NCSS 2017 Debrief

When most psychology teachers think about the National Council for the Social Studies, one does not think psychology, but rather history, civics, geography, and economics. But psychology was well-represented.

However, thanks to the work of the NCSS Psychology Community (Daria Schaffeld, Sejal Schullo, Joe Geiger, and Jen Schlict), there was a tremendous lineup of psychology presentations including Charlie Blair-Broeker, Randy Ernst, Rob McEntarffer, Chuck Schallhorn and Eric Castro, Amy Fineburg, and more. This link gives a more detailed look at the psych offerings.

I personally was able to view only a small number of presentations, but the ones I attended were fantastic. I was able to take away at least one new thing from each presenter to use in my classroom right away. Short version--it was totally worth it. I finally was able to meet people I had known online for years. The city was beautiful and the restaurants served tasty food.

I was also amazed by the vendor hall. A few that I recall are:

• Perfection Learning with the AMSCO review books
• Worth/Macmillan with the Myers' for AP and the Intro book by Blair-Broeker and Ernst
• The Zinn Educational Project
• POV (documentary series)
• At least six educational travel booths
• the DBQ project
• Teachers Discovery
• Big History Project with David Christian (he was there)
• C-Span
• Rand McNally
• Social Studies School Service
• Several Econ Booths
• Several Civics Booths
• At least one civics podcast
• StoryCorps
• and many more

I got way too much swag and samples--it will take all week to go through it all.

You can find tweets about the conference with the hashtag #NCSS2017.

Plan ahead for next year's conference in Chicago November 30-December 2, 2018 at the Hyatt Regency. Mark your calendars now! Also be on the lookout for dates for proposal submissions--I was a reviewer of them in the spring of 2017 for this conference.

posted by Chuck Schallhorn

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NCSS Awards Announcement

Check out this link in order to examine the possible awards that are available from the National Council for the Social Studies this year. While not strictly psychology, there is certainly room for us here. There are so few of us who teach only psychology, we are probably involved in other areas as well.

In addition to teacher of the year, there are also awards for geographic education, global understanding, research, and more.

Check it out for more information.















posted by Chuck Schallhorn

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NCSS 2014 - Psychol-a-palooza!

THANKS to the fantastic, dedicated folks at the NCSS Psychology community for another GREAT set of psychology sessions at the NCSS convention!

Below are a few notes from the sessions I was able to attend. Apologies to presenters who I wasn't able get to see.

As you can tell by the notes, NCSS is one of the best conferences psychology teachers can attend - thanks to all the presenters!


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Friday 10:00, Hillary and Pete, Mindfulness Revolution

What is mindfulness? Being present in the moment, awareness, directed attention (we’d like this for our students!)

The opposite of mindfulness is thinking, judgment, multi-tasking - anything not relevant to what is happening here and now

Bio-psychology of mindfulness

Applications for mindfulness in the classroom

The Mindful classroom 

Keith Maddox Tufts University, 1:00 Friday “Discovering Bias: Challenges and Opportunities for Organizational diversity” 

Trying to translate lab research into practical implications

Definitions

Who is biased

•    GREAT implicit associations demonstration using slides without technology! REALLY effective

how bias affects us

•    confirmation bias and attributional bias 

•    stereotype threat

•    attributional ambiguity

conclusion

•    potential strategies - we don’t want to be bias but we know we are 

◦                      DON’T try to be colorblind - not realistic

◦                      DON’T try suppression - will come back to haunt you

◦                      DO increase your awareness - make implicit processes explicit

▪                                        acknowledge, recognize, and strategize

Maria Vita: APA/TOPSS Psychology Standards: Deepening Scientific Inquiry & Literacy

See the whole presentation at http://ncss2014.wikispaces.com/ - great use of wikispaces as a presentation tool!

·      Connections between the APA High School Psychology standards and the C3 framework – inquiry!

·      Examples:

o   movement feature detectors – sensation or perception?

o   Is everything lost when it comes to Alzheimer's or dementia?

o   What is life like with only one hemisphere?

Rob McEntarffer – Responsive psychology

Argument for using response systems to check for understanding

·      The index card test

·      Examples of response systems

o   Poll everywhere

o   Kahoot

o   Socrative

o   EdPuzzle

o   Plicker

o   Pear Deck

Charlie Blair-Broeker Memory:

resources: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/qdx7w8jalac2xrb/AADHyPqSGRjhw3u-sXlp2BgBa?dl=0

remote associates test

in the old days, there were literally no resources, now there is a barrage

Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning McDaniel, Roediger

Opening Demo for memory unit – 107!

Deep processing task 

Moonwalking with Einstein: The art and science of remembering everything - Foer

Loftus constructed memory replication

All purpose memory demo

Alan Feldman and Rob McEntarffer - Reading Psychology
Conversations about books that might be interesting/useful for high school psychology teachers

• Perry - Behind the Shock Machine
• Haidt - The Righteous Mind
• Eagleman - Incognito
• Show and tell with Alan! 

List of books suggestion by psych teachers via google form

posted by Rob McEntarffer

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APA Psychology Posters

The American Psychological Association's Education Directorate has produced four posters for classroom use. The posters can be downloaded off the APA's website and then printed. For more information, with links to the posters, go to http://www.apa.org/ed/precollege/undergrad/classroom-posters.aspx.

I (Kent) would like to thank Daria Schaffeld (daria.schaffeld@d214.org), Prospect High School, Mt. Prospect, IL for providing the original idea behind this posting and all the work she has done as the NCSS Psychology Community Chair.

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National Council for the Social Studies Psychology Community

I got to meet Daria Schaffeld, chair of the National Council for the Social Studies Psychology Community, last year at NCSS. She helped run a great meeting for psych. teachers at NCSS, and I mentioned that I could post something about her group here on this blog. Here's Daria's message - please join this group!

"NCSS Communities are groups of NCSS members formed around a similar interest, subject, or job area and vehicles for NCSS members to discuss current topics, seek advice, share their knowledge and connect with other members with similar interests. Our goal is very simple - to help Psychology teachers!

Each year at the National Conference, my co-chairs and I present many wonderful sessions filled with lesson ideas and best practices. We also write 3 newsletters a year and send them to our members.

I am very dedicated to showing NCSS that Psychology is a valuable elective within the Social Studies Curriculum. It is vital that we have a voice.

I truly believe that if you are looking for some inspiration, networking, or assistance becoming part of our organization would be a great move. Membership information can be found on our website.

http://communities.socialstudies.org/

Online membership is free. I ask that you take a moment to join us. The higher numbers we show the more support NCSS gives our science."





posted by Rob McEntarffer

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Diagnostic Items, Formative Assessment, NCSS

I get to present a session at NCSS this Saturday about "Diagnostic Items in The Psychology Classroom". Its a formative assessment technique (written about by assessment guy Dylan Wiliam and psychology guy Stephen Chew) that involves single "big" multiple choice items. The items are designed to uncover student misconceptions about big, key ideas in psych. (see the presentation if you're interested in more detail and examples)

I'd love some suggestions for "big ideas": What are the big concepts in your classes that students HAVE to understand in order to move on? I'm thinking of things like control group, operational definitions, inferential stats, conformity/obediance, genetics/hereditability, etc. Please put suggestions for big ideas in the comments!

I'm going to ask the participants in this session whether I can share their diagnostic items with you all, so I hope to post an update after NCSS. Hope to see some of you there!

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Brain Salt and Pepper Shaker

Looking for a way to "spice up" that lecture on the brain? (I am really, really sorry. I just could not help it.) Propaganda has created a ceramic salt and pepper shaker shaped like the brain.

You will find the set for sale at a multitude of online websites, but Think Geek appears to have the best deal at $9.99 plus shipping. Either go to http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/kitchen/bac5/ or do a search for "brain salt and pepper shaker" for other retailers.

Thanks to the NCSS Psychology Community September Newsletter for this idea. Find out more about the Psychology Community at http://communities.ncss.org/communities/psychology

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Large Plush Toy Neuron

Looking for the perfect "prop" when you explain the parts of the neuron. Giantmicrobes of Delaware has developed a plush toy version. The toy comes in three sizes:

• Original (5-7" plush doll) $7.95
• PetriDish (3 mini microbes) $12.95
  
• Giganic (15-20" plush doll) $24.95

To order or for more information go to: http://www.giantmicrobes.com/us/products/braincell.html

A special thanks to Daria Schaffeld of Prospect High School, Mt Prospect, IL for this idea as detailed in the January 2009 edition of the NCSS Psychology Community Newsletter.

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