Things are changing really fast and I know we’re all stressed about what that means for students and teachers as schools continue to close. School closures are necessary to combat this virus, but it also creates unintended consequences. How will students get lunch? What will parents do for child care? The list goes on.
For AP students and teachers, there’s yet another lingering question. How will we be ready for May exams? I know AP and studying is the last thing we all want to think about right now. We’re all thinking about our families and health, as we should be. But with so much tied to standardized exams, we can’t just ignore them.
Advanced Placement exams are a unique opportunity for high school students to earn college credit for introductory courses before they graduate. Students have been preparing all year for the exam.
It’s unclear how or if the College Board will adjust plans to meet the needs of this moment. So for now, Fiveable is one of the best free resources for all students to prep in this new remote learning environment.
Fiveable began two years ago as some of my former students started emailing me for support with AP US History. I taught them for AP World and they were frustrated by a lack of resources after I left the school. So I started live streaming reviews for them. And then other students started coming. By the end of May 2018, I streamed 40 times to over 2500 students.
Today, Fiveable produces weekly live reviews, live trivia games, and articles to support AP students and teachers around the world. Last month, over 75k students studied with us. We’re expecting far more this month in light of school closures.
But more important than the exams, we want to be a resource for students and teachers to build community. There are so many unknowns; coming together virtually will help us all get through this. Supporting each other through this crisis is more important than any test.
Here’s how students and teachers can use Fiveable for free to review for exams:
Weekly live streams:
- AP-focused reviews every day: http://app.fiveable.me
- Nightly COVID-19 roundtable with community support: https://app.fiveable.me/current-events
Students
- Create a free account at http://app.fiveable.me/signup
- Explore 15 AP subjects to RSVP for live events, watch pre-recorded replays, and engage with written reviews.
Teachers
- Apply for a free teacher dashboard at http://app.fiveable.me/teachers
- Once verified as a teacher, invite your students to set up your dashboard
- Assign any Fiveable content to students and track their progress
Although our resources are aligned to AP standards, they are also useful for non-AP courses. On-level world history classes cover the same material that AP World does. Of course, we will focus on specific skills and rubrics for the exam that may not be directly applicable, but they are all useful skills for history students
As the founder of Fiveable, I’m excited to connect with more students and teachers over the next few weeks. If you have any questions or suggestions, please email me at hi@fiveable.me.
By Amanda Do Amaral, WHA Executive Council Member