After starting to learn about the brain in class (btw, we are barely scratching the surface), what do you think about President Obama's BRAIN Initiative? Is this something that is worth the money? Why do you think that it is important to better understand how our brains work? For more information on the BRAIN Initiative visit their page at the National Institutes of Health.
I know that some of you still need to fill out the survey but a long weekend seemed too good of an opportunity to pass up formulating the results! *Edited to add- The file didn't work! Or at least it didn't stay working. I'll add it to Schoology too for easy viewing.
You've heard of "throwback Thursday"---I guess this picture is an example of "way back Wednesday". You may be wondering why I would willingly share this picture with the world. I used to be embarrassed by this picture but as time has passed I now look at it with pride - or at least a sense of humor. When I showed this picture during a slide show at my wedding reception people laughed, but in a good natured way because we all have pictures like this in our past. When I show this picture to my students, generally they think I was cute. They laugh but don't make fun of me or hold my "Annie" type fro against me in any way. That is the mindset that you need to have when we blog in class. Yes, you're revealing a little bit of yourself to the world but it's not a big deal. No one is going to pick on you or make you feel bad about what you write. The purpose of our blogging is to help you to express yourself and to present yourself to the "world" (mainly our classes) in a socially and academically appropriate way. This is an important skill to have as future members of the 21st Century workforce. So, don't worry about sounding stupid or think that you have nothing to say that anyone wants to hear. You're perfect just the way you are! So, here you are in a new class where we're learning in a different way. We've talked about the new ways that we will be learning, but we haven't talked too much about what we're going to be learning about. Basically, learning about what Psychology is and isn't is what Unit 1 is all about. According to the APA (American Psychological Association): "Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. The discipline embraces all aspects of the human experience — from the functions of the brain to the actions of nations, from child development to care for the aged. In every conceivable setting from scientific research centers to mental healthcare services, "the understanding of behavior" is the enterprise of psychologists." So, here's my question to you: Given the definition of psychology from the APA, why do you think that Psychology is a valuable course to take in high school? How do you think that it will help you in your daily life? Are you glad that you signed up for this course based on the definition of psychology? I guess that was more than one question! Feel free to answer one or more of those questions in the comments or even ask some of your own questions! By the way, a neat video to watch to introduce yourself to psychology is Intro to Psychology - Crash Course Psychology #1. I've included the video on Schoology too just in case you want to watch it in school. Holy Cow! I am working really hard to have everything ready for you all for the start of the new semester. Today, I worked on the specifics for what our blogging will look like and how it will be graded. I also put into words why I want us to blog. This was important since previously the reasons for us blogging were just swirling around my head!
So, why are we blogging? There are a bunch of reasons which provide a lot of benefits. Here's what I listed on the handout you will be receiving in class: • Responding to and commenting on curriculum topics as we study them • Creating written/media projects and commenting on each other’s work • Reviewing and sharing study strategies before tests and quizzes • Practicing taking varied points of view on a topic • Discussing current events in psychology • Making classroom suggestions • Creating FAQ pages on curriculum topics The reasons I listed above are very academic and class related. But, there are other reasons too that go beyond our classroom.
I've attached the blogging info under the 20% Project tab and in our Schoology resources. I hope that you learn to love blogging as much as I do! Okay, maybe half as much! :) Welcome to Psychology for the Spring Semester! Also welcome to a new way of learning.
This semester we will be using a Flipped Mastery method to learn about psychology. *See a Q&A about this on my website. I'm really excited about doing this since I have only experimented with flipped learning with my classes in the past. I did a bunch of student surveys to see what kids liked and didn't like and made a lot of changes along the way. I also read a lot about Flipped Learning and have even taken classes about how to implement it in our class. That being said, I'm going to be looking to you for feedback throughout the semester. Why? Because no matter how much I plan, things might not go how I hoped they would. You are in the driver's seat of this class and will have a big impact on how we learn and what ways that we learn. All I ask is that you provide constructive criticism that will help me to make this class successful. Complaining, as we will learn in class, is not a big motivator. I hope that this class is different from any other class you have taken throughout your high school career because it is more meaningful and connected to the real world and to who you are as a person. I hope that you enjoy learning about psychology and mostly, I hope that you are ready for some new experiences! |