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In May 2010, the Discovery Channel came to UNI to interview Kim & Otto MacLin, as well as to shoot footage for an episode on memory for a new series called "Curiosity."

"Curiosity: The Questions of Life" is a 60-episode, five year series that aims to answer vital questions of human existence. Beginning in August 2011, a new one-hour episode of "Curiosity" will be shown each month. A recent article in The New York Times states, The channel calls "Curiosity" a landmark series, drawing comparisons to "Planet Earth," the 11-part environmental overview that received wide acclaim when it was shown in the United States in 2007." http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/curiosity/

Short blurb in CSBS Kudos http://www.uni.edu/csbs/sites/default/files/Kudos_Oct10.pdf

I often get requests on how to plan, organize, and conduct a mock crime and mock trial for Psychology & Law classes.

Here are some sources to get you started:

MacLin, M. K. (Winter, 2006). Implementing a mock crime, investigation and trial into your psychology and law course. AP-LS Teaching Techniques. American Psychology-Law Society. Available: http://www.ap-ls.org/publications/newsletters/aplsnews.win2006.pdf

MacLin, M. K., Tapscott, R., Peterson, D., & MacLin, O. H. (May, 2008). Using CSI to teach science to middle school students. Poster presented at the Teaching Institute of the Association for Psychological Science, Chicago, IL. Link

A link to my Psychology & Law class website: http://www.psychologicalscience.com/psylaw/

A link to project and role information: http://www.psychologicalscience.com/psylaw/2010/08/mock-crimemock-trial-project-information.html　

Mind maps are graphic depictions of a concept and the concepts related to that concept. It is a diagram used to represent words linked to and arranged around a central concept (Read Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_map).

Mind maps can be used to organize ideas, generate ideas (brain storming), and visually show information about a topic.

You will be generating a mind map as a way to demonstrate your developing knowledge base about the course you are in with me. A mind map used as a 'test' focuses on evaluating what you DO know, not on what you don't know.

Should you choose, you can be very creative with your mind map (using colors and small drawings). It is possible however, to do a good mind map using lines and bubbles.

Here is a sample of a mind map (an incomplete one) where the central concept is S&P (referring to sensation and perception). This shows the main categories, and the person would/could/should add as much detail off of each of these main category bubbles as they could.

Here are some other ones done by students last semester:

Other samples from the internet:

http://www.targetprocess.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/mind-mapping-bdd.jpg

http://www.mindtools.com/media/Diagrams/mindmap.jpg

http://www.spicynodes.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/combating-global-warming-map.jpg

http://www.indyish.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/IaGo_J001ArtdepMindmap.jpg

http://www.mindmapart.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/adjusting-to-eye-loss-mind-map-jane-genovese.gif

http://www.mindmapart.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/psychology-of-persuasion-mind-map-adam-sicinski.gif

Yes. I am one of *those* people. I can't read anything without editing it. I know the difference between "effect" and "affect" and it makes me crazy to see grammatical or spelling errors in print or on signage. See below, a sign in the Dublin Zoo in Ireland.

Language can be artful, and I get a certain peace when I read writing that flows and is technically correct. I so appreciate writing that elevates even above that into something truly creative. Knowing the parts of speech and the 'rules of the road' make writing easier. Knowing and fixing the mechanics of a piece of writing allows the ideas to shine through.

If you understand parts of speech, you can find a distinct pleasure in diagramming a sentence. Here are a couple of great websites on this "old school" skill:

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/diagrams/diagrams.htm

http://www.lifestreamcenter.net/DrB/Lessons/TS/diagram.htm

And here is a quite beautiful diagram:

That said, I know from experience that writing skills can be taught. I was in my mid-20's before I stopped using "that" when I should have been using "who." It was only through the brute force of probably dozens and dozens of corrections by a mentor that I broke that habit. And just because I know grammar and spelling, doesn't mean I always practice what I preach. Point in fact, it is taking everything I have (and many backspaces) to write in upper and lower case letters in this post, with periods and commas. I much prefer all lower case and lots of dot dot dots....

Here are a few common errors I see in writing from people who have a lot to say, but are still learning how to write it.

Who vs. That

Who refers to people, that refers to objects

"The woman that dropped her purse" should be "The woman who dropped her purse."

Affect vs. Effect

Affect (emphasis on the A) has to do with emotional expression and is a noun, affect (emphasis on ffect) is a verb, and effect is a noun.

Their They're There

Their is possessive ("Their house"), they're is a contraction ("They're going to church") and there is location ("over there")

And here is a blog where all things grammar reign: http://www.grammarphobia.com/

And some thoughts on the Common Core

When it gets to the point where you will be writing blog entries (in addition to commenting on existing entries), you will need to follow the directions below. When you comment, you enter the site through the actual blog (sort of like the front door). To write blog entries, you must go to a link that lets you into the inner workings of the blog itself (sort of like the back door).

Here's how you do it:

go here to login:

http://www.psychologicalscience.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt.cgi

Once you log in you'll be at the dashboard site You use the same username and password as you are using to login to comment. If  you are in more than one of my classes, or if you are also in one of Otto's classes, make sure that the correct course is listed (that you want to blog to). It will be listed as a tab on the left side of the page under the words 'movable type.' Click on the arrow to change the course. 

Right below that class name tab will be a tab called 'create.' Click on 'create' and then 'entry.' You'll be able to write your entry here. Make sure to use an informative title in the title box, and then type your entry into the bigger box. You can also type your entry in a word processor and copy and paste it in the box if you'd like.

Adding images: You can copy and paste images into the box if you want. Find an image on the internet that is related and that you want to add. Right click on the image, and higlight the image url that is next to 'properties.' Most images will have an image extension (gif, jpg, etc). Some images are embedded into the websites banner and will have an htm extension. You will not be able to copy and paste that image. Using the image search function on google is very helpful. Now, paste that url you copied from the properties field into your browser's address field (http: etc). Hit enter, and you will now be at a page that has just the image on it. You may now copy and paste this image from this page to the textbox in your create entry page. Please also include underneath the image the url so that viewers know where you got your image. There is an upload image icon on the textbox page. Please do not attempt to upload images to Movable Type. Please only copy and paste from other locations.

Adding Links: You can add links to content you are referring to by copying and pasting. You can also make a phrase or word a hyperlink by using the chain button on the textbox. It is really important that you hit the space bar or enter button after typing in a link when you are copying and pasting or typing in a link into your entry. If you don't do this, it will not be clickable to your readers. You can tell you have done this successfully as you type because it will turn a color (blue, I think).

When you are done writing your entry, it is time to categorize your entry and add keywords and tags. On the right hand side of the page, there will be the word 'categories.'  The categories will be listed under it...or if not, there will be a little plus sign where you click on that and the categories will show up. Select the category(ies) that you think your post is most about. If you want to add a category that is not there, you can do that too by click on 'add new.' Below the textbox you'll see a 'tag' box and a keyword box. You should put key words in each of the boxes that reflect your entry. The 'tag' words will go to our blog site to create a listing (a tag cloud) to show the kind of topics we cover. Tag words often the same or very similar to the categories you selected. The keyword box is specifically what search engines will look for so you may add more detailed information there.

When you are done, click the save button a the bottom of the page. Your post will not show up immediately. Now, return to the dashboard. Look at your little profile box in the upper right hand corner. It will list the number of comments and entries. It will also tell you if you have any drafts. Click on the draft and it will let you publish it. 

I look forward to reading your entries!

For my classes you are required to regularly interact with the blog by commenting on existing posts. As you get the hang of it, you may also want to comment on other blogs out there in the internet world. All of the below types of comments can be helpful additions to the blog. You want your comments to display interest and a growing understanding of course content.

There are several forms your comment can take:

1) Love it/Hate it!  This type of comment is often very short and usually just provides a quick opinion--I agree, This is so great, I hate this sort of thing--etc. Even comments that are a short paragraph might still fall in this category if all you do is ultimately end up saying that something is good/bad/fun/interesting, etc., with no supporting information or analysis.

2) Experiential. This type of comment goes beyond #1 in that you clearly document your experience with the material by sharing details of your thoughts, reactions and feelings while engaged with the content in or referred to in the blog post.

3) Summary.  This type of comment summarizes in detail the content referred to in the blog post (link, article, movie, etc).

4) Commentary/Opinion. This type of comment goes beyond #1 in that you clearly state and defend your opinion about the post or post content.

5) Additional Information. This type of comment refers readers to other related sources. This could be links to the actual source material referred to in the post (e.g., the actual journal article, newspaper article, or other source material referred to in the post), or to similar material in general (e.g., if you liked this link, you might like this other one, etc).

6) Critique/Evaluation/Analysis. In this kind of comment, you will likely incorporate elements from any of the above, and move beyond that to critically analyze the material incorporating into your comment evidence and terminology from the textbook and lectures.

Just days after I wrote "Using Film to Contextualize Course Content" I ran across this article in Scientific American Mind  "I Learned it at the Movies: Hollywood as Teacher." Wray Herbert notes that "Educators believe that the vividness of film can be a valuable teaching tool, enlivening and reinforcing students' memories for otherwise dry historical text," and that movies can be yet another tool along with lecture and textbooks. I'm a firm believer in this concept.

This article though also focuses on what happens when movies get it wrong? Reporting data from a recent Psychological Science article (Butler et al., 2009), he underscores the importance of a good teacher making use of movies in a classroom where that teacher must highlight inaccuracies and errors in the movie. Doing so 'tags' the information for the student and allows for the movie to bring concepts to life in a compelling way, while not in turn 'teaching' inaccurate information.

This method is extremely important when using films to exemplify psychological principles. Hollywood often gets it wrong when it comes to psychology. "Split" personalities, amnesiacs, and wacky therapists run rampant with heavy doses of fantasy being portrayed as reality. Assignments that have students critically evaluate the correct and incorrect content, and those that have students compare and contrast accurate versus inaccurate portrayals of psychological disorders (for example) are critical to make the best use of movies in university courses.  

This brings me to another point. Most of the movies I show in psychology courses in fact are not what are considered "psychology movies"; in other words they are not about mental disorders. Rather, I often choose movies that portray the other myriad topics in psychology that go beyond what might be found in an abnormal psychology chapter in an intro to psych textbook (like those having to do with sensation and perception, cognition, motivation, emotion, relationships and on and on). Using movies at all in the classroom also allows for discussions of stereotypes and cultural perspectives on the discipline.

Using Films to Contextualize Course Content: http://www.psychologicalscience.com/motivation_emotion/2009/12/new-design-launched-using-movable-type.html

I Learned it at the Movies: Hollywood as Teacher: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=i-learned-it-at-the-movies

Butler, Zaromb, Lyle, & Roediger (2009). Using popular films to enhance classroom learning. Psychological Science, 20(9), 1161-1168. http://psych.wustl.edu/memory/Roddy%20article%20PDF's/Butler%20et%20al%20(2009)_PsychSci.pdf