What follows below is a press release from the American Psychological Association's Psychology teacher organization, TOPSS (Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools). If you are not already a member of this organization and teach high school psychology, please join. If you are a student and your psych teacher does not belong, encourage her or him to join.
posted by Chuck Schallhorn
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March 29, 2016
Dear Colleague,
I hope this message finds you well. The TOPSS Committee is meeting in Washington, DC, this weekend (April 1–3) to discuss multiple agenda items and consider how APA and TOPSS can best support you and all high school psychology teachers. I will share a summary of our meeting with you later this spring. In the meantime, you may want to read the 2015 TOPSS Annual Report to see what the committee discussed and achieved last year. Highlights include continued support of regional networks for teachers, recognition of teachers and students and a membership satisfaction survey.
There is much to look forward to this spring and summer. Please watch for the TOPSS spring mailing, which includes academic achievement certificates for you to award your outstanding students. As we look ahead to the summer, we hope you can take part in at least one of the following:
- APA/Clark University Workshop (April 15 deadline) – This three-day workshop is an outstanding professional development and networking opportunity for high school psychology teachers, featuring a variety of sessions on psychology content and activities for the classroom. Travel stipends and scholarships are available!
- APA Convention and a Pre-Convention Workshop for Introductory Psychology Teachers (July 1 deadline) – The APA convention will take place in Denver, CO, August 4–7. TOPSS will sponsor three invited addresses, and the Education Directorate is sponsoring a full-day workshop on August 3 on hard-to-teach topics and ethics and teaching. Funding is available to attend the convention! You can apply for up to $500 to support travel, hotel and registration costs through the APF Professional Development Awards (April 25 deadline).
- If you teach Advanced Placement (AP) psychology and will be at the AP Reading in June, TOPSS will host a get-together at the reading on June 10 for those interested in finding out more about TOPSS. This will be a good time to meet other TOPSS members and play a game of hi/low facilitated by members of the TOPSS Committee.
- APF High School Psychology Outreach Grants (July 1 deadline) – Take advantage of the $10,000 in funding to support networking, professional development and educational outreach opportunities for high school psychology teachers and students.
Please feel free to contact me at reed.scott@cusd80.com if you have any questions or suggestions.
Sincerely,
R. Scott Reed, MEd
Hamilton High School, Chandler, AZ
2016 TOPSS Chair
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2 comments:
So, it looks like--for the first time since TOPSS started doing them--there will be no new/revised lesson plans released this year.
What happened?
Actually the research methods and states of consciousness units have been revised and should come out this year. We are starting the process for the last three lesson plans that have not been revised. Of the top of my head, I think we are starting Stress and Health, Social, and the stats pack.
Scott Reed
TOPSS Chair 2016
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