Agenda: Week of Monday, March 5 - Friday, March 9, 2012

Learning Targets for Chapters 7 & 8 "Cognition"

1. Cognition is the study of mental processes.

2. STM seems to be limited to 7+ - 2 items at any given time.

3. The differences between encoding, storage, and retrieval are important.

4. Models of LTM deal with how we organize information that we need to know.

5. Problem solving involves applying what we know in an organized way to issues that we face.

6. Language is a complex system of communication that allows us to use complex symbols to talk about things in the past or future, not just the present.

Stata Center, MIT

Monday, March 5, 2012

Quote: "I have never advocated war except as a means of peace." - Ulysses S. Grant 
Agenda:
1. DO NOW ?: Why do humans swear & curse?
2. CH 8 Notes - Focus on Language Acquisition
3. Psyktrek 3 CD if time permits.

Public Library Kansas City, Missouri

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Quote: "Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed."  - Dwight D. Eisenhower 

Agenda:

1. DO NOW ?: How does cognition work? Does cognition function differently in humans compared to animals?
2. CH 8 Notes - Focus on Language Acquisition
3. Psyktrek 3 CD if time permits.

Thursday, March 7 and 8, 2012
Quote: "Mankind must put an end to war before war puts an end to mankind."  - John F. Kennedy 
Agenda:
1. DO NOW ?: How does cognition work? Does cognition function differently in humans compared to animals?
2. CH 8 Notes - Focus on Language Acquisition
3. Psyktrek 3 CD if time permits.

Friday, March 9, 2012
Quote: "War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself." - John Stuart Mill, English economist & philosopher (1806 - 1873)  
Agenda:
1. TEST Chapter 7 & 8
2. After the test - pick up Article on Chapter 9.

Teacher of the Game Award

I wanted to sent out a special thank you to my wonderful AHS staff members who nominated me for the Rockets Teacher of the Game Award. You can read their nomination letter here. Their words are very special to me. I can't imagine anyone writing anything about me that would be written any better. It is amazing. Winning the award was a nice thing, but to me reading that nomination letter was winning enough. 


Thank you to my Blue 2 Principal Jonathan Campbell. You are an amazing friend and leader. Thanks to my English-teaching neighbor Jill Davison, who I can never seem to thank enough. You are AWESOME. 


Thank you to John Gillespie - my WHAP Partner in crime. I am very lucky to have worked with you this year. I hope we continue to do so for a long time. 


And also special thanks to Matthew D. Webb - you are also a great friend, mentor, and a wonderful leader of our social studies team. 


I am a lucky guy to work with such an incredible faculty and staff at Atascocita High. We have such incredible and hard working students. Some days I can barely get out of bed in the morning. But, knowing that my students need me gives me motivation to summon the energy to face each day. 


Of course, I'd be stupid not to mention the #1 MOST important person that I work with... and share my life with: Norma Duez. I could not do it without her. Thank you honey. And thanks for coming with me to the game. I needed you... like always.


To view the video of the presentation - click here.

Some neat goodies.

Mrs. Duez and I kept wondering where the ice was? No fights either. And the Rockets really need to step it up on the Power Play. :)

AP Amensty

A message from our awesome AP Coordinator:

For one day only, i will sign up next friday the 9th from 7:00am to 2:45 in W2, for anyone who missed the AP deadline.... call me stupid and soft.... but that's it!!!!!!!   Please let them know...

Ms.  Plagens

Agenda: Week of Feb. 27th - March 2nd, 2012

Learning Targets for Chapters 7 & 8 "Cognition"

1. Cognition is the study of mental processes.

2. STM seems to be limited to 7+ - 2 items at any given time.

3. The differences between encoding, storage, and retrieval are important.

4. Models of LTM deal with how we organize information that we need to know.

5. Problem solving involves applying what we know in an organized way to issues that we face.

6. Language is a complex system of communication that allows us to use complex symbols to talk about things in the past or future, not just the present.

Monday, Feb. 27th, 2012
Quote of the Day:  "History is a myth that men agree to believe." - Napoleon
Agenda:
1. Socratic discussion of article in groups during the first 1/2 of the period. Groups of 4, one person will moderate, jot down notes, and report back at the end of the discussion. ARTICLE: The Flavor of Memories
2. Notes, Discussion, & Video: Introduction to Chapter 7 and 8 "Cognition"
CH 7 Notes Cognition


Tuesday, Feb. 28th, 2012
Quote:  “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work learning from failure.” - General Colin Powell
Agenda:
1. DO NOW QUESTION: "Why do we remember some things and forget other things? What makes memory stick?"
2. Video Study: "The Woman Who Could Not Forget"
3. Notes, Video, & Discussion Chapter 7 & 8.
CH 7 Notes Cognition
CH 8 Notes

Thursday,  March 1st, 2012
Quote: "It was a rum job going over the top, without any rum." - Harry Lamin on the Western Front during Trench Warfare
Agenda:
1. DO NOW QUESTION: "How does language acquisition and vocabulary help humans remember information?"
2. Video Study: 60 Minutes Endless Memory
Video: Endless Memory, 60 Minutes, Part I
Video: Endless Memory, 60 Minutes, Part II
3. Notes, Video, and Discussion Chapter 7 & 8.
CH 7 Notes Cognition
CH 8 Notes

Friday, March 2nd, 2012
Quote of the Day:  "The war has ruined us for everything." Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front 
Agenda:
**Shortened Period Due to Extended Advisory**
1.Notes, Video, and Discussion Chapter 7 & 8.
CH 7 Notes Cognition
CH 8 Notes

Chapter 8 Notes - Cognition & Language

Notes Ch 7 Cognition

Targets - Chapter 7 & 8 Consciousness

Link to download the Targets from Google Docs.

Article Chapter 8 - Language

Click here to download and print from Google Docs

Chapter 7 Article - The Flavor of Memories

Click here to download and print from Google Docs

Article Chapter 7 "Friends Ruin Memory"

Click here to download and print from Google Docs

Extra Credit Essays on the Test

I'm giving you these for two reasons:

1. They are difficult, they are AP test questions from the past. The Free Response Section of the test is important and we can't just do well on the Multiple Choice and score a 5. So we'll start tackling these.
2. You can not bring the answer into class with you... it must be written without your notes or rough copy. But, this will give you a chance to think about these concepts. It will also be a good review for the rest of the test.

Extra Credit Essays – Answer one question on a separate sheet of paper. Answer correctly and you can score up a possible 5% points added to the test score. It is not enough to answer a question by merely listing facts. You should present a cogent argument based on your critical analysis of the question posed, using appropriate psychology terminology.

Essay #1:
Many people are concerned with the seeming inability of the prison system to rehabilitate criminals.

1. Based on your knowledge of learning, argue against the traditional prison system by explaining how each of the following could be used in a rehabilitation program:

• Operant conditioning
• Positive and negative reinforcement
• Shaping

2. Choose ONE of the above methods of learning and explain how it could be used to reform a convicted thief.

Essay #2:
Use one specific example for each of the concepts listed below to explain how the concept might relate to either the development of or the continuation of a smoking habit.

• Positive reinforcement
• Negative reinforcement
• Incentive motivation
• Schedules of reinforcement

Essay #3:
The Smiths are planning for their first baby. Both parents-to-be have had a psychology course and are looking forward to applying the principles they learned from theories and research that address child development.

1. Summarize one main idea or finding of each of the following four researchers:
• Skinner’s operant conditioning
• Bandura’s social learning theory
2. Provide a specific example of actions the Smiths might take to raise their child to produce positive outcomes using each of the theories below to address the corresponding psychological concept.
• Skinner’s operant conditioning: tantrum management
• Bandura’s social learning theory: sharing behavior