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AP Psychology |
We have two sections, a highly interactive website-based section taught by Bonnie Gonzalez and a less interactive email-based section taught by Gary Welton.
Teacher: Bonnie Gonzalez
Email: gonzo123@dejazzd.com
Registration: Email me for an application or if you have questions about the class.
Text required: e-text: Exploring Psychology by David Myers
(Seventh or Eighth Edition), or paper text 7th or 8th edition, Exploring Psychology
by David Myers.
Class fees: $410 for early bird special – sign up and pay before June 30. $425.00 for enrollment and payment after July 1. Cost of the required text is additional
Admission Requirements: Student must be a homeschooling high school student. High school biology is suggested, but not required.
Tech Requirements: A good computer with antivirus protection and reliable internet access. High speed internet is suggested but not required.
Who should apply: This is a highly interactive class where students are required to participate in weekly discussions regarding research into a variety of topics of interest in the many fields of psychology. In addition outside reading from a variety of sources (websites, magazines and books) will be required. Students will be given a supportive, yet challenging learning environment with many opportunities to enhance their understanding of psychological concepts. Lectures in both Word and MP3 format will be provided for downloading to explain and enhance the subject matter. In addition to tests and quizzes, students will be required to design and perform a research study, write a personality profile and develop a clinical treatment plan.
This class will cover the basics in psychology including the topics of neuroscience, the nature and nurture of development, sensation and perception, the methods of learning, memory, intelligence, motivation and emotion, and a study of personality and psychological disorders.
Since my experience is highly weighted in the field of personality and psychological disorders and the treatment of those disorders, we will be giving special attention to these areas in our class assignments and online discussions.
Students in this class will also be encouraged to participate on our very lively website where they can discuss topics in psychology, post reviews of articles and books, respond to each others essays, and discuss various psychological assessment tools.
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 essays and discussing class work and participating in the weekly online chat.
Instructor Qualifications: I have 30 years of experience as a
counselor in the fields of individual, marriage and family counseling where I
have had the opportunity not only to explain behaviors, but also to instruct
individuals in developing new and more productive behaviors. I also have
experience teaching Introductory Psychology and Child Psychology at a local
community college, as well as 5 years instructional experience with this online
AP Psychology class. I have an M.ED. in Counseling
Psychology and B.A. in Psychology both from
Professor: Dr. Gary L. Welton
Serving Homeschoolers Since 1996
Academic Year: 2011-2012
E-Mail: glwelton@gcc.edu
Telephone:
Home: (814) 786-9575
Office: (724) 458-3374
Mail:
1. ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS (no exceptions)
A. The student must be a homeschooling high school student in 10th, 11th or 12th grade.
B. The student must have completed a high school level biology course.
C. The student’s academic performance must be average or above average, as substantiated by standardized test scores.
2. INSTRUCTOR QUALIFICATIONS
My Ph.D.
is in the field of Social and Organizational Psychology. I have 25 years of
full-time teaching experience at the college and university level, including 20
years in my current job at
3. REGISTRATION PROCESS
Completed registration by August 1 is encouraged. There will be no additional registrations after August 31 (no exceptions). To register for the course you should take the following steps:
A. Request a registration form from the instructor.
B. Submit the completed registration form, providing all information and indicating that all admission requirements have been satisfied. Standardized test score information is required, but official documentation of standardized test scores is not required.
C. Wait for formal acceptance into the course.
D. Pay the course fee to PA Homeschoolers. Registration after August 31 will not be permitted.
4. COURSE FEE
The instructor’s fee for the course is $380. Course registration is not confirmed until payment of this registration fee.
A discount of $20 will be applied to all registrations completed and paid by July 1. After July 1, full payment will be required.
All payments are to be made through PA Homeschoolers.
You should expect to spend an additional $70 to $90 on the textbook and study guide.
5. DESCRIPTION
Psychology, a discipline in the social and behavioral sciences, is the study of mental processes and behavior. An introductory psychology course is often included in a college's general education requirements. It is becoming common for high schools to offer a semester or year-long course as an elective.
Because psychology involves people studying themselves, it is a most subjective science. Perhaps more so than in any other field, one's assumptions about human nature influence one's perspective on this subject. I approach psychology from a conservative position. My conservative Christian beliefs impact my view of psychological theory. Nevertheless, I am not offering a course in “Christian Psychology” for two reasons. First, there is little agreement on what such a term means, as different Christians have unique perspectives on the discipline. Second, such a course may be of marginal help in passing the AP exam. Instead, I am proposing a course that would cover the traditional content, but from a conservative perspective.
Topics will include the brain (biological roots of behavior), human development, learning and cognition, sensation and perception, motivation and emotion, personality, disorders, therapy, and social behavior. Students find most chapters to be interesting and involving. Students with a motivation to learn and achieve will have little difficulty with this material.
6. TEXTBOOK
Myers, David G. (published 2010, copyrighted 2011). Exploring Psychology, 8th edition.
Click here to read class reviews from past participants about Gary Welton's section of this class.
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