Tuesday, February 28, 2012
DAY 14 Girls Volleyball to OFSAA ! !
Because of the Senior Girl, GHAC Finals Volleyball game during period 5 today, there was a buyout so the three remaining students and I went to the Library to work on catching up and preparing for our next steps in class.
Friday, February 24, 2012
DAY 13 Behaviour Modification Questions and Your Own Program!
You all helped me to write questions on Skinner and your own B Mod project. Then we spent the rest of the time in the Library answering these questions and tweaking your understanding of how your own programs fit with Skinner's theory - well done everyone, there are some very interesting B Mods on the go in this class!!
Please share your work with me (on Google Docs or in MS Word Online) before pasting (Ctrl + v) into the cell beside your name. Open the Triologies Assignments Link on the upper right of the main page of this blog to see where to paste your stuff.
Please paste your link before school on Monday.
Please share your work with me (on Google Docs or in MS Word Online) before pasting (Ctrl + v) into the cell beside your name. Open the Triologies Assignments Link on the upper right of the main page of this blog to see where to paste your stuff.
Please paste your link before school on Monday.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
DAY 12 Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs continued . . .
Here's the handout from the class (I distributed this at the end of yesterday's class). Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs
After discussing each of Maslow's needs, briefly, you are to complete your own Hierarchy of Needs by completing the "pyramid" that I distributed (it's in the link above). This should give you a good indication of what behaviours you engage in that result in your needs being met.
Maslow Intro Video - in this video some of the shortcomings of Maslow's theory are highlighted. In fact they are not actual shortcomings but because most people understand this theory incorrectly they appear to be shortcomings.
Maslow did not require that we meet our more basic needs before acting on our higher needs. He suggested that our behaviours are motivated by our most immediate needs. Also he suggested that most well-adjusted people have satisfied most of their needs at each level. And, in order to be a "self-actualized" person, it tends to be easier if most of our other needs are met, however this is certainly not always the case. The idea of being "self-actualized", typically the pinnacle of Maslow's Hierarchy, simply means that we are at our best, achieving goals and moving on to other goals and to continue to be "at our best."
Examples of this include war correspondents who die in the line of duty. Here's a recent example from the news in Syria . . . link to news story of reporters killed in Syria . . . these reporters did not have their safety needs met, in fact they were doing their jobs knowing full well that their lives were in danger, yet they still worked and were being very self-actualized in that way - they were at the height of their abilities as reporters and photographers but were constantly in mortal danger. Also, if you have read the story of the Uruguayan rugby team that crashed in the Andes you'll find that many of them had interesting relationships and accomplished great things for three months before being saved despite being in peril each day.
After discussing each of Maslow's needs, briefly, you are to complete your own Hierarchy of Needs by completing the "pyramid" that I distributed (it's in the link above). This should give you a good indication of what behaviours you engage in that result in your needs being met.
Maslow Intro Video - in this video some of the shortcomings of Maslow's theory are highlighted. In fact they are not actual shortcomings but because most people understand this theory incorrectly they appear to be shortcomings.
Maslow did not require that we meet our more basic needs before acting on our higher needs. He suggested that our behaviours are motivated by our most immediate needs. Also he suggested that most well-adjusted people have satisfied most of their needs at each level. And, in order to be a "self-actualized" person, it tends to be easier if most of our other needs are met, however this is certainly not always the case. The idea of being "self-actualized", typically the pinnacle of Maslow's Hierarchy, simply means that we are at our best, achieving goals and moving on to other goals and to continue to be "at our best."
Examples of this include war correspondents who die in the line of duty. Here's a recent example from the news in Syria . . . link to news story of reporters killed in Syria . . . these reporters did not have their safety needs met, in fact they were doing their jobs knowing full well that their lives were in danger, yet they still worked and were being very self-actualized in that way - they were at the height of their abilities as reporters and photographers but were constantly in mortal danger. Also, if you have read the story of the Uruguayan rugby team that crashed in the Andes you'll find that many of them had interesting relationships and accomplished great things for three months before being saved despite being in peril each day.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
DAY 11 Behaviour Modification
We started by picking up where we left off during the power outage yesterday, with the short video about where we get our superstitions from - the point of that video is that the objects around us actually control our behaviour because of some unfounded notion about them.
Behaviour Modification Project: for today, start with a behaviour of yours that you would like to change. Brainstorm ideas of how/why that behaviour is easy for your to engage in and put the reasons into the left hand column of a chart that you make.
On the right hand side of that chart list the reasons that make it difficult for you to stop the behaviour.
Below the chart list things (modifications) that you could put into place that might help you to curb or improve the behaviour.
Behaviour Modification Project Baseline Due Feb 24, Final Project Due March 8 Paste the link to your Google Doc/Spreadsheet/whatever beside your name in my spreadsheet, Triologies Assignments Links - note that this link is to be used for all of your Google-type work for all assignments and that it's on the upper right of my Triologies Class Blog.
Then we moved on to Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs, something you've likely heard of before and perhaps it's even something you know about already. But what we discuss today might surprise you! Here's a copy of the handout that I distributed.
Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs
At the end of the class you all started to complete the pyramid yourselves - this can lead to some good thinking about your inner workings. Indeed, how is it that you meet your needs as per Maslow's ideas?
Behaviour Modification Project: for today, start with a behaviour of yours that you would like to change. Brainstorm ideas of how/why that behaviour is easy for your to engage in and put the reasons into the left hand column of a chart that you make.
On the right hand side of that chart list the reasons that make it difficult for you to stop the behaviour.
Below the chart list things (modifications) that you could put into place that might help you to curb or improve the behaviour.
Behaviour Modification Project Baseline Due Feb 24, Final Project Due March 8 Paste the link to your Google Doc/Spreadsheet/whatever beside your name in my spreadsheet, Triologies Assignments Links - note that this link is to be used for all of your Google-type work for all assignments and that it's on the upper right of my Triologies Class Blog.
Then we moved on to Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs, something you've likely heard of before and perhaps it's even something you know about already. But what we discuss today might surprise you! Here's a copy of the handout that I distributed.
Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs
At the end of the class you all started to complete the pyramid yourselves - this can lead to some good thinking about your inner workings. Indeed, how is it that you meet your needs as per Maslow's ideas?
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
DAY 10 Skinner and "Operant Conditioning"
Then we got into the idea of Skinner's Theory of Operant Conditioning (Presentation) . During this presentation we covered many aspects of his theory including:
Rewards and Punishments to alter behaviours.
There are Positive and Negative Rewards.
And there are Positive and Negative Punishments.
In this context, "Positive" means that something is added to the situation, e.g. a candy reward, a "thank you", an electric shock into the Skinner box (probably seen as a positive punishment), etc.
In this context, "Negative" means that something is removed from the situation, e.g. getting grounded (your right to go out has been removed), the annoying electric jolts in the Skinner box are shut off, etc.
A quick video on the Skinner Box.
Here's a video on some work done on "Baby Albert" showing how conditioning of someone's responses to various things can actually work. It has come out recently that little Baby Albert was, in fact, probably developmentally challenged. It should also be noted that such experiments on children or babies in modern times would be considered child abuse, so do not attempt this at home!
Here is a Youtube video on Skinner's ideas and how they can translate to other areas of Psychological concern, especially the Superstitions that People have.
Rewards and Punishments to alter behaviours.
There are Positive and Negative Rewards.
And there are Positive and Negative Punishments.
In this context, "Positive" means that something is added to the situation, e.g. a candy reward, a "thank you", an electric shock into the Skinner box (probably seen as a positive punishment), etc.
In this context, "Negative" means that something is removed from the situation, e.g. getting grounded (your right to go out has been removed), the annoying electric jolts in the Skinner box are shut off, etc.
A quick video on the Skinner Box.
Here's a video on some work done on "Baby Albert" showing how conditioning of someone's responses to various things can actually work. It has come out recently that little Baby Albert was, in fact, probably developmentally challenged. It should also be noted that such experiments on children or babies in modern times would be considered child abuse, so do not attempt this at home!
Here is a Youtube video on Skinner's ideas and how they can translate to other areas of Psychological concern, especially the Superstitions that People have.
DAY 9 Sign-in
Due to my absence with the ski/board racing team and due to the lack of available teachers to pick up this class you had a sign-in today - a good time to get caught up on work! Have a great Family Day Weekend, everyone!
DAY 8 "Fertile Minds": How Human Brains Grow
We are having a look at the article, "Fertile Minds: How Our Brains Grow," with each of you tackling a paragraph for the class. This article explains how neurons connect with each other in a developing brain and then what effect that might have.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
DAY 7 The Human Brain in Action
So, why did I give you a pop-quiz (that I will not be counting in your marks) on the eight Multiple Intelligences from Gardner's theory? As you now know, you are responsible for everything we do in class each day, even if you miss school for any reason. The information from class will always be on the blog so you can always access it. Also, I tried to teach you that the best way to study is to skim/scan your entire set of notes a few times a week, every week. That constant repetition and practice, even though it's not intensive or too demanding, will most definitely help your mind form permanent and easily accessible memories and understandings of the information. Try to get into the habit of doing just that, skim/scanning your entire set of notes a few times a week.
Today we looked at various functions of the human brain starting with a look at the old "science" of Phrenology - reading bumps on one's head. Mine's nice and round like a cue-ball so there's not much inside to worry about.
Here's the completed "map" of the brain with a bit of information about various parts as discussed during class and in the PowerPoint Presentation on the Brain that we looked at today.
The reason that I asked you to take notes during my presentation and then afterwards I gave you a completed set of notes is so that your brain had to perform several more functions than if I had simply given you the completed set of notes. By performing more tasks involving processing that information about the brain and its functions via my presentation you are much more likely to understand and retain more of the information. You had to listen, see, interpret, ask questions, and finally formulate it all into your own notes - lots of work for your brain to process but now you will better understand and remember the information.
Today we looked at various functions of the human brain starting with a look at the old "science" of Phrenology - reading bumps on one's head. Mine's nice and round like a cue-ball so there's not much inside to worry about.
Here's the completed "map" of the brain with a bit of information about various parts as discussed during class and in the PowerPoint Presentation on the Brain that we looked at today.
The reason that I asked you to take notes during my presentation and then afterwards I gave you a completed set of notes is so that your brain had to perform several more functions than if I had simply given you the completed set of notes. By performing more tasks involving processing that information about the brain and its functions via my presentation you are much more likely to understand and retain more of the information. You had to listen, see, interpret, ask questions, and finally formulate it all into your own notes - lots of work for your brain to process but now you will better understand and remember the information.
Monday, February 13, 2012
DAY 6 Intelligence Theory (in Multiples)
Last week everyone did the Mensa Mental Workout test - then we discussed various aspects of test taking, what the test actually tests, what does "Intelligence" actually mean.
Then I asked everyone to begin working on an opinion piece to help with your thinking Mensa Follow Up.
So far so good, everyone - I'm thinking that you are all doing a great job so far!! Yay!
Remember - I never ask, "How Intelligent Are You?".
Rather, I ask, "How Are You Intelligent?".
Here's a link to the lecture on the nature of intelligence and our school systems' inability to embrace all intelligences. Here's the link to Sir Ken Robinson.
We discussed the nature of Intelligence further today and then we distributed a handout on the current thinking about Intelligence.
Here's the Multiple Intelligence Handout for the day (and here's the 2nd one for the day on MI.)
We went through the definitions of Intelligence and then you got into groups and created lovely chart pages, life-size! - with all the information on intelligence that we need and then you all did a great job of presenting your information to the class - now it's much clearer where Multiple Intelligence shows up in society.
Then I asked everyone to begin working on an opinion piece to help with your thinking Mensa Follow Up.
So far so good, everyone - I'm thinking that you are all doing a great job so far!! Yay!
Remember - I never ask, "How Intelligent Are You?".
Rather, I ask, "How Are You Intelligent?".
Here's a link to the lecture on the nature of intelligence and our school systems' inability to embrace all intelligences. Here's the link to Sir Ken Robinson.
We discussed the nature of Intelligence further today and then we distributed a handout on the current thinking about Intelligence.
Here's the Multiple Intelligence Handout for the day (and here's the 2nd one for the day on MI.)
We went through the definitions of Intelligence and then you got into groups and created lovely chart pages, life-size! - with all the information on intelligence that we need and then you all did a great job of presenting your information to the class - now it's much clearer where Multiple Intelligence shows up in society.
Friday, February 10, 2012
DAY 5 End of Week 1 - Let's Finish it All Up!
In my absence yesterday with the Ski/Board Race Team you all had some work to do on Triologies in Pictures and some other things. Let's finish that all off today and let's figure out the best way for you to get me your work - in the past we've relied on the Classes - Kovich folder but nowadays so many of your are using your own devices and might now have access to the school's drives so we can figure this out as a group. I'll learn a lot from you today.
Consider this in regards to Multiple Intelligence:
"If I know that you're good at music I can predict with about zero percent accuracy whether you'll be good at other things."
Howard Gardner, father of modern Multiple Intelligence Theory.
Consider this in regards to Multiple Intelligence:
"If I know that you're good at music I can predict with about zero percent accuracy whether you'll be good at other things."
Howard Gardner, father of modern Multiple Intelligence Theory.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
DAY 4 Triologies in Pictures
Today you will go to the Library Lab with another teacher due to my absence for an Alpine Ski and Board Race.
Please do the following . . .
Triologies in Pictures
1. Create a visual presentation that demonstrates your understanding of the three units (Psychology, Anthropology and Sociology) that we will be studying in this course as per our discussion on Monday. You will do a GoogleDocs Presentation (you need to create a Gmail account for this – use your first and last name for your Gmail account (mine, for example, is marktkovich@gmail.com – I had to add my middle initial, “t”, because markkovich@gmail.com was already taken.
2. Use pictures, cartoons, maps, photos etc. and label your images as they relate to the units. If you do a collage (one for each unit) that will be sufficient, then follow on more slides for #3 & # 4 below.
3. Write a response to the question “How is each of these three units of study influential in your life as a North American teenager? In which parts of your life is each present and relevant?” Provide three specific examples and analyze each of your examples to determine how, as you understand it right now, is important.
4. Then write a response to this question (heck, you might even consider making this the theme of your Psychology slide . . . ). “How does the concept of Multiple Intelligence, as depicted in Sir Ken Robinson’s TED Talk Lecture, play a role in your schooling up to this point in your academic career?” If you want more information on Multiple Intelligence have a look at this site on Multiple Intelligence. We'll cover MI in depth on Friday in class.
DAY 3 Multiple Intelligence and Sir Ken Robinson on Creativity
You enjoyed your first test of the semester today - you all did a Mensa Mental Workout - the Mensa organization has an interesting website with many fun mental acuity tests like the one you did today. We didn't spend much time on taking up the answers, we'll do that on Friday, at least we'll help resolve the question about whether such a test actually measures one's intelligence or not.
We followed up with the TED Talks Sir Ken Robinson lecture on how modern education kills creativity. Much to think about in his ideas . . . more on that on Friday.
We followed up with the TED Talks Sir Ken Robinson lecture on how modern education kills creativity. Much to think about in his ideas . . . more on that on Friday.
DAY 2 Sign-in
Most of you signed in and picked up the instructions but most of you didn't actually do what I had intended. No worries, we'll pick that up on Thursday. For today it was a sign-in due to my absence with the ski/board racing team.
DAY 1 Oh the Places You'll GO ! ! !
We began the first class with an old fashioned story-time story, "Oh the Places You'll Go", by Dr. Seuss. My personal message to all of you is that you are at the beginning of the best journey of your life, the journey into fully fledged adulthood and you are all well on your way to great things.
After the story we had a good look at some ideas about Anthropology, Sociology and Psychology through a slide show and accompanying questions. Some of the ideas centred around what makes people think, say and do the things they think, say and do. This will be one of the underlying themes in most days of this course, that is, trying to understand human behaviour, within our own minds, with others in social settings and with the larger population in culture. I can't wait for us to really get under way in this class!
After the story we had a good look at some ideas about Anthropology, Sociology and Psychology through a slide show and accompanying questions. Some of the ideas centred around what makes people think, say and do the things they think, say and do. This will be one of the underlying themes in most days of this course, that is, trying to understand human behaviour, within our own minds, with others in social settings and with the larger population in culture. I can't wait for us to really get under way in this class!
Thursday, December 1, 2011
DAY 60 (Dec 1) TEN Ideas that Changed the World
After Show and Tell of all of your contributions to the Christmas baskets for our adopted family (which, by the way, you are all doing very very well at and the baskets look awesome, last day to contribute is a week tomorrow, that's Friday, Dec 12), we broke into groups to look at the effects that 10 different Ideas have had on the human race and on our relationship with the planet and each other. Here's the handout for it, Ideas that Changed the World. These are by no means the best ideas, nor are they the only ideas, they're just a cross-section that covers a lot of ground.
I asked each group of three to create a list of the effects that your "idea" has had on us all. Here we go . . . I'll list a few of the best ideas here.
OZONE LAYER HOLE
- started awareness of conservation groups
- started the move to environmental packaging
- widespread awareness on UV rays and the problems they cause
- sun smart thinking
- awareness of ice caps melting and rising sea levels
- altered food chains (CO2 more)
- green bins, blue recycling
EVOLUTION
- shook the origin concepts of many religions
- explained the fossil record
- humans have a common ancestor
- explains why some creatures adapt and change and others do not
- helps us understand changing environments
- speech and grooming explained
- relationships of the webs of species
- human diversity explained
- explained how we are animals too
- DNA tests confirm how closely related we are to the great apes
- vestigial features (e.g. whales have "fingers" in their flippers)
- dinosaurs died out because they couldn't adapt fast enough
LARGE HADRON COLLIDER
- greatest technological advancement in science recently
- can confirm or disprove things we already know
- can inspire other theories
- will help us innovate and improve our physics thinking in the future
FARMING
- makes food widely available
- in historic times settlements became possible
- different and healthy foods more widely available
- more "leisure" time available in ancient towns thus people had time to invent
- craftspeople became more skilled leading to today's high tech
DIGITAL SOUND
- talking pictures were an early form
- radio is all about sound
- telephones
- pop culture surged, especially through music
- CD
- lead to widely popular and cheaply available cell phones, Internet, etc.
- iPod, the original, was the first digital sound player
VACCINATIONS
- longer life expectancy
- better overall health and immune systems
- good technologies to deal with new bugs
- protects without being invasive
- infant mortality rates way down
- helped us advance our technologies that deal with dangerous microbial life
- cost-effective
MICROSCOPES
- discovered the tiniest of life-forms
- the true nature of disease
- the true nature of the tiniest elements of nature was discovered
- it's a necessary technology for medicine today
- in vitro fertilization
- great technology for teaching
- modern research in medicine is based on micro stuff
- DNA and genetic research needs to see small things
ELECTRIC MOTOR
- we are now dependent upon electricity
- it defines our quality of life
- led to the idea of internal combustion engines?
THE INTERNET
- fast, instantaneous communication of ideas and knowledge and information
- convenience and efficiency
- e-books
- helps move us from paper to electronics
- makes us "lighter" thinkers
- makes global marketing and globalization possible
HUMAN RIGHTS
- Canadian Charter of Rights is world-renowned
- issues and crises arise because this is the new ideology - thus this is an example of a new ideology coming into conflict with the status quo (old ideas) and having to be resolved, often through physical conflict, e.g. Arab Spring.
- social justice is prevalent in the modern world
- a peaceful coexistence is possible
Tomorrow we'll be in the Library to complete your boards for Monday's Food and Culture Day in the Bearpit! ! !
I asked each group of three to create a list of the effects that your "idea" has had on us all. Here we go . . . I'll list a few of the best ideas here.
OZONE LAYER HOLE
- started awareness of conservation groups
- started the move to environmental packaging
- widespread awareness on UV rays and the problems they cause
- sun smart thinking
- awareness of ice caps melting and rising sea levels
- altered food chains (CO2 more)
- green bins, blue recycling
EVOLUTION
- shook the origin concepts of many religions
- explained the fossil record
- humans have a common ancestor
- explains why some creatures adapt and change and others do not
- helps us understand changing environments
- speech and grooming explained
- relationships of the webs of species
- human diversity explained
- explained how we are animals too
- DNA tests confirm how closely related we are to the great apes
- vestigial features (e.g. whales have "fingers" in their flippers)
- dinosaurs died out because they couldn't adapt fast enough
LARGE HADRON COLLIDER
- greatest technological advancement in science recently
- can confirm or disprove things we already know
- can inspire other theories
- will help us innovate and improve our physics thinking in the future
FARMING
- makes food widely available
- in historic times settlements became possible
- different and healthy foods more widely available
- more "leisure" time available in ancient towns thus people had time to invent
- craftspeople became more skilled leading to today's high tech
DIGITAL SOUND
- talking pictures were an early form
- radio is all about sound
- telephones
- pop culture surged, especially through music
- CD
- lead to widely popular and cheaply available cell phones, Internet, etc.
- iPod, the original, was the first digital sound player
VACCINATIONS
- longer life expectancy
- better overall health and immune systems
- good technologies to deal with new bugs
- protects without being invasive
- infant mortality rates way down
- helped us advance our technologies that deal with dangerous microbial life
- cost-effective
MICROSCOPES
- discovered the tiniest of life-forms
- the true nature of disease
- the true nature of the tiniest elements of nature was discovered
- it's a necessary technology for medicine today
- in vitro fertilization
- great technology for teaching
- modern research in medicine is based on micro stuff
- DNA and genetic research needs to see small things
ELECTRIC MOTOR
- we are now dependent upon electricity
- it defines our quality of life
- led to the idea of internal combustion engines?
THE INTERNET
- fast, instantaneous communication of ideas and knowledge and information
- convenience and efficiency
- e-books
- helps move us from paper to electronics
- makes us "lighter" thinkers
- makes global marketing and globalization possible
HUMAN RIGHTS
- Canadian Charter of Rights is world-renowned
- issues and crises arise because this is the new ideology - thus this is an example of a new ideology coming into conflict with the status quo (old ideas) and having to be resolved, often through physical conflict, e.g. Arab Spring.
- social justice is prevalent in the modern world
- a peaceful coexistence is possible
Tomorrow we'll be in the Library to complete your boards for Monday's Food and Culture Day in the Bearpit! ! !
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