I couldn't imagine an Intro to Psych course that did NOT have controversial
topics. While there are certain topics that get more people riled up that
others, many issues are dismissed by our students as "opinion" and that
somehow, their opinion is as good as ours. I have had students tell me that
they don't actually believe in most of that crap - they are just memorizing
it for the test. What I stress to my students is that, yes, there are some
areas that are debatable and different people believe different things, but
the important point to remember is that whatever they do believe in should
be an EDUCATED opinion. When I discuss an issue in class, I make sure to
know what research/evidence backs up that statement. My statements aren't
just based on what my Aunt told me or what happened to my 2nd cousin or I
believe it because it feels more comfortable to me and I tell my students
that I expect the same from them.
At 11:26 AM 10/27/2009 -0700, you wrote:
Speaking of Psychology Today, Dana Dunn (STP President-Elect) recently
began authoring a Psychology Today blog:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/head-the-class/. In his most recent
post, he discusses the difficulties of teaching difficult topics,
referencing the most recent Best Practices Conference.
As the discussion around the concept of 'psychological literacy' heats up,
what responsibility do psychology instructors, especially instructors of
Intro Psych, have to discuss controversial topics? If we avoid the
topics, are we doing a disservice to our students and the community at large?
Sue
--
Sue Frantz Highline Community College
Psychology, Coordinator Des Moines, WA
206.878.3710 x3404 [email protected]
Office of Teaching Resources in Psychology, Associate Director
Project Syllabus
APA Division 2: Society for the Teaching of Psychology
APA's p...@cc Committee
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Deb
Dr. Deborah S. Briihl
Dept. of Psychology and Counseling
Valdosta State University
Valdosta, GA 31698
(229) 333-5994
[email protected]
http://chiron.valdosta.edu/dbriihl/
Well I know these voices must be my soul...
Rhyme and Reason - DMB
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