English Literature & Composition

AP 524.300 | Online | Kevin Howard

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This online course centers on the development of an AP English Literature course that is based on the analysis of a variety of forms of fiction, with a special focus on close reading skills. The course will begin with an overview of the structure, content, and scoring of the AP English Literature and Composition exam. Participants will grade sample essays with an eye to understanding the moves that matter on timed writings.  In addition, teachers will deconstruct one section of a multiple-choice exam to see the skills and habits of mind that are tested. The majority of the class will be spent working through a series of skill-building activities that will prompt students to read and write and think thoughtfully about texts that are complex and ambiguous.  Participants will have time to develop and share practical teaching strategies, including approaches that support the equity agenda of the College Board. Teachers should read Ian McEwan’s Atonement before the week starts; we will be working through the novel during one of the days. Finally, teachers will receive over a thousand files of strategies, readings, and lessons in a digital library on the final day of class.

 


Kevin Howard

Kevin Howard

Kevin Howard taught English for 30 years in public and private schools in the Washington, D.C. area. Over the past 22 years, he has presented College Board seminars on teaching the AP English Language and AP English Literature courses, analytical reading strategies, and pre-AP English curriculum and development. He has also been a reader for the AP English Language and Composition exam and was selected to present at the National AP Convention in 2009 and 2015. Recently, he has worked as part of the NMSI, REACH and VASS programs, which attempt to bring the rich AP English curriculum to urban and rural high schools. Additionally, he has published an article in a recent College Board curriculum development series on argument analysis. Kevin completed his undergraduate English degree from the University of Virginia and has an MA in the Teaching of Writing and Literature from George Mason University.