Teaching High School Psychology

More on using Radiolab in psych classes

2012-05-12T04:41:00.004-07:00

It's no secret that we here at the blog are big fans of the Radiolab podcast - we've posted about it previously here, here, here, here, here, here and here. So I was delighted to read a Radiolab post on the AP Psych listserv today from teacher Kim Freund, who teaches just down the road from me (Steve) in Greensboro, NC. I'm posting below Kim's message describing what episodes she uses in her class:

My kids took their class evaluation yesterday and by far the most popular thing we did this year was to listen to different Radiolab clips. The kids love it... it's a little goofy, but REALLY informative. Here are some of the episodes I use, but there are many more you can find.

http://www.radiolab.org/2012/apr/02/ (minutes 18-34). This clip explains research about bacteria in the stomach having antidepressant qualities. REALLY Interesting!

http://www.radiolab.org/2012/jan/09/ (minutes 9:03-24:45) This clip explains some of the alternate ways to interpret Milgram's experiement... really thought provoking.

http://www.radiolab.org/2011/jan/25/ (minutes 33-38) This clip is great to explain the idea of Linguistic Relativism.

http://www.radiolab.org/blogs/radiolab-blog/2010/jun/15/strangers-in-the-mirror/ - An entire episode on face blindness with Oliver Sacks. Here's another great one about face blindness http://www.radiolab.org/2010/sep/20/letting-go/ (minutes 12:20-21:30).

http://www.radiolab.org/blogs/radiolab-blog/2011/aug/09/damn-it-basal-ganglia/ - an episode on the Basal Ganglia

http://www.radiolab.org/2007/may/17/ - an episode on the Placebo Effect

Thanks for sharing these, Kim! And just a reminder to those new to using technology: PLEASE be sure to download and save these free podcasts first - don't rely on having a stable Internet connection. Also, if you have other favorite Radiolab episodes, or would like to share how you use them in class, please share in the comments below.

--posted by Steve

Summer Reading and DVDs for Next Year (Schallhorn 2012 Edition)

2012-05-10T19:43:00.001-07:00

It's that time of year when we are thinking about assigning summer reading for ourselves and our kids and getting ready for next year. Below are some resources that I have either seen and/or read. I make these recommendations since I have positive personal experience with each one. I am certainly not saying that these are the only good resources out there, they are only a list of items on my bookshelf--that I can see/recall. I have many more. Each link below takes you to the Amazon.com site where you can order the books immediately should you wish.

(note: As I finish this list, I am kind of stunned that I've read all these books. Too bad all the info has not stayed with me. Perhaps it's time to go back to learning to play guitar.)

Books for summer reading:

Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain

Minds on Trial: Great Cases in Law and Psychology The Scientific American Day in the Life of Your Brain

Crazy Like Us: The Globalization of the American Psyche

Imagine: How Creativity Works

How We Decide

Proust Was a Neuroscientist

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

Sleep Thieves

The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat: And Other Clinical Tales

An Anthropologist On Mars: Seven Paradoxical Tales

Emotional Intelligence: 10th Anniversary Edition; Why It Can Matter More Than IQ

Vital Lies, Simple Truths: The Psychology of Self-Deception

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

Predictably Irrational, Revised and Expanded Edition: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions

My Lobotomy

A Natural History of the Senses

A Natural History Of Love

Thinking, Fast and Slow

An Alchemy of Mind: The Marvel and Mystery of the Brain

The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil

Phantoms in the Brain: Probing the Mysteries of the Human Mind

The Social Animal

Readings About The Social Animal

Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts

Influence: Science and Practice (5th Edition)

Situations Matter: Understanding How Context Transforms Your World

A Geography Of Time: On Tempo, Culture, And The Pace Of Life

Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life

Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships

The Time Paradox: The New Psychology of Time That Will Change Your Life

Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain, Revised and Expanded Edition

50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology: Shattering Widespread Misconceptions about Human Behavior

NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

Outliers: The Story of Success

The Body Project: An Intimate History of American Girls

The Story of Psychology

Emotions Revealed, Second Edition: Recognizing Faces and Feelings to Improve Communication and Emotional Life

Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us

The Sociopath Next Door

Columbine (on my reading list, but not yet read--highly recommended though)

The Self Illusion: How the Social Brain Creates Identity (I have not read this, but it looks fascinating)

The Tell-Tale Brain: A Neuroscientist's Quest for What Makes Us Human

WHY Do They Act That Way?: A Survival Guide to the Adolescent Brain for You and Your Teen
Who's in Charge?: Free Will and the Science of the Brain

DVDs to get your hands on:

(sorry--VHS only)

Some Valuable Resources for Every Teacher:

Activities Handbook for the Teaching of Psychology

As and A-Level Psychology Through Diagrams (Oxford Revision Guides)

Challenging Your Preconceptions: Thinking Critically About Psychology
The Human Brain Book

Forty Studies that Changed Psychology: Explorations into the History of Psychological Research (6th Edition)

Teaching Introductory Psychology: Survival Tips from the Experts The Critical Thinking Companion for Introductory Psychology

posted by Chuck Schallhorn

Last minute AP mnemonics

2012-05-06T07:41:00.002-07:00

This was created by a student in Maria Vita's class. (Twitter: @MariaVita1)

Here are some student and teacher-created mnemonics that may work great for a last-minute review for your AP Psych students. From my perspective, some of them are awesome and some not so, but that's always true of mnemonics. Check out the mnemonics here: http://tsappsych.blogspot.com/2012/04/add-on-to-list-of-mnemonic-devices.html

Also, one final reminder about using #appsychreview on Twitter - please encourage your students to post questions they have, but please DO NO encourage them to post questions that could be answered easily by looking in the glossary or index of their textbooks. We've had some terrific questions in which students are asking about the difference between two terms, or ways to remember a term, but we've also had a number of questions along the lines of "What is unconditional positive regard?" If they need to use a computer, it's more efficient to look up that term on Wikipedia than to wait for an answer via Twitter.

Good luck to everyone on the AP tomorrow!
-- posted by Steve

Putting the AP Test in Perspective

2012-05-04T10:49:00.001-07:00

Chuck Schallhorn sent a great email to the AP Psychology email listserve, and I thought it might be appropriate to post it here too (with some additions of my own).

Chuck was responding to a teacher who was very concerned about her students' scores, because they didn't perform well on an FRQ practice item, and she is judged by her school based on student AP scores.

I liked Chuck's emphasis on what is truly important about all our classes: Student learning. We do this gig because we think that learning psychological knowledge and the skill of "thinking like a psychologist" are useful for people. The AP test is a good one point in time measure, and it's one important measure, but not the SOLE measure of what is important about the learning in our classes. I like this conversation about keeping the scores in perspective.

Here's an excerpt from Chuck's email:

"I see my task as preparing my students to the best of my ability (this includes intellectual and affective modalities). I struggle to improve every year. I reflect and beat myself up on the various mistakes and missteps I took during every year. While I realize that it is pointless to beat myself up, I do so anyway. I suspect that I've been reinforced (grin). But I definitely reflect, both during the summer and after each period I teach.

Beyond the class preparation and activities, the work is up to the students. Beyond what we do in class, the primary preparation is up to the students. We play a part, but we cannot "control" the outcome.

I use the exams and activities during the year to diagnose strengths and weakness in the kids' knowledge and in my delivery and teaching methods for particular units. The entire year is a diagnostic. However, students may do well or not well on the exam itself regardless of my efforts. I cannot take the test for them. I use the practice tests in April as diagnostics and help the students figure out which units and ideas they are strong with and which they are not. This is individual to each student and I hope I've been able to get students to use metacognition and reflection on their efforts.

My advice. Teach the course the best you can while taking care of yourself to keep your health and sanity. Challenge your kids during the year to cover all the content and learn how to write FRQs. Prep the kids the best you can prior to the test. Wish them well when they take the exam and then let it go. It is out of your control. Wait until July for the scores.

After the exam, make sure you debrief the students to find out what the best parts of the course were and what needs improvement. Make adjustments over the summer and begin again. Grow as a person, grow as a teacher. Reflect and reflect some more and change behaviors and attitudes about teaching. Make plans to improve the following year. "

image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:AP_Psych_Test.JPG Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

posted by Rob McEntarffer, mostly written by Chuck Schallhorn

Another great TED talk!

2012-05-04T02:15:00.001-07:00

I always teach sensation and perception at the end of the school year. With so many cool activities and demonstrations, it keeps the students engaged and busy. A friend sent me a link to this TED talk, "“Michael Shermer on Strange Beliefs.” This is a great clip to use when discussing top-down processing and/or perceptual set.

"Why do people see the Virgin Mary on a cheese sandwich or hear demonic lyrics in "Stairway to Heaven"? Using video and music, skeptic Michael Shermer shows how we convince ourselves to believe -- and overlook the facts. Michael Shermer debunks myths, superstitions and urban legends, and explains why we believe them. Along with publishing Skeptic Magazine, he's author of Why People Believe Weird Things."

http://www.ted.com/talks/michael_shermer_on_believing_strange_things.html

Kristin H. Whitlock

2012-04-30T17:05:00.002-07:00

With the AP Psychology Exam just one week away, many of us are reaching the end to a long journey that started last fall. Below are some of the "last minute" items I (Kent) tell my students. Please Note: This listing is basically the same as previous years, with the exception of items in red.

General Information:

Monday May 07, 2012 in the afternoon.
Bring pencils and erasers for the multiple choice and blue or black pens for the FRQs.
Bring a watch that does not beep.
Do not wear any psychology related clothing.
Do not bring anything else: books, papers, calculators, cell phones, etc.

Multiple Choice Section:

100 multiple choice questions
70 minutes
2/3 of the overall score
A-E Answers
Names, charts, graphs, drawings are all possible
There is no adjustment for guessing, if you are unsure about a question, take your best educated guess after using process of elimination

Free Response Section:

2 required Free Response (essay) Questions
50 minutes
1/3 of the overall grade - 1/6 of grade for each question
Points are given for correct responses, not taken away for incorrect material
Once given, points can only be removed if one part of an answer contradicts another part
Read through both questions before doing anything else
Think through the answer before starting to write
Write an outline or notes on the test question pages.
Don’t be afraid to cross something out, if needed. Anything crossed out will not be scored.
Write in complete sentences - DO NOT OUTLINE OR BULLET YOUR ANSWER.
Be as complete as possible, but keep to the point.
Watch the time. Don’t get caught short on essay #2
Structure the answer following the structure of the question

Test Security:

Do not discuss the multiple-choice section with anyone
Do not discuss the free response questions for 48 hours. The general rule of thumb is wait until the questions have been posted on the College Board website.
You may only discuss the free response questions released on the College Board website. Any other free response questions must NOT be discussed.
Do NOT post, text, email etc. anything about the exam on the Internet, especially on Facebook, Twitter or other social networks
Do not come and visit me between the multiple choice section and free response section

If you have any questions on the above items, please contact me at kkorek@germantown.k12.wi.us. Please feel free to leave any other ideas in the comments section below. Best of luck to everyone.

AP Psych exam review links

2012-04-29T12:55:00.001-07:00

As of this writing it's just under 8 days to the test and while I know some teachers and students have already been reviewing diligently, others are just getting started. Here are some suggestions for places that might be helpful, mostly taken from previous THSP posts and psych teacher listservs. If you have a site that you think should be added, please post a comment below.

Video reviews - see the YouTube channel of THSP's own Chuck Schallhorn
Quizet exam review flash cards - 394 terms, 771 terms, famous psychologists
Apps - 5 Steps to a 5, Brainscape, PsycTest Hero
Review quizzes - Bubbabrain,
Diagnostic test - Sparknotes
Review books - check out this THSP post from 2010 on review books
Twitter - students can ask questions via Twitter by putting the hashtag #appsychreview at the end of their tweet, and someone will reply with an answer and/or link to more information. See this link for current questions and answers and this link for past questions and answers.
Teacher sites - these have an assortment of various links to review sites.

Stanley
Collins
Donner
Kaplan (APPsychology.com)
Lazarewicz

You might also try sites on these old THSP AP Psych review links: 2009
--posted by Steve

"Big Reward for your Teaching Strategies"

2012-04-20T09:20:00.003-07:00

Patrick Mattimore taught high school psychology for 13 years and many of us knew him through his well-written emails and contributions to various high school psychology conversation. He moved on from teaching to get more involved in writing about education in general, and recently he and Jay Mathews issued an interesting challenge/contest in the Washington Post.

In a column called "Big Reward for your Teaching Strategies", Patrick and Jay Mathews invited teachers to "send in effective teaching strategies" and they would publicize strategies that seem effective/provocative/useful. Since Patrick is a former psychology teacher, I bet he would love for our community to participate!

I suspect I don't agree with Patrick (or Mr. Mathews) about many current educational issues (Patrick and I had many LIVELY discussions when we attended the Nebraska Wesleyan Psychology Institute together), and I think that disagreement is productive. I value their thoughtful arguments about education issues, and I love that they are inviting teachers to submit their creative ideas.

Ideas can be submitted via email to mathewsj@washpost.com and patrickmattimore1@yahoo.com with “teaching strategy” in the subject line. Let's get them some good ideas! I'm trying to figure out what to send in ...

(One more thought: After the AP exam, maybe AP Psych students would like to list "best lessons" from your AP Psychology class and choose something to submit? That way the class could share in the glory!)

posted by Rob McEntarffer

Race is Real

2012-04-16T04:00:00.000-07:00

This blog was posted a couple of weeks ago, but I just got to reading it. It examines how I've taught about race--there are no "races" in terms of biology, but rather social categories made up by groups of humans to justify whatever their aims were. The blog entry is here:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/busting-myths-about-human-nature/201204/race-is-real-not-in-the-way-many-people-think

But the best part of this was an introduction to some resources including this one:
http://www.understandingrace.org/

Do check out the intro at least once. Valid questions. The main home page is here:
http://www.understandingrace.org/home.html

The American Anthropology Association has create a look at race through three lenses: history, human variation, and lived experience. This site will take you some time to examine, but is totally worth it if you want to provide some additional context to your students. I'd never seen this one before and it is an excellent site. Kudos to the AAA. At the end, there is a section for resources for teachers and families. Great stuff.

Posted by Chuck Schallhorn

Reminders from TOPSS

2012-04-13T07:49:00.000-07:00

FINAL reminder - the deadlines for these is April 15! If you have any questions, please contact Emily Leary Chesnes (eleary@apa.org).

APA/Clark University Workshop for High School Teachers
The eighth annual APA/Clark University Workshop will be held July 16-18, 2012 at Clark University in Worcester, MA. The workshop will be open to 25 teachers. Housing in the Clark campus dorms and materials will be provided for all participants. There is no registration fee. Participants will also receive travel stipends of $100. Five travel scholarships of $250 each will be available to teachers in need of extra travel support (please note that the maximum travel reimbursement any teacher would receive is $250). Information and application forms are available online at http://www.apa.org/news/events/2012/apa-clark.aspx.

APF Professional Development Awards for High School Psychology Teachers
The purpose of these awards is to help high school psychology teachers travel to and attend regional or national teaching and/or psychology conferences; applicants may be awarded up to $500. Visit http://www.apa.org/apf/funding/professional-topss.aspx for details.

2012 APA Convention Award Program for High School Psychology Teachers and Students  
The APA Education Directorate, thanks to support from APA President Suzanne Bennett Johnson, PhD, is pleased to announce an award program for high school psychology teachers and their students to attend the 2012 APA Annual Convention (Orlando, Florida; August 2-5). Applicants travelling from within Orange County, Florida, can apply for up to $300 in funding and those applicants travelling from outside Orange County can apply for up to $500 in funding. Funds must be used to cover one $95 teacher registration fee and up to four $10 student registration fees; teachers must plan on bringing at least two students to be considered for an award. Any funds within the requested amount that remain after registration fees have been covered can be used for food and travel expenses. Visit http://www.apa.org/about/awards/convention-high-school.aspx for details. Given the location of the APA convention, preference will be given to applicants from Florida.

A new twist on review

2012-04-12T18:06:00.000-07:00

I had this idea tonight and hope that you all can spread the word to your students. The AP Psychology test is around the corner and I thought that there might be a new way to help students review this year - via Twitter. Teens are increasingly using Twitter (see story on the subject here, with nice graph) so I thought that offering a "place" on Twitter for students all over the world to ask questions might be a good idea. I floated the idea on #psychat tonight and it was well received by @allisonshaver and @irishteach, so I think we're going to try this. So, please share this with your students:

Studying for the AP Psych exam and need a little help? Tweet your question with the hashtag #appsychreview and real AP Psych teachers or your fellow AP Psych students will help you find the right answer.

Interested in answering questions? Jump in and answer them! Not quite sure what this means, but know your students are using Twitter? No problem - just share this post with them and they'll explain it to you. :-) You can also e-mail me (ashejones@gmail.com) if you have other questions about this or using Twitter in general.

--posted by Steve

AP Review Videos

2012-04-09T09:41:00.001-07:00

I began creating some review videos for my own students and decided to make them available for anyone. I certainly hope they can be useful. I've made only five so far, but am on spring break and the AP Exam is only a few short weeks away and I intend to make quite a few more.

Here are a couple. I hope you like them are find them useful. The first two are taking the confusing pairs sheet shared by Kate Duggan and putting the ideas onto PPT slides and explaining them. The third is an overview of people in psych history AP students need to know and the basics about each.

My YouTube channel for AP Psych videos can be found here.

posted by Chuck Schallhorn

Social Psychology Examples Worksheet

2012-04-05T09:39:00.000-07:00

I just finished up the social psych unit in my regular psychology class and was encouraged by my kids' ability to get the answers to the examples below.

Here is the link to where the .docx activity is located. Obviously, it will be different depending upon which text you use. As it turns out, not all of them are the same :)

I exclude a key on purpose. I believe that figuring out the answer on our own helps us understand the concepts better. I also like to see how the kids work their way through understanding an example to see if the example properly builds to a particular concept.

***Addendum--I made and added a key after an impassioned email about possible errors that people may make. Thanks for the push :)

Picture credit to despair.com, a great site to go to for humor as it relates to psychology and human behavior.

Example	Most Appropriate Term
The cognitive component of group antagonism
The affective component of group antagonism
The behavioral component of group antagonism
What is the name of the Jane Elliott study?
“He’s hot!” What factor in attraction does this illustrate?
“I’ve never fallen in love with someone I’ve never met.” What factor in attraction does this illustrate?
“We’ve got so much in common. I feel like I’m looking at the female version of me!” What factor in attraction does this illustrate?
If someone is “not like us” and is successful, we are most likely to give him/her what kind of attribution?
A classmate asks us for help on one math problem. The next thing we realize, we are helping him/her with every problem on the homework.
A teacher treats you as though you are an idiot because of an older sibling. You start performing poorly even though you are a good student and are quite bright. What concept does this illustrate?
When running at practice, you hate sprinting. But by the end of practice, you convince yourself that it helped. What concepts does this illustrate? 2x
When a brown-haired girl who hangs out with blonde-haired girls dyes her hair blond. What concept does this illustrate?
When you run with slow people, you tend to run at a slower pace than your normal one and run at a faster pace than normal when you run with fast people. What concept does this illustrate?
You see a person on the news who is similar to you (ethnicity, age, etc.) who is accused of beating his/her child. You think, “it must have been the child’s fault.” But if it had been a person not like you, you would have thought it was the parent’s responsibility. What concept does this illustrate?
You were with a group of friends who are attending a football game. Suddenly, someone from the other team hits your team’s player out of bounds, the crowd goes wild and everyone (including you) jumps into the melee. People are doing things they normally would not. What concept does this illustrate?
When with one group of friends, Mary smokes, but when with another group of friends, she never lights up. What concept does this illustrate?
In one of your homework assignments, the teacher asked you to “write your name here.” By doing so, what concept were you following? (term with **)
The people I hang with are cool. We do all our homework, compete for the highest grades, play sudoku, listen to emo music, wear all black Hollister clothes, throw gang signs, shave half our heads, and make up strange stories about taking over the world. Everyone else is an idiot. This is an example of what?

The Zimbardo prison study dealt with the issue of the importance of and the power of ___________________.
Joe finds Cindy fascinating. She listens to similar music, has been to many of the same places, and is quite a talented guitar player. He also gets funny feelings when he is around her that he cannot explain. He is feeling ________________________________.
Talking with friends and/or loved ones about what is going on in your life—your concerns and problems. What concept does this illustrate?
Chuy hates the relationship that he is in, but convinces himself that he will not give up on something he has worked so hard for. What concept does this illustrate?
When smart people, working together in groups, make really stupid decisions because no one was questioning each other. This illustrates which concept?
A classmate is a Detroit Tigers fan. He has bragged about their recent baseball success, especially with their sweep of the A’s. You treat him poorly as a result of your not agreeing with his team of choice. You won’t let him play in any of your reindeer games because he is “not like the rest of us.” This best illustrates which concept?
Adolf is a stern, organized, harsh father who insists that his children dress a certain way, act a certain way and do not disobey him. What kind of personality will his children likely have?
I am treasurer of my club and am very important to the club. I run the finances and take care of all things related to money. I am respected in my position. This best illustrates which concept?
When I am in any class, the teacher or the substitute is the boss. I follow their instructions because they are the authority figure. This best illustrates which concept?
I would like to become like the “Plastics” in my school. They are so popular and well-liked. I use their slang, dress like them, and join the same groups as they join. This best illustrates which concept?
When Jim was a freshman at college, he missed home and felt unsure about where his life was going. He met some really cool people who gave him unconditional acceptance into their group. He stopped going to classes and began telling other people about the wonderful teachings of this group. Jim has probably been ________________________________________.
Earl regularly tells his friends that he hates “those people.” He claims that they are lazy and that they are taking over his neighborhood. Jim is experiencing what concept?
When the hippies of the 1960’s counterculture were rejecting the ways of their parents, they went off and did the same things as nearly everyone else in their group—they bathed irregularly, they smoked pot, the took LSD, and all listened to the same music as each other. They were “guilty” of which idea?
Julie and Johnny were dating for over a year until Johnny had to move away to college. They had kept the relationship going for several months into the new school year. However, Johnny kept seeing this new girl in one of his classes and was put into a study group with her for class. He could not help it, but felt very attracted to her. He then decided to break up with his girlfriend rather than cheat on her. Which factor of interpersonal attraction did he fall prey to?
“I really dislike people who are not in my culture—they bug me.” Which concept does this illustrate?

Nice article on HS psych in the APA Monitor

2012-04-03T03:24:00.000-07:00

A quick post to alert you all to this article in April's APA Monitor about some interesting things happening in high school psychology classes. Of course this is completely self-serving since the piece opens with a nod to this blog and a few quotes from me, but keep reading to learn about the terrific work being done by our colleagues across the US. Huzzah!

--posted by Steve

An Assignment to Obtain Examples & Enhance Vocabulary

2012-03-30T08:22:00.002-07:00

One of the most difficult things is to help students learn different examples and how they connect to specific vocabulary terms. As part of that, our school has been focusing on "academic vocabulary" and using books such as Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Communities at Work, Building Academic Vocabulary: Teacher's Manual, and Inside Words. We use these books are references for tools for creating assignments that help us modify our instruction to help our students who do not necessarily grow up reading and who are likely not reading at their own grade level. While I do not have that as a big problem in my psych classes, it is definitely there in my government classes.

So to help compensate for those two ideas, I have created this assignment using the 40 or so introductory psych texts that I have been able to obtain over the years. Let me know how you would modify it--I am always looking to improve.
----------------------------------------------------------------

My sample graphic using the term "cult." I drew it on MS Paint and inserted it into a sample term as an illustration.

The original document can be downloaded from this link:
https://sbhs-sbhsd-ca.schoolloop.com/blogdocs
----------------------------------------------------------------
posted by Chuck Schallhorn

Therapy Assignment

2012-03-29T07:37:00.000-07:00

I do not know where I got this assignment or even if I made it myself (I did specify page numbers in my text, Coon and Mitterer's Intro to Psych). If you have proper attribution, I would love to find out. This is an assignment for the therapy unit that I am assigning today.
==========================================================

AP Psychology Poster Making Assignment

ase Study—Cindy Rella is a young woman who suffers generalized anxiety as well as a phobia of furry creatures that are dog-like. She has many conflicts with her sisters and feels abandoned by her parents who died (she is being raised by a step-mother). She engages in fantasy-prone thinking and has difficulty focusing on reality. Her inability to focus has given her difficulty keeping jobs. She also feels persecuted by her step-mother.

Using the assigned therapy technique:

A. diagnose her (using DSM information)

B. explain where you think the problems are coming from

C. assess which aspects of her life you can assist with, and how would you go about doing so (include basic counseling skills on 590-592)

D. Describe the process using concepts found in the text

E. Create a graphic that illustrates a key component of the therapy you’ve been given

1. Psychoanalysis

2. Client-centered Therapy

3. Existential Therapy

4. Gestalt Therapy

5. Behavior Therapy

6. Cognitive Therapy (include REBT)

7. Group Therapy

8. Biomedical Approach

The poster will look like this:

Title of Therapy	First/Last Names of Makers/Date
Give her a tentative diagnosis based upon existing information to set up possible therapies. Yes, the information is incomplete. (use the DSM as guide)	Explain where you think the problems are coming from (from your therapeutic perspective)
Assess which aspects of her life you can assist with, and how would you go about doing so (include basic counseling skills on 590-592)—(this is the “what”)	Describe the process using concepts found in the text that your therapy would use for this case (this is the how)

Call for Submissions: Whitman Journal of Psychology

2012-03-28T12:18:00.004-07:00

From Marisa Del Savio, Advisor, Whitman Journal of Psychology:

"The Whitman Journal of Psychology is currently looking for submissions for the Fall 2012 issue. DEADLINE is June 1st! This is the only high school student-run psychology journal in the country. This provides your students with a unique opportunity to have their psychology research published nationally.

Please note the changes for submissions. We are looking not only for experiments and research but also literature reviews conducted according to APA guidelines. Submissions may relate to any aspect of psychology. Students should send their submissions to whitmanpsych@gmail.com with the word "submission" somewhere in the subject line. Please note that articles must be written in the third person and follow APA guidelines. Students may refer to www.whitmanpsych.com for previous articles and the full list of requirements.

If you have any questions you can email me at marisa_m_delsavio@mcpsmd.org. Please encourage your students to submit. Thank you for your continued support. "

posted by Rob McEntarffer

The Scientific American Day in the Life of Your Brain

2012-03-28T04:00:00.000-07:00

I was going through my books today and rediscovered a wonderful reference for class. It's called The Scientific American Day in the Life of Your Brain. It takes a person from 5 am and waking up, what brain chemicals are activating us and other sensory issues. It goes on to deal with coming to consciousness, morning emotions, directions to work, facing others, performance at work/stress, decision making, the hungry brain, the tired brain, boredom, pain, exercise, the dimming of the day, getting home from work, music, humor, love and lust, getting to sleep, falling to sleep, sleeping and problems, and people who have to work at night. The book is at a reading level appropriate for those of use brushing up on brain science as well as high school students.

In short, take any person on any day and the book will have a section on what is happening in a person's brain. I can imagine a creative teacher, with proper resources, making this a class assignment--what is going on with the brain and rest of the biology of humans during each part of the day, and dividing it up like the chapters/sections of this book. If you do that, just keep this book hidden ;)

posted by Chuck Schallhorn

2012 APA/Clark University Workshop for High School Teachers

2012-03-27T10:21:00.000-07:00

The announcement below (from the wonderful Emily Leary and Caitlin Crowley at the APA) about the 2012 APA/Clark University Workshop for High School Teachers provides details about the nature of the workshop and how you can apply. Several of us involved in this blog have participated in this workshop (if you look closely at the picture above you can spot Kristin and Steve!) and I think I can speak for everyone when I say: APPLY! It's a great experience: wonderful college faculty, wonderful facilities, wonderful relationship-building with other teachers, and you will learn heaps and gobs of good stuff for your classroom! Apply!

From Emily Leary:

"We encourage all interested high school psychology teachers to apply for the eighth annual APA/Clark University Workshop for High School Teachers, to be held July 16-18, 2012 at Clark University in Worcester, MA. The workshop will be open to 25 teachers. Workshop presenters will include faculty from the Clark University Psychology Department. Michael Sullivan of Hopkinton High School (Hopkinton, MA) and Debra Park of Rutgers University and West Deptford High School (West Deptford, NJ) (retired) will also present. Randy Smith, PhD, of Lamar University (Beaumont, TX) will give the keynote address, titled Though This be Madness, Yet There is Method In't: The Importance of Research Methods in Introductory Psychology.

Housing in the Clark campus dorms and materials will be provided for all participants. There is no registration fee. Participants will also receive travel stipends of $100. Five travel scholarships of $250 each will be available to teachers in need of extra travel support (please note that the maximum travel reimbursement any teacher would receive is $250). A hard copy application form (PDF, 40KB) and an online application form are both available. The application deadline is April 15, 2012 and participants will be selected by approximately May 1.

This Workshop is sponsored by the American Psychological Foundation, Clark University, and APA, with generous support from Lee Gurel, PhD. Please contact Caitlin Crowley by email (ccrowley@apa.org) or at (202) 336-6076 if you have any questions."

image credit: http://www.clarku.edu/departments/psychology/apa/index.cfm

posted by Rob McEntarffer

"Multi-tasking"/Task Switching tests

2012-03-26T14:05:00.000-07:00

I discovered two "multi-tasking" tests via Twitter recently and they both look like they might be useful during the Cognition or Sensation and Perception chapters (whenever you discuss selective attention, etc.)

The Dual Task website created by Hal Pashler has several very effective tests for "multi task performance." The one I tried is the "Visible PRP Effect" When you click on that link, you may have to wait a bit for an "applet" to load, but after that the test ran smoothly, and it is a very effective demonstration of how trying to attend to more than one "channel" impairs performance.
Sue Frantz tweeted a test from the Scientific American website: "Test Your Multitasking Skills" This demonstration is more complicated, with graphics and more complex instructions, but the scenario it uses is engaging and effective.

These demonstrations could be extended into conversations about the "multi-tasking" many of us commonly engage in, and the specific topic near and dear to many of our students hearts: talking on the phone while driving.

posted by Rob McEntarffer

School Discipline, Race, and Social Psychology

2012-03-23T06:20:00.006-07:00

Are your districts talking about the recent Department of Education report about different rates of "punishment" among student racial groups? The data are pretty stunning (and depressing): Across the 70,000 high schools studies, about 18% of the students were black, but about 30-45% of students who were suspended one or more times (or eventually expelled) were black. The report goes into much more detail about the statistical analysis, but it looks thorough and well done.

Although it might be a sensitive discussion topic, our psychology students could think about these (depressing) findings and others like them through a social psychology lens: They could talk about how the social psychology concepts they know (e.g. in/outgroup bias, stereotyping, prejudice, confirmation bias, representativeness heuristic, etc.) might contribute to this "over-identification" of black students for suspensions and expulsions. This conversation might extend into other stereotypes about people their age: I bet most of them have been followed through a store by a clerk just because of their age or appearance.

There may also be other psychological "angles" to explore as well:

Learning: In certain classes, I felt comfortable asking students to try to explain acts of racism through classical and/or operant conditioning principles (write up of this activity: Conditioning and Racism)
Developmental/Historical: The "doll" experiments of Kenneth and Mamie Clark are significant in both the history of psychology and U.S. History.

Unfortunately, it's not hard to find current event examples of racial bias. We have to handle these discussions with sensitivity, but our classrooms can become one of the places young people "unpack" reactions/feelings/prejudices related to race, and maybe these discussions could be a small start to a change.

image source: http://pulsociudadano.com/2011/12/odio-mi-piel-morena-el-racismo-visto-por-los-ninos-mexicanos/, creative commons attribution share-alike license

posted by Rob McEntarffer

Academic "Fights"

2012-03-22T14:09:00.007-07:00

Two neuroscientists wrote an extensive review of Jonah Lehrer's new book Imagine. The comments section under the review is a fascinating example of how scholars "fight".

The reviewers point out some serious concerns in their review, for example:

"He is at his best when putting his considerable talents to the task of telling a story that is true according to the facts as we know them, rather than telling a story people want to hear."

Students could critically examine how well they support these criticisms (what evidence do they provide? How do they "prove" their criticism?)

Then students could look at Lehrer's response to the critics. He starts his response with the polite phrase "Thanks for the thoughtful and critical review" and then goes on to try to answer each critique. Students could examine this "debate" and decide which evidence is most important, etc. Later in the responses, the two critics respond to the responses.

I worry sometimes that the argumentative tone of the national debate on science topics (e.g. climate change, etc.) sounds like matters of opinion and bias. Cognitively productive, scientific "arguments" like this one are great examples about how disagreements in science can be PRODUCTIVE. The history of science is full of debates like this one, and without these disagreements, science wouldn't progress!

I'd love to hear your thoughts: does anyone help students work through "scientific disagreements" like this one?

posted by Rob McEntarffer

2012-03-21T11:20:00.004-07:00

Hello All!

I'm not sure how many of you have taken the time to check out the online resource Psych Exchange, but I recommend taking a look. After registering, there are SO many resources that you can upload for use in your course. You can also sign up to receive emails of new posts. Recently, I received a link to a video clip for Dissociative Identity Disorder ( INSIDE Multiple Personality Disorder; http://www.psychexchange.co.uk/videos/view/21136/ ). It is a theatrical portrayal of DID, but a great one to use to open a discussion about this disorder. After viewing the clip, my students and I discussed the accuracy of the portrayal of DID. Then we discussed the controversy surrounding the diagnosis and existence of this disorder.

I recommend taking a look at Psych Exchange and see what if might have to offer you and your students.

Kristin H. Whitlock

Minds on Trial--Great Book for Forensic Psych

2012-03-18T10:33:00.000-07:00

I

When recently searching for some forensic psychology books, I stumbled upon this wonderful overview about the "great cases in law and psychology." Among the famous cases that are worth examining:

Lee Harvey Oswald
Patricia Hearst (kidnapping and brainwashing)
The Twinkie Defense (the junk food made me do it)
John Hinkley (presidential assassination and Jodie Foster)
The Judas Priest Trial (the evil music made my kid attempt suicide)
John Demjanjuk (the recently deceased "Ivan the Terrible" Nazi Guard living in the US)
Jeffrey Dahmer
Woody Allen and Mia Farrow
Mike Tyson
Andrea Yates (who killed her kids)
plus ten more cases

This is a very readable book with some excellent details that most of us are not aware of. Definitely worth the read.

posted by Chuck

Teaching High School Psychology

More on using Radiolab in psych classes

Summer Reading and DVDs for Next Year (Schallhorn 2012 Edition)

Books for summer reading:

DVDs to get your hands on:

Some Valuable Resources for Every Teacher:

Last minute AP mnemonics

Putting the AP Test in Perspective

Another great TED talk!

AP Psych exam review links

More AP Psych Review Videos

"Big Reward for your Teaching Strategies"

Race is Real

Reminders from TOPSS

A new twist on review

AP Review Videos

Social Psychology Examples Worksheet

Nice article on HS psych in the APA Monitor

An Assignment to Obtain Examples & Enhance Vocabulary

Therapy Assignment

Call for Submissions: Whitman Journal of Psychology

The Scientific American Day in the Life of Your Brain

2012 APA/Clark University Workshop for High School Teachers

"Multi-tasking"/Task Switching tests

School Discipline, Race, and Social Psychology

Academic "Fights"

Minds on Trial--Great Book for Forensic Psych