Assignment #1 Creating and Reflecting on Your Academic Blog

Hello and welcome to your AP Psychology blog. This site will be a useful tool for you to keep up in AP Psych. You will also create your own blog

This assignment is due on Tuesday, July 20 by 4:00 PM. Read through this whole assignment before beginning to work on your new blog. Several students have had to redo some steps because they didn't read the assignment all the way through.

This entry is taken with some modifications from Ms. Knudson's "Explorations in Literature" blog. Thank you, Ms. Knudson!

Most of you are familiar with the idea of a Blog, which is short for "Weblog," essentially a web space where people can post ideas, opinions, share links, etc. Some popular blog sites with which you are probably familiar include this one, Blogger, but also ones such as MySpace, WordPress, Facebook, and others.

What made blogs revolutionary is that they provided authors with the ability to easily share their ideas and resources with audiences in a way that was never possible. Back in the early days of the Internet, in the 1990s, people who wanted to do this had to build a web site, separate pages, etc., and it was much more cumbersome to do the same sort of thing that recent technology has enabled us to do within minutes. Richardson writes that instead of being based on "static chunks of content," blogs are "comprised of reflections and conversations" that "engage readers with ideas and questions and links. They ask readers to respond. They demand interaction" (18).

While most of you are familiar with using blogs for social purposes -- to keep in touch with friends, discuss matters of daily life, etc., -- most of you are not familiar with using a blog for academic purposes, to extend conversations that begin in the classroom or with your reading. In this way, academic blogs, while they have a social aspect, are much more focused as learning tools. Richardson cites Fernette and Brock Eide's research on blogging as having an enormous positive impact on students, in that they:


*Promote critical and analytical thinking
*Are powerful promoters of creative, intuitive, and associative thinking
*Promote analogical thinking
*Are a powerful medium for increasing access and exposure to quality information, and
Combine the best of solitary reflection and social interaction (2005)


So how will you be using your academic blog in this class?
Good question.

The answer is that you will be using it in several ways.

Consider your audience.

First, you will be using it to learn how to blog. Remember, your audience for an academic blog is much different than your audience for a social blog. When you are writing for a social blog, your audience usually consists of your immediate social group -- your friends. However, when you are writing an academic blog, your audience is much different, consisting of teachers, professors, scholars, or others throughout the world who may have in interest in your academic topic, so how you express yourself becomes an important focus. For example, you would not write for a teacher or a professor the same way you would text message a friend. The language you use will be much different as will the form and content.

You will also be using your blog to complete class writing assignments. Writing assignments will be consist of the following types (not necessarily in this order):

expository
creative
peer commentary
project-based
reflective

An added bonus is that this medium is paper free, so we're engaging in academic work that is both online and environmentally green.

ASSIGNMENT #1 -- 10 points

Creating Your Academic Blog

Even though many of you have social blogs, when you create your academic blog it will have a distinctly different look. You will have to create a free gmail account if you don't already have one. Go to Blogger.com to create your site, please be sure to go to the Settings portion and select "NO" when it asks you if you want your site to be profiled in search engines, etc.

Once you have created your site and your first assignment, please email the full URL address of your blog to me at mr.cantor@gmail.com so I am able be create a link to it on my master site. For example, the full URL address of my blog is http://cantorsappsychologyblog.blogspot.com . Also BE SURE TO WRITE DOWN YOUR URL, USER NAME AND PASSWORD and keep it in a safe place! Some students have forgotten their password and had to re-do their blog... Don't be one of those students.

Any time you e-mail me or any teacher, please put a relevant subject in the subject line of your e-mail and sign your full name in the body of your e-mail. For example, the subject of the e-mail you send me about this assignment could be something like, "AP Psych Blog URL & Assignement #1."

Requirements:


Your site should be appropriate for an academic setting, following code of conduct guidelines
Do not put any personal identifying information on your site (no last name, age, place of residence, etc.)
Your site should have a title - Make it unique, relevant and creative.
Your site should have a links section (this will be for academic links that you find that are connected to your research)
Make sure fonts are easy to read and the page is not too busy -- this is an academic blog, remember. Don't use colors or complex backgrounds which make it hard to read.
Always write in complete sentences and proofread your work before posting. Use the spell-checker that is part of Blogger.
Each assignment should be specifically titled with the assignment number as well as a descriptive title.

Your first blog writing assignment should be your first post.

Writing assignment #1 How do you feel about blogging?- (10 pts) 3 paragraphs

In a short essay, describe your experience creating this blog. Some aspects of this experience you should address: What is your prior blogging experience? Is this the first time you've set up a blog or are you already a seasoned pro? How did it feel to do it? How do you think it will help you to do high quality assignments in AP Psych? How do you feel about having your work up on the Internet where other students and teachers can read it... or complete strangers?


To get all the points for this assignment you must e-mail me the link to your blog by July 20 at 4:00 PM. Your site must follow the above guidelines and must include your first post with a response to assignment #1. If you have questions please e-mail me well before the deadline at mr.cantor@gmail.com.

Is parental multi-tasking huring our children?

This article in the New York Times points out the potential harm parents who are constantly "plugged in" to electronic devices may be doing to the development of their children. Are we neglecting our children due to Facebook, Twitter and constant e-mail communication? Are we keeping our children from learning language and social skills?

You can test your focus with this interactive feature.

Consumer Education Unit. - Presentations Due May 26 (b) and May 27 (a)

Here are links to resources for our Consumer Education unit.

1 - Why am I broke all the time?
http://www.myliferoi.com/2009/10/budgeting-worksheet-for-teens/
http://www.themint.org/teens/tracking.html
http://www.themint.org/teens/determine-your-budget.html
http://www.atg.wa.gov/teenconsumer/finances/budgets.htm
http://www.dinkytown.net/java/HomeBudget.html

2 - What security deposit?
http://www.atg.wa.gov/teenconsumer/on_your_own.htm
http://www.tenant.org/
http://www.mytwodollars.com/2008/01/16/a-few-tips-for-first-time-apartment-renters/
http://ezinearticles.com/?Leasing-Planning-for-First-time-Apartment-Rental-Expenses&id=625503
http://data.cmap.illinois.gov/chicagoareahousing.org//Allinfo.asp?audience=r

3 - Pay myself first?
http://www.fool.com/how-to-invest/thirteen-steps/step-1-change-your-life-with-one-calculation.aspx?source=ii1sitlnk0000001
http://www.themint.org/teens/saving.html
http://www.themint.org/teens/compounding-calculator.html

4 - As seen on TV:
http://pbskids.org/dontbuyit/
http://www.icbs.com/kb/marketing/kb_marketing-psychological-tricks-in-selling.htm
http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~taflinge/words.html
http://www.factcheck.org/
http://www.cracked.com/article_15768_as-seen-on-tv-10-most-laughably-misleading-ads.html
https://www.adbusters.org/gallery/spoofads

5 - The story of stuff.
http://www.storyofstuff.com/
http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2010/03/how_much_does_a_pair_of_jeans.html
http://www.globalissues.org/issue/235/consumption-and-consumerism
https://www.adbusters.org/campaigns/bnd
http://www.verdant.net/
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/how-to-avoid-being-enslaved-by-consumerism.html
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/alex_steffen_sees_a_sustainable_future.html

6 - Scams, spam and getting slammed:
http://www.snopes.com/
http://www.atg.wa.gov/teenconsumer/buying_goods_and_services.htm
http://chicago.bbb.org/consumers/
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/20/technology/personaltech/20basics.html?src=me&ref=general

7 - I wish my parents were rich!
http://www.atg.wa.gov/teenconsumer/finances/financing_college.htm
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/pay/
http://apps.collegeboard.com/fincalc/ep/wizard-home.jsp

8 - But I thought I was making 10 bucks an hour...
http://www.themint.org/teens/earning.html
http://www.wallstats.com/deathandtaxes/
http://www.dinkytown.net/java/HomeBudget.html

9 - Pay the man.
http://www.freefile.irs.gov/
http://www.helium.com/items/159765-income-tax-tips-for-first-time-filers-the-w-2-your-first-step
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/itax/news/20040130a1.asp
http://www.irs.gov/
http://www.wallstats.com/deathandtaxes/

10 - Oh Lord, Won't ya buy me a Mercedes Benz..
http://www.themint.org/teens/spending.html
http://www.atg.wa.gov/teenconsumer/buying_goods_and_services.htm
http://www.atg.wa.gov/teenconsumer/transportation.htm
http://www.igocars.org/
http://www.activetrans.org/
http://www.lyricsfreak.com/j/janis+joplin/mercedes+benz_20069845.html
http://www.jango.com/music/Janis+Joplin?l=0

11 - A cheeseburger costs $487.63!
http://www.themint.org/teens/owing.html
http://www.themint.org/teens/i-paid-how-much.html
http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/article-29911.html
http://www.atg.wa.gov/teenconsumer/finances/credit_cards.htm

12 - If it seems too good to be true...
http://baselinescenario.com/financial-crisis-for-beginners/
http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2008/12/whats_causing_the_crisis.html
http://socyberty.com/economics/the-financial-crisis-for-dummies/
http://www.dosomething.org/blog/chatterbox/financial-crisis-teen-are-feeling-pinch-too
http://vodpod.com/watch/1035776-financial-crisis-for-dummies

13 - How Insurance can save your butt...
http://www.progressive.com/shop/teen-car-insurance-resources.aspx
http://insurance.mo.gov/consumer/teens/index.htm
http://www.superpages.com/supertips/car-insurance-for-teenagers.html
http://www.allkidscovered.com/
http://www.geico.com/information/aboutinsurance/renters/
http://www.giis.org/rent/rent.shtml

Consumer Education Projects

Your job is to become an expert on one of the following topics and then teach the important ideas about it to the class. Your final grades in the class and your consumer education credit depend on your project, your presentation and a final exam.

Topics:

1. “Why am I broke all the time?” How and why to do a personal budget.
2. “What security deposit?” How to rent an apartment.
3. “Pay myself first? What the…?” The how and why of savings.
4. “As seen on TV.” The power of advertising.
5. “The story of stuff.” How do my buying habits affect the world?
6. “Scams, spam and getting slammed.” How to avoid getting ripped off online and in the real world.
7. “I wish my parents were rich.” How to pay for college and not get buried in debt.”
8. “But I thought I was making 10 bucks an hour!” What to expect from wages. Where does all the money go from your paycheck?
9. “Pay the man.” How to do your taxes.
10. “Oh Lord, won’t ya buy me a Mercedes Benz.” How to buy cars and other expensive stuff. (or just take the train)
11. “A cheeseburger costs $487.63?” How to avoid credit card debt.
12. “If it seems too good to be true...” How bad consumer decisions contributed to the recent financial crisis.
13. "I always use protection!" How Insurance can save your butt.
14. "I want it NOW!" How to separate needs from wants and base consumer decisions on your core values.
    

Products:

Each team must create:

* A one-page handout with key ideas which will be printed and distributed. (10pts)

* An activity so students can practice using the information. This can be a worksheet, a game, an online activity or some other learning tool. (10pts)

* A 10 question multiple choice quiz on your topic. (10pts)

In addition to the above, each team must present their information to the class through a PowerPoint presentation, a video, a website or other product (20pts). The presentation should be 15 minutes long and the activity should take 20 to 30 minutes.

Why do Drug Dealers Live with their Moms?

Steven Levitt explains why dealing drugs in a gang is, by far, the worst job you can have... less than minimum wage and a 25% chance of being killed on the job.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/steven_levitt_analyzes_crack_economics.html

If it's such a bad job why do so many people want to do it?

Congrats and Thanks!

Congratulations and thanks to all of my great students who worked hard all year and put in lots of time reviewing and preparing for the AP Psych exam! You ROCK! You make teaching fun. I know many of you will achieve your AP exam goals and your goals in college and beyond.

I'll Earn a Five song... to the tune of "I Will Survive."

This AP Psych song was written by AP Psychology teacher Cara Terry. It's a great review of key concepts and people. If you need the tune go to Youtube, iTunes or Amazon. Gloria Gaynor did the classic version, but Cake's version is pretty great too.

(FYI, "Clive" refers to Clive Wearing who has a serious case of anterograde amnesia. He appears to only have STM... about 30 seconds of memory. Absolutely no new LT memories are formed.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clive_Wearing



I'll Earn a Five

Thought I was afraid,
And was petrified,
My thinking Schactered all those
feelings that I had inside,
But then I changed the valence of
my emotions for this song
I grew strong,
AP psych had turned me on.
So now I'm here,
Ready to test,
And I know Pavlov’s UCR
And Little Albert’s UCS,
Bandura and his Bobo dolls;
Role-playing, Standford, Dr. Z;
Milgram worked with obedience
Gestalt orders what I see

Chorus:
Cerebellum: Balances me
The limbic system’s
Hippocampus aids in memory
I guess we’ve come a long way since phrenology
I’ve used mnemonics,
Problem-solved heuristically
I know that I
Will earn a five
I know of modes and medians,
And the STM of Clive.
Operate with Piaget;
Reflex: fight or run away;
I’ll earn a five.
I”ll earn a five

Hey, Hey

Superego, ego, id
Brain plasticity
REM, alpha waves
Schema, stranger anxiety
And I’ve spent such a lot of nights
Hoping someday to understand
I used to sigh
But now the test is nigh
And so it’s true
Call me Freud two
I know Festinger and Watson and
Flashbulb memory, too.
And so I feel like standing up
To say to people close to me
That I’m using all my knowledge
I’m no pigeon. I can see …
Chorus:
Chorus: (coda: I will survive and earn a five)

Use the Force

As master Yoda says, "Do or Do Not Do, There is No Try." You've learned a ton about psychology. It is time to persevere, keep "Doing" to master the material. You ARE a Jedi!