I took advantage of a different type of continuing education by participating in an online seminar sponsored by the National Humanities Center.  The seminar topic was Thomas Jefferson and slavery:  his views on slavery, his personal attitudes about race and his personal relationships with his slaves.  Thomas Jefferson was notable in his day for being opposed to slavery on principle, but unwilling to free his own slaves.  He had a scandalous relationship with his slave Sally Hemmings, which was well reported in his own lifetime.

Participating in the online seminar was a rewarding experience for several reasons.  First, it was led by a well-known scholar on Jefferson and slavery from Rutgers University, Dr. Mia Bay.  Second, there were primary source materials and articles to use during the seminar that can also be used with my classes.  Last, it was a very convenient way to engage in discussion with other teachers from around the country and an expert in the field, while sitting at home at my desk.  I was a little uncertain about the “tech” angle, but it was easy to participate in the seminar online; I would definitely take part in another seminar sponsored by the same institution.

Leslie Lovett

Upper School History

The Houston Heritage Society’s “Best Little Workshop in Texas” provided a wealth of ideas and resources for classroom use. Workshop presentations included using primary and secondary sources for teaching Texas in the Civil War, the 1900 Galveston hurricane, and the original digitized archives from the Texas General Land Office. When it comes to the Civil War, Texas is always presented as a minor player, but through this workshop I learned that Texas had a strategic role in the Civil War, both for the North and South, and that the state also took an active role in assisting the South in some of its battles. In the workshop on the 1900 Galveston hurricane, participants were provided with before and after pictures as well as government documents and first-hand accounts of the disaster and the city’s response.   The most exciting workshop came from a presenter from the Texas General Land Office, who provided participants with lessons, visuals and primary source documents to assist students in learning more about the original settlers and their landholdings in Texas. Digitized documents that students can access date back to Texas under Mexico and even farther back to Texas under Spain. Students are able to research original land grant documents and other primary source documents such as letters written to verify applicants’ connection to the Texas Revolution. Students are even able to research the original grant holders and land documents for the Kinkaid School.

René Pérez

Middle School History

“Robotics 101” was a great, fast-paced workshop that covered the basics of starting a Lego robotics club or team. The basics of building and programming the robots were covered, as well. Workshop attendees were put into teams, then organized a new Lego Mindstorm NXT educational kit and constructed a basic robot and programmed it for specific functions. This training will constitute the foundation of a Middle School robotics club and competition team. Students involved in robotics learn valuable problem solving and engineering skills along with teamwork dynamics. I look forward to implementing this in the Middle School.

Jeff Gessel

Middle School Science

I attended a Texas Foreign Language Association pre-conference workshop, "Teaching French with la chanson française."  The song part of the session was led by Deborah Boily, a Houston singer I have followed for years.  The "teaching" part of the session was led by our friend and colleague Georges Detiveaux from Lone Star College-CyFair.  The conference was superbe!  Of course we loved all the French songs.  However, the best part was that Georges provided lessons to accompany each of the 18 songs presented, lessons that included culture, art, history, grammar, and vocabulary.  We walked away with an "e-book" filled to the brim with Internet links.  I spent hours and hours this past weekend playing with all those web pages and was amazed at what I could use right away in my classes.

I also attended the American Association of Teachers of French business meeting.  The best part of that for me was a presentation by two teachers from the University of Texas at Austin who reminded us of their free on-line text, Le Français Interactif.  Again, I spent hours on line and read every one of the chapters.  I will be using one of their exercises on the past tense (imparfait vs. passé composé) tomorrow!

Jane Murdock

Middle and Upper School French

This is a short report on the TFLA pre-conference workshop on La Chanson Française. I was familiar with the presenters, Georges Detiveaux, a French teacher and technology director at Lone Star College-Cy Fair, and Deborah Boily, a local singer whose specialty is French songs in the style of Brel and Piaf. The two of them have compiled  a series of activities around 18 songs. Activities varied from the traditional Cloze type listening vocabulary exercises with fill-ins on large cardboard strips to a myriad of other possibilities.  Georges gave us links to wonderful websites for grammar practices and cultural lessons. Beyond my enjoyment of the songs, this was an opportunity to discuss best teaching practices around songs. I already use songs to develop listening skills and reinforce some structures.  We had done Brel, (Ne me quitte pas!) recently.  Popular music is not always easy to incorporate in a high school class. Themes are often too "risqué!" I found this workshop useful and well done. I will use new songs. Moreover, I discovered many resources such as Tennessee Bob or Le Français Interactif for teaching old things in a new way!

Marie O’Donnell

Upper School French

The Texas Foreign Languages Association works very hard to provide quality professional development and networking opportunities for its members. There were over one hundred workshops and sessions covering a wide variety of topics. This organization is very dear to my heart. It has grown so many foreign language teachers. 

My focus this year at the conference was the new Advanced Placement Spanish Literature and Culture Course. On Friday we were busy relating the 38 works to literary, historical, sociocultural and geopolitical contexts in Spanish. The inclusion of the word “culture” in the title reflects a purposeful alignment of the course to standards-based Spanish instruction. My challenge will be to write "essential questions" that will support and help students make interdisciplinary connections.

Yolanda Soliz

Upper School Spanish

The best part of the “Rebuilding and Reinventing District 8 Libraries” conference was getting to see the new Learning Commons at the University of Houston.  I have a number of photos that will give us good ideas for our next library.  I also went to a helpful session, “Meta-Active Learning: Library Instruction Techniques Made Simple,” that focused on giving students ownership over their own development of knowledge.  The second session was “Latest eBook Library Trends,” where I found, to my delight, that we are at the front of the pack.

Dorian Myers

Director of Libraries and Archives

Dr. William Neidinger’s “The Rise of Rome” was a helpful refresher Classical Civilization lecture series; his presentations offered an objective and occasionally subjective way to see how educated men handled times of war vs. peace, dictators vs. early democracy, citizens vs. noncitizens, economic success vs. defeat, etc. We met for six Monday evening lectures to listen to Dr. Neidinger’s notes and to see his updated slides from museums, books, art, organizational charts, and travel photos regarding significant people and facts about the Monarchy, the Roman Republic, and the Empire.

Perhaps the most fun details had to do with immigration, needing to establish an official language, and the popularity of watching “blood sports.” After so many immigrants arrived in Rome, legislators had to make Latin the official language for speaking to the Senate. Following the tradition of the Samnites and Etruscans, a few Roman leaders experimented with gladiator games in 264 B.C.; the people loved them so much that this kind of “entertainment” continued . . . probably much too long.

Sue Greene

Middle School Latin

The ERB Conference in New York City started with a visit to Marymount School, where we spent five hours observing and learning how this all girls school uses technology, from the use YouTube Videos created by students to describe specific classes and rooms,  to the Fabrication Lab in the middle school (grades 4- 7). It was quite refreshing to learn how Marymount addresses learning differences and the emphasis they, too, place on the arts (especially since they are located across the street from the MET). My visit served as a catalyst for me to evaluate what we are doing as a school and encouraged me to think beyond our local school environment. It also allowed me the opportunity to reconnect with Dr. Alvar, Headmistress of Marymount, and a remarkable resource whom I met during my year in the Klingenstein program at Columbia.

The conference theme, “Journey to Academic Excellence,” provided many enriching opportunities to explore learning through the use of technology and the "digital world." Ian Jukes gave a phenomenal talk on what he referred to as "disruptive innovation" in our new digital environment. He noted that there will always be consequences of some sort with modern technology, but also "opportunities for correction." Examples that he provided included the lack of  communication skills (both writing and speaking), integrity, critical thinking, and hands-on learning vs. virtual learning. Dr. Charles Fadel of Cisco Systems also spoke well and posed two questions: What will the world be like 20 years from now?" (imagine us answering that question 20 years ago) and What will we need to be successful 20 years from now?" He used these questions as framework to provide statistical data regarding the fluidity of technology in relation to critical thinking, ethics/ good citizenship/ adaptability, curiosity, resilience, and relevance.

Other interesting topics included a coed middle school that has conducted a research study by creating single gender classes in both math and English; the new ISEE and ERB on-line tests; how to make data more meaningful, and what it can truly suggest both about our students and our school; and how we use technology as a tool (not as the only source) to update and enhance the need's of today's learning. I also attended a fabulous presentation by a college math professor who has used technology to create a virtual math classroom. She challenged our thinking by suggesting that both reading and writing (specifically cursive) will become "virtually" obsolete in the future due to the movement of technology—fast, quick, and now. She also shared many practical tips for non-virtual instructors and engaged us in a discussion on how to make the shift back to writing and reading at the lower levels.

Chelsea Collins

Middle School Dean

The Houston Arboretum and Nature Center workshop, “Tree I.D.,” was a practical, hands-on workshop on using leaves and field guides to identify thirty tree species native or naturalized to the Houston area. After an introduction on the history of the Houston area ecoregions and the evolution of our current tree population, time was spent identifying 18 labeled specimens in the classroom, using two user-friendly field guides. Following that we hit the trails to identify additional trees. This class was basic, but very well done. The field guides we used will be perfect for my 4th grade program!

Louise Sayuk

Lower School Science

Even after studying ancient Rome for more years than I care to count, this lecture series proved there is still much to learn.  Perhaps most interesting are the changes brought about from new evidence.  For example, ancient Roman historians ignored the role of the Etruscans with a ”pro-Roman” bias, but new discoveries and the partial translation of written records confirm the Etruscan role in early Roman history.  Moreover, it is now thought that the early kings, including Romulus, may have been Etruscan.  Roman culture was actually very cosmopolitan; gladiator games, the alphabet, the legal system, and the gods were all imports.  The most famous extant Greek statues were actually copies made in Roman factories because the style was so popular with wealthy Romans.  We sometimes think “global” is a recent concept, but the spread of ideas through interconnected societies is a constant throughout history.  The Roman story is a fascinating opportunity to study the positive and negative effects of the confluence of cultures.

The idea of expanding and changing historical knowledge of history was reinforced in a presentation for teachers as part of the King Tut exhibit that I attended.  The cause of his death has been explored and debated since the discovery of the tomb in 1922.  The most recent studies using DNA reveal no foul play and attribute death to malaria and complications from a broken leg.  However, I won’t be surprised if it’s not the final word.

Barbara Cooney

Middle School History

The Scientific Spelling presentation was the second time around for me. I found my previous notes complete and very helpful. The presenter was thorough. Writers who use, write, and spell words in context, in content areas, prove themselves to be good spellers. There are other students who will need isolated instruction for specific spelling patterns and irregular words.

Ron Gutowsky

Lower School

Scientific Spelling was presented by Katie Farmer of The Neuhaus Education Center. Ms. Farmer is very knowledgeable about the Scientific Spelling Program and has experience in the use of the program in the classroom. Scientific Spelling is based on using spelling rules to divide words into categories. These categories are regular, irregular or rule words. They give children tools to analyze words. This analysis helps them determine those words that must be memorized because they do not fit a sound-spelling pattern.

Patti Patyk

Lower School Assistant

Katy Farmer from the Neuhaus Education Center presented a Scientific Spelling workshop to the Lower School faculty. As we consider our spelling program, we are cognizant of the need for consistency and continuity. She took us through the program, outlining the research that has been conducted. The crux of the program is the recognition of "best bet” spelling, the words that are regular for the sounds. We analyzed words for regular/irregular and rule words. We are teaching these to our students so that by utilizing this information they will be able to spell any words rather than learn them by rote.

The workshop has provided us with the necessary background to move forward thoughtfully as we revisit our spelling practices. We are always seeking better ways to accomplish our goals, and now we have a solid base on which to build.

Sue Silvey

Lower School Instructional Specialist

Although I have taken the Scientific Spelling course twice before, the time spent today relearning what I had been taught years ago was worthwhile. Our presenter refreshed my memory of the Neuhaus spelling program and gave tips on how it could be better implemented in the classroom. I have some "tweaking" to do in order to use the Scientific Spelling program more effectively with my students, and I have already made a few changes.

This will help us be more consistent in how we teach spelling to our students.

Lisa Curry

Lower School

The Scientific Spelling workshop was informative about ways to make our spelling program more effective and beneficial for our students as we help them understand the rules of spelling and analyze the words they use. I am excited to use the ideas I learned from this workshop to enhance my spelling instruction. I look forward to making spelling more exciting for my students and less of a time constraint in the classroom and at home.

Kaylan Caballero

Lower School

I attended the Scientific Spelling workshop hosted by the Neuhaus Center. The presenter walked us through a thoughtful lecture to learn to become “scientific spellers,” or analytical observers of words in the English language. We spent time discussing the different types of spellers we see in our classrooms and learned strategies to provide methodical spelling teaching in all grade levels. The most valuable aspect of the workshop was being together as a whole Lower School faculty. Now every teacher in our building has the same spelling rules, references for irregular words and student notebooks. We were able to discuss spelling list practices and develop a common language that we can use with students. In addition, the workshop leader shared Neuhaus’s resource website, the Reading Teachers Network, that I have already visited to create rapid word lists for sight word practice and bingo cards.

Meredith Kottler

Lower School

Analyzing words was an eye-opener and will be such a helpful tool to teach students, especially students who struggle to identify sounds and spelling rules. Adding some variety of words along with patterned spelling will help heighten students' awareness of the variation in spelling patterns, etc. I feel our grade level can easily implement many of the concepts covered today into our existing spelling program. This will enhance student learning and create more independent spellers. This was a very good in-service that provided the "what and how to" and also gave resources to help teachers!

Susan Little

Lower School

The Scientific Spelling workshop was very helpful in explaining how to use and teach the program. Going over the background of the English language and where words come from helps us understand how words are spelled. This program has broken down the many spelling rules into more manageable lessons. Analyzing words weekly will help fourth graders become better spellers. I will be taking these strategies back to my classroom to help my students with spelling.

Clifton Walker

Lower School

This was the first time I attended a Scientific Spelling workshop. I am Orton-Gillingham trained, so it was interesting to learn the similarities and differences between the two methods. I was intrigued by the “analyzing words” activity and will definitely be doing it with my students. I think it will help my low to medium students tremendously and get them thinking about why words are spelled the way they are as well as encourage them to be analytical spellers. Our speaker shared with us a website called the Reading Network, which is an incredible resource. The resources there look fantastic and will help me be a better spelling instructor.

Alia Al-Mutawa

Lower School

I attended an in-service given by Katie Farmer from the Neuhaus Education Center. We reviewed and discussed successful spelling patterns we have used in our classrooms. We discussed the kinds of spellers we have in our classrooms and reviewed the goals of Scientific Spelling. The main point of the workshop was that the key to good spelling is analyzing spelling rules and patterns in order to make good spellers for a lifetime.

Barbara Lingenfelder

Lower School

Having taken the Scientific Spelling class before, I appreciated this refresher very much. My biggest take-away is that the most important part of the program is the process of analyzing  the lists. Also, I will now try to restructure my list to include only five words that follow the pattern of the week and then include five irregular works and ten content words. I appreciated learning about the Reading Teacher's Network website. I am looking forward to seeing some sample weekly lesson plans.

Christine Papadakes

Lower School

Scientific Spelling is a good, basic spelling program that can be expanded on all levels.  Word categorization and  student generated lists are the mainstay of the program. The continuity expected on all grade levels should lead to a common vocabulary, methods that are uniform and learners who understand the basic rules of spelling.  The instructor was excellent.

Cindy Stanley

Lower School

The Neuhaus representative gave an interesting presentation about the curriculum of Scientific Spelling. She was able to show how effective teaching of reliable patterns and rules helps students to spell more words without memorization.

Having attended some of Neuhaus's spelling presentations over the past years, I currently use many of the ideas and practices of Scientific Spelling in my classroom. However, an update and review of the pieces of their program that can build and enhance a spelling curriculum is always nice to have. Word study of both regular and irregular words and phonemic focus are well-researched approaches to help students understand why words are spelled as they are.

Cindy Holubec

Lower School

I have always been a good speller but did not go through “Scientific Spelling” as a child. Fortunately I have what is apparently called a  “good orthographic memory." Many people remember memorizing for the weekly spelling test and passing with a good score, yet have little understanding of the patterns of the English language.

Although the Kindergarten classes do not assign a weekly spelling test, we do encourage our students to use their own inventive spelling in writing by breaking words into syllables and writing down the letters that represent the sounds they hear. In Scientific Spelling, children are also trained to break words into syllables and to be aware of the sounds they hear in each word and the letters that represent these sounds. When they have a teacher trained in Scientific Spelling and the right resource materials, students gain practice in analyzing words into categories—regular, those that follow a rule, and irregular. Surprisingly, 80-85% of words are either in the regular or rule categories, and only 15-20% of words are irregular and need to be memorized. When children become experienced in analyzing words, they are then able to spell difficult words needed for science, social studies, or thematic units. The Neuhaus presenter was adamant that children should not just memorize for a weekly test words that all have a common characteristic. A few of these words could be on the spelling list, but harder topical, thematic words should also be included so that children are continually analyzing and classifying words. Children feel empowered when they realize that they can spell long words such as conservation, biology, and germination by following the rules of Scientific Spelling.

Marysia Gillan

Lower School

Through a multisensory procedure we were shown that by using Scientific Spelling children learn reliable spelling patterns and rules of English for spelling; a multisensory approach for learning irregular spelling words; and how to analyze words for spelling. Learning to analyze words is of utmost importance. First, it enhances a child’s ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds. Next, it compels a child to look at different spelling patterns of words with a new lens. Finally, it causes a child to begin thinking about what makes a word regular, irregular, or one that falls under the rule category. What better gift to give children than to provide them with the right “tools” to be a lifetime speller! Great workshop!

Anne Schoenewolf

Lower School

In Scientific Spelling concepts are taught and reinforced in phonology, regular spelling patterns, spelling rules, irregular words, and word analysis. A weekly schedule of 5 – 15 minutes of daily instruction is recommended. The focus for kindergarten is the introduction to phonology. Students are taught to spell by translating sounds into letters or letter clusters. Our beginning spellers will benefit from this practice. The teacher’s manual provides a number of pre-spelling activities for kindergarten and first grade.  I am looking forward to implementing the activities with my students.

Cordie Hayden

Lower School

Our day of analyzing words was such an eye-opening experience. It gave me insight into a new way to teach spelling. I constantly was relating it to my reading groups.

The instructor kept it fun and interesting and was open to our discussion, questions, and ideas. Each day we “word work,” and many of these tips, lessons, and hints would help in my small group setting. Also, as a grade level we can add to our existing spelling lists a variety of words that will enhance students’ awareness of the variations in spelling patterns.

I will try this approach with my students. It has a narrow focus, and I especially liked the “analyzing words” part of the program.

Jennifer Beitler

Lower School Assistant

The workshop on Scientific Spelling Program was excellent. Because students don't always determine spelling patterns automatically, this spelling curriculum teaches spelling through the formal presentation of reliable spelling patterns and rules, enabling students to spell a high number of words in our language without memorization. I like this approach because students learn to analyze words, group them as to their regularity, irregularity, or ones meeting a rule criteria, resulting in learning to spell rather than memorize. The program is also appealing because it is multisensory, which especially helps with words not following a pattern or rule. The presenter did an outstanding job in both her presentation and ability to actively engage us in a meaningful way.

Dana Brown

Lower School

The Lower School participated in an in-service on Scientific Spelling, conducted by the Neuhaus Center.  It was an informative and well-organized presentation.  We were taken through the steps of scientific spelling lessons as if we were the students.  It was very helpful to understand the spelling process as our students would be doing.  Scientific Spelling is altogether different from the usual memory spelling tests on Fridays!  This program is designed not only to make each student successful, but to make them lifelong spellers because of the way in which the spelling rules are taught and the analyzing of the word lists. 

Betsy Thompson

Lower School

Thank you for allowing our faculty to participate in Neuhaus’ Scientific Spelling course. Scientific Spelling’s curriculum teaches students to spell words based on rules of the English language and reliable patterns. Students learn through analyzing three different word types: regular words, rule words and irregular words. We learned that Scientific Spelling is based on “best bet” spelling. In Kindergarten we encourage “inventive” spelling, where a student writes down the letter sounds they hear when sounding out a word. Each student has the Neuhaus Letter/Sound picture card they refer to when writing. This tool helps children begin to understand that letter sounds form words. Our students are exposed to several “spelling rules” such as the “silent e,” but spelling becomes a main focus in first grade. We were also introduced to the Reading Teacher’s Network, which has a website with many tools that we can utilize to help promote spelling. I have already used some of the tools to help several students in our class.

Mary Margaret Greer

Lower School

The workshop on Scientific Spelling was helpful and stimulating. The presenter was excellent. The analyzing of words made me realize that we don't spend enough time thinking about how words represent certain rules and patterns. I think it is wonderful to enable children to differentiate between regular, irregular and rule words. I had never thought of it in this way myself. Also, it is good for kids to think of each category (regular, irregular, rule words) every week rather than just one isolated rule.

Linda Case

Lower School

“Mysteries of Memory” was designed primarily to interest and inform elders about memory and its relation to the brain.  I was familiar with most of the information discussed, but here are a few interesting new things I learned:

• A primacy effect for serial-position measures of memory increases over time in all species tested.
• Tip of the tongue phenomena increase with age, suggesting that accessibility of memory decreases while storage remains unaffected by age.
• Explicit/episodic memory decreases with age but not implicit/procedural memory.
• Short-term memory/working memory decreases with age.
• Most interesting to me, unlike young (college age) subjects, older (65+) subjects in a levels of processing condition instructed to find synonyms do better than the control condition where simply told to remember items.
• Elder subjects can experience a "stereotype vulnerability" effect in memory tasks such that instructions make a difference for their performance.
• Stroop effect increases with age.
• Specific brain locations (frontal v parietal/temporal cortex) are associated with short-term memory processing of either phonological or semantic information, as revealed by both stroke patients and fMRI recordings.

I could, perhaps, incorporate some of the information into units about memory if I were to teach a full semester of experimental psychology that would include a hefty portion of cognitive/memory research.  On the other hand, this would be too technical and not sufficiently compelling in most cases to include with a beginning biology or anatomy/physiology course.

Craig Bowe

Upper School Biology

The seven seminars of “The Mysteries of Memory” course at Rice University were a great revisit of topics in neuroscience with the addition of the latest research on certain aspect of memory.  For me this professional development was specially a treat because I had the privilege of sharing it with a colleague, Dr. Bowe, who has a strong background in neuroscience. Each session was led by a different scientist and focused on various aspects of memory—function and malfunction, disorders, and the aging process. My favorite sessions were led by Dr. Jessica Logan and Dr. Randi Martin. Dr. Logan focused on memory and aging. Now I have a better understanding of how we study the function of specific areas of the brain. Dr. Martin presented data on how short-term memory has multiple components with different neural structures and language functions. Overall, I was amazed at how little we know about the brain and how challenging it is to study this ball of neurons and chemicals. I will be incorporating some of the methods used to study brain function in the neuroscience section of AP and Honors Biology. I will also be adding a couple of new examples to my discussions of experimental design on living organisms.

Sonia Clayton

Upper School Biology

I attended the UP (Unique Perspectives) Conference. This daylong conference featured sixteen speakers, each presenting his or her unique idea in 20 minutes. After every fourth speaker, the general audience broke into smaller groups, selecting one or two Q&As to attend to learn more from the presenter. This was my second year as a participant. I love this kind of event: it’s a survey of great ideas. Sure, presenters are able to offer the audience only the tip of their knowledge, but by distilling their information, they offer the audience the most exciting, inspiring and useful aspects of their work. If I want to learn more from one of them, I will attend to the copious notes I took and follow up by visiting their websites or one of the websites they mentioned. Just today, I used a website I learned about from Katie Linnendoll, CBS’s Tech guru. With Zocdoc.com,  I’ve already located five dentists within five miles who can see me for a teeth cleaning this week. On a more serious note, and one more related to English curriculum, Daniel Pink reified the importance of the Writer’s Notebook Time, where I allow students to write about whatever they want in their notebooks every day for five to seven minutes. This time correlates to Google’s Twenty-percent time, and, according to Pink, it’s where most of the best ideas are born. I’ve known that most of my students do most of their most meaningful thinking in their notebooks, and Daniel Pink confirmed that there is a precedence for this reality. Finally, I’m blown away by Khan Academy. Hearing Sal Khan’s story about how his educational work started, where Khan Academy is going, and who’s on board inspired me to believe that the problems in education are indeed solvable.

Christa Forster

Upper School English

I attended a conference, “Best Practices: Teaching Introductory Psychology, in Atlanta. At the conference I got helpful suggestions for how to structure a research assignment, an introduction to “Team-Based Learning,” and a variety of tips and sources to use in my Psychology class.  The research assignment presented by a pair from the Dominican University of California has students read and evaluate a relatively accessible published paper about a psychology experiment.  The students then devise an experiment to test the experimenters’ conclusions for themselves.  The presenters suggested four papers the experiments of which are rather easy to replicate.  For instance, in response to a paper arguing that driving while talking on a cell phone is dangerous, students set up an obstacle course for subjects to ride on tricycles.  They would go through with and without talking on a cell phone.  The students could also decide to test more specific things, like whether it matters if one is holding the cell phone or talking on a hands-free model.  The project as a whole gives students the experience of assessing someone else’s experimental model, of thinking through what is necessary for a good experiment and of assessing the data they collect.

A presentation on Team-Based Learning helped me think of some ways I might approach topics in world history as well as in psychology.  The model calls for the whole class to be divided into teams for the whole course.  They take quizzes individually and then as a team to assess their understanding of some background information.  Then each team works together over the course of one class or several classes to decide on a common answer to a problem.  For instance, they may be asked to determine which mental illnesses is most debilitating.  The teacher would give them a chart that lists mental illnesses and some of the criteria for assessing them, but the students would need to apply these criteria and think of more that are relevant.  All teams reveal their answer at once, and then debate their conclusions.  Each team would receive a common grade for its performance on this debate and would be peer graded for their contribution to the team.  Each student would also complete an individual assignment, such as a brief paper presenting his or her own reasoning about the issue.  The approach has a web site dedicated to it.

In addition, to these two main ideas, I learned a lot of helpful ideas and demonstrations.  I learned a fun way to measure the speed of neural transmission and the speed of thought and saw an interesting demonstration for revealing some of the complexities of working memory.  I was introduced to a television series called “Lie to Me” that sets out a fairly accurate presentation of how psychologists can determine that someone is lying or hiding their true emotions

Patrick Durning

Upper School History