Alright, let’s talk about this AP Psychology thing, the one they’re changing up in 2024. Heard they’re shakin’ things up, makin’ it different. Don’t know why they gotta keep changin’ stuff, but that’s how them smart folks do, I guess.
So, first thing’s first, they’re messin’ with the number of units. Used to be nine, now it’s gonna be five. Five! That’s like countin’ on one hand, easy peasy. They’re callin’ these units fancy names, like “Biological Bases of Behavior”. Sounds complicated, but it probably just means how your brain and body make you act the way you do. Then there’s “Cognition”, which I reckon is about thinkin’ and rememberin’ stuff. And “Development and Learning”, that’s gotta be about growin’ up and figuring things out, like how kids learn to talk and walk, and maybe why some folks never learn nothin’ at all, ha!
They say they’re changin’ it ’cause some fancy group, the American Psychological Association, or APA, they told ’em to. Seems like these APA folks got some ideas about how this psychology stuff should be taught. And the college teachers, they chimed in too. So now the AP folks gotta change everything to keep up. Makes you wonder if anyone really knows what they’re doin’, always changin’ things around.
- Unit 1: Biological Bases of Behavior
- Unit 2: Cognition
- Unit 3: Development and Learning
- Unit 4: Not sure but it’s gotta be somethin’ important
- Unit 5: Last one, probably wraps it all up
Now, they’re also changin’ the test, the one them kids gotta take to get college credit. They’re gonna have fewer of them multiple-choice questions. That might be good, might be bad. Less questions, but maybe they’ll be harder. Who knows? And it’s gonna be on the computer now, not on paper. Kids these days, they love them computers, so maybe that’ll make it easier for ’em. Or maybe they’ll just spend the whole time playin’ games instead of takin’ the test.
They’re also throwin’ in some new skills, like “argumentation.” Sounds fancy, but it probably just means learnin’ how to argue your point, like when you’re tryin’ to convince your husband he needs to take out the trash. And they’re gonna focus on research methods and data. That’s all about figurin’ things out by lookin’ at facts and numbers. Not just guessin’ or makin’ stuff up.
I heard some teacher, Ms. Fineburg or somethin’, said they’re droppin’ some concepts too. Don’t know which ones, but I guess some stuff just ain’t important enough to teach anymore. Maybe it’s like that time they stopped teachin’ cursive writin’ in school. Kids these days can’t even sign their own names proper, just scribble somethin’ down. But hey, times change, I guess.
This AP Psychology class, it’s supposed to teach you about how people think and why they do the things they do. Why some folks are happy and some are always grumblin’. Why some folks are smart and some… well, you know. It’s all about the brain and how it works. And this new course, they say it’s gonna be a one-semester thing. So, they gotta cram a whole lotta learnin’ into a short amount of time. Hope them kids are ready for it.
So, to sum it all up, the AP Psychology is changin’ in 2024. Fewer units, fewer multiple-choice questions, new skills, and a digital test. And they’re droppin’ some old stuff and addin’ some new stuff. It’s all a bit confusing, if you ask me. But I reckon them teachers and them kids will figure it out. They always do, somehow.
But one thing’s for sure, learnin’ about how the mind works, that’s important stuff. Maybe if more folks understood each other, the world wouldn’t be such a mess. But that’s just an old woman’s opinion, take it for what it’s worth.
Tags: [AP Psychology, 2024 changes, AP exam, psychology course, new curriculum, college board, high school psychology, psychology units, APA guidelines]
