Mr. Bourdeau's Psychology Blog

Summer Reading: Articles 5 & 6

2011-08-06T12:33:00.000-04:00

Below are the final articles Mr. Roy and I would like you to read and comment on. Again, on the first day of class we expect that you will have prepared written responses to each of the prompts. There are multiple prompts per article. We expect at least a comprehensive paragraph for each prompt -- therefore at least four paragraphs per article. Your responses based on all six articles will be evaluated based on the degree of critical/analytical/reflective thought.

Again, there are a few purposes of the AP Psychology summer work. Mr. Roy and I want to introduce you to some contemporary issues in the field and give you the opportunity to reflect on these issues while comparing them to your current attitudes regarding psychology. In addition, we want you to walk into school ready to discuss your thoughts on these issues so you can hit the ground running during the first few days of class.

If you have any questions about any of this, my students can email me at rick.bourdeau@reg5.k12.ct.us. If you are a student of Mr. Roy, email him at claude.roy@reg5.12.ct.us.

Article #5: ADHD Among Preschoolers

This article comes from the APA Monitor. We chose it because there has been a lot of talk about ADHD in society in recent years.

http://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/07-08/adhd.aspx

Read the article carefully, reflect on what the author is saying, and then respond to the following questions in writing. A key to success on this assignment is to point to some specific aspect in the article, reflect, think, and then write. Again, your responses will be evaluated based on the degree of critical/analytical/reflective thought.

Be prepared to discuss the article and your responses in class.

Thought Questions

What is attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder? What are the difficulties in diagnosing it in young children?
Would the author agree or disagree the following statement: “A greater percentage of children have ADHD now than 35 years ago.” Cite evidence from the article to explain your answer.
What is your personal reaction to the article? Why? Explain.
Did you find the article biased? How so? Explain.

Article 6: Alone In The Crowd

This article also comes from the APA Monitor. We chose it because it involves something that has become VERY popular relatively recently -- social networking -- and its effects on other aspects of our lives.

http://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/06/social-networking.aspx

Read the article carefully, reflect on what the author is saying, and then respond to the following questions in writing. A key to success on this assignment is to point to some specific aspect in the article, reflect, think, and then write. Again, your responses will be evaluated based on the degree of critical/analytical/reflective thought.

Be prepared to discuss the article and your responses in class.

Thought Questions

According to the author, what effect does the use of social networking sites have on people? Explain.
Do you agree or disagree with the findings of the article? Which? Explain.
What is your personal reaction to the article? Why? Explain.
Did you find the article biased? How so? Explain.

That's it for the summer reading! Mr. Roy and I look forward to working with you this year. Get ready for a great year in Psychology!

Summer Reading: Articles 3 & 4

2011-08-04T22:50:00.003-04:00

Its August already! Mr.Roy and I hope that you have had a good break so far.

Below are the third and fourth articles we would like you to read and comment on. By the evening of August 7 we will post the last two articles. On the first day of class we expect that you will have prepared written responses to each of the prompts. There are multiple prompts per article. We expect at least a comprehensive paragraph for each prompt -- therefore at least four paragraphs per article. Your responses based on all six articles will be evaluated based on the degree of critical/analytical/reflective thought.

Again, there are a few purposes of the AP Psychology summer work. Mr. Roy and I want to introduce you to some contemporary issues in the field and give you the opportunity to reflect on these issues while comparing them to your current attitudes regarding psychology. In addition, we want you to walk into school ready to discuss your thoughts on these issues so you can hit the ground running during the first few days of class.

If you have any questions about any of this, my students can email me at rick.bourdeau@reg5.k12.ct.us. If you are a student of Mr. Roy, email him at claude.roy@reg5.12.ct.us.

Article #3: Silence, Please

This article comes from the APA Monitor. We chose it because it directly addresses something we are all exposed to -- noise -- and its effect on human behavior and mental processes.

http://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/07-08/silence.aspx

Read the article carefully, reflect on what the author is saying, and then respond to the following questions in writing. A key to success on this assignment is to point to some specific aspect in the article, reflect, think, and then write. Again, your responses will be evaluated based on the degree of critical/analytical/reflective thought.

Be prepared to discuss the article and your responses in class.

Thought Questions

According to the author, what effect does excessive noise have on us? Explain.
Do you agree or disagree with the findings of the article? Which? Explain.
What is your personal reaction to the article? Why? Explain.
Did you find the article biased? How so? Explain.

Article 4: Improving Learning

This article also comes from the APA Monitor. We chose it because it involves something that is very relevant to your lives right now -- the quality of your learning.

http://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/07-08/ce-learning.aspx

In the first line, the author states "This is one of those moments in history when people want to better understand how we learn." Summarize the author's support for this statement. Do you agree or disagree with the author's reasoning? Why or why not?
The author describes what he thinks is the "ideal vision of learning." Put this vision in your own words. Have you ever been taught this way in your high school career? If so, explain how, without mentioning teacher or course names. If not, describe how a teacher might teach this way.
Do you agree or disagree that the principles of learning grounded in cognitive science mentioned in the article are true? Explain.
What is your personal reaction to the idea of contemporary computerized learning environments, as described in the article? Why?

AP Psychology Summer Work: The First Two Articles

2011-07-01T07:39:00.006-04:00

Welcome to AP Psychology! Mr.Roy and I hope that your summer is going well so far.

All students enter this course with preconceived notions about the field of psychology. Not only is that fine, it is expected. Most are based on what is learned through family, friends, and the media, and for some of you some first-hand experience with psychologists. You will be using these notions as a starting point and you will go from there.

Given that, there are a few purposes of the AP Psychology summer work. Mr. Roy and I want to introduce you to some contemporary issues in the field and give you the opportunity to reflect on these issues while comparing them to your current attitudes regarding psychology. In addition, we want you to walk into school ready to discuss your thoughts on these issues so you can hit the ground running during the first few days of class.

For now we are posting two articles. In a week or two, we will post two more, and by the end of July we will post two more. On the first day of class we expect that you will have prepared written responses to each of the prompts. There are multiple prompts per article – we expect at least a comprehensive paragraph for each.

Your responses based on these six articles will be evaluated based on the degree of critical/analytical/reflective thought. If you have any questions about any of this, my students can email me at rick.bourdeau@reg5.k12.ct.us. If you are a student of Mr. Roy, email him at claude.roy@reg5.12.ct.us.

Article #1: The Stigma of Mental Illness

The first article comes from the monthly publication put out by the American Psychological Association called the APA Monitor. We chose it because it directly addresses what many people currently think about mental illness.

http://www.apa.org/monitor/2009/06/stigma.html?imw=Y

Read the article carefully, reflect on what the author is saying, and then respond to the following questions in writing. A key to success on this assignment is to point to some specific aspect in the article, reflect, think, and then write. Again, your responses will be evaluated based on the degree of critical/analytical/reflective thought.

Be prepared to discuss the articles and your responses in class.

Thought Questions

Is there a stigma associated with mental illness? How so? Explain.
Do you agree or disagree with the findings of the article? Which? Explain.
What is your personal reaction to the article? Why? Explain.
Did you find the article biased? How so? Explain.

Article #2: The Optimism Bias

The second article comes from Time magazine. We chose it not only because it discusses some very recent research, but it touches on multiple topics that we will be exploring over the course of the year.

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2074067,00.html

Again, read the article carefully, reflect on what the author is saying, and then respond to the following questions in writing. A key to success on this assignment is to point to some specific aspect in the article, reflect, think, and then write. Your responses will be evaluated based on the degree of critical/analytical/reflective thought.

Be prepared to discuss the articles and your responses in class.

Thought Questions

Psychology is the study of human behavior and mental processes. We will explore many different, but interrelated, aspects of psychology during the course of the year. This article touches on four of these aspects, which also happen to be the focus of four units we will study – Psychology as a Science, Biological Bases of Behavior, Memory, and Abnormal Psychology. I know you likely have a limited knowledge of these topics right now, but pick one of them and explain how the article relates to it. Be specific.
Do you agree or disagree with the findings of the article? Which? Explain.
What is your personal reaction to the article? Why? Explain.
Did you find the article biased? How so? Explain.