DAY 19 (Sept 30) Darts Lab in the Lab

Today you are inputting your Darts data onto the spreadsheet that will generate a graph which you will use in your lab writeup.

Here's the link for the Darts Lab Google Spreadsheet.  Find your name and input a number "1" into each square corresponding with your dart shots - 40 inputs each.

DO NOTHING with the first sheet, the Class Average Sheet.

After this task is complete it's time to start writing your report.  Go through each section and make bullet-point notes to get you started (see yesterday's blog entry for notes on lab writing).

DAY 18 (Sept 29) Writing A Psych. Lab.

These are notes for your to use to help you to write your Darts Lab Report.  It is based on the Handout, Report Writing in the Social Sciences.

Here is the published report on Buffering Effects of Religiosity on Substance Use.

Title: we are measuring ACCURACY of dart throws before, during and after a CHANGING field of vision.  The example that I used was the title of a prior study, "Buffering Effects of Religiosity on Substance Use."

Abstract: write this after the rest of the report is complete!  About 100 words.  Summary of:

Topic

Method

Results

Conclusions

Introduction: like any written work, introduce the topic to your audience to give it context.

Must include references (two in this case) to PREVIOUS studies on the same topic.  What did these previous studies conclude?  Google " proprioception studies "  to lots of results.

End the introduction with a statement of some predictions for the outcome of your study (hypothesis).

For example: you might predict that introducing prism glasses will result in a corresponding shift in accuracy in the same direction as the prism glasses, in this case approx. 11.5 degrees to the right.

Also, with practice, accuracy will improve.

Removing prism glasses will result in a corresponding shift in accuracy to the left of the target, i.e. in the opposite direction compared to when prism glasses were introduced, i.e. to the left.

Write a hypothesis using "if / then" statements.  e.g. "If prism glasses are introduced, then a corresponding loss in accuracy will result . . . . " etc.

Method:  in the first handout, "Prism Adaptation Experiment," I have listed the steps to perform for this lab.  Use it as a rough guide.  Use detail but not too much detail.

In the Method you will have several subheadings as follows:

Design: explain the tasks of each participant.  Explain the independent and dependent variables.

Independent variable: the non-changing process that you use, i.e. prism glasses @ 11.5 deg. right.

Dependent variable: the change as a result of indep. var., i.e. accuracy scores.

Participants: be specific, reference the class (HSB4M1), 9 males, 26 females, (ages 16 - 18), two male teachers.  Are there any characteristics that are important?  Could we generalize the results to other groups?  e.g. grade 3 class, the elderly, etc.

Apparatus & Materials: the simple list of what we used - it's good to use a graphic or two here.  Also, combine these as this is a very simple lab.  I've added a picture of the target boards in the Classes folder.

Procedure: refer to the handout with the bird on it and be specific about what everyone involved did.  A List works well here.

Results: start with a concise summary of results.

Explain how data was transformed into usable figures (in this case the graph).

In this case you need to explain each of the eight data points and the slopes of the parts of the graph.

Discussion: this is arguably the most important part of any lab report.

Start with a brief summary of results again, to refocus the audience's attention on the main points.

Explain each conclusion you make and support it with direct reference to the data.

Suggest further experimentation to do to cover the topic and any questions raised more fully.

Explain limitations and sources of potential error in your experiment, eg:

- we only studied one group of 30 adolescents.

- some people have better hand/eye coordination that others: significant because with such a small group our participants might be skewed, i.e. higher proportion of elite athletes than the general population.

- age, younger people tend to have better hand/eye coordination, thus limiting the scope of our findings to younger people.

- people stepping over the throw line

- a noisy environment

- distractions

Final paragraph stating conclusions and how further research could be conducted.

Day 10 (Sept 19) Skinner complete . . .

We finished our discussion with a review of Skinner's ideas.  I had intended on presenting to you your first project for the course but that will have to wait till Wednesday - Mr. Mark is doing the entire lesson tomorrow for his evaluator from teacher's college and I'll pick it up on Wednesday with this project.

DAY 8 (Sept 15) Skinner and Company

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.

DAY 7 (Sept 14) Human Brain Continued . . .

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.

DAY 6 (Sept 13) The Human Brain

Today Mr. Mark 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 afterward (actually finished this on Wednesday) 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.

Keep working on your own time on the Bulletin Board presentation that is due next Monday, Feb. 14.  This coming Friday we will be back in the lab for a final work period on it.  You should, at that time, be putting your board together.

DAY 5 (Sept 12) MI and more thinking on Intelligence

Today we began with your presentations of the eight intelligences that you studied in depth on Friday.

Then we followed up with a Quiz on Multiple Intelligence - I will not be recording your mark on this but it's a good "headsup" for everyone.  With any course of study, now and in the future, you should be reviewing your notes several times a week - this should mean that you are skimming through your notes and taking mental notes of the big ideas, e.g. Multiple Intelligence and the eight that we studied.  That way when it comes time to use the information in a test or in any other assignments you might have, it's readily available in your brain.

We then went to the CAD lab and you each did your own MI test.  Here's the link to the test - Online Multiple Intelligence Test.

DAY 4 (Sept 9) Multiple Intelligence Theory

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'll need. Monday you'll present these to the class in groups.

DAY 3 (Sept 8) Mensa and Intelligence

After yesterday's assembly we're all back on track and I'm loving it!  Hope you are too. 

Today 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?".

We followed this up with a lecture on the nature of intelligence and our school systems' inability to embrace all intelligences.  Here's the link to Sir Ken Robinson.

DAY 2 (Sept 7) Introduction to Psych., Soc., and Anthro.

Today we had a short class to accommodate the Grade 12 assembly.

We spent the rest of the time looking through my introductory slide presentation about the nature of Anthropology, Psychology and Sociology.  I won't post the slides here as they are a rather large file - it's a presentation of images from around the world and we discussed them throughout the class.

Day 1 (Sept. 6) "Oh, The Places You'll Go"

     We began the course with a reading from Dr. Seuss' "Oh, The Places You'll Go".  A great little story about navigating our way through life and all it's ups and downs.  Great to meet you all!