write curriculum for her district and leading teacher in-service sessions on her campus. In 2022, she became an AP consultant for the College Board to share her experience and knowledge of AP Psychology with both new and veteran psychology teachers. She will be involved in ongoing College Board training regarding the AP Psychology redesign to bring APSI participants the most up-to-date information on the course. In her spare time, she loves to read, travel, scrapbook, cook, and catch up and play cards & board games with her grown sons when they can manage to all be in one place at the same time.