Events
- Annual Convention
- Great Teaching Round-up
- Leading from the middle
- fall conference for faculty leaders
- Webinars
"I think there is something more important than believing: Action! The world is full of dreamers, there aren't enough who will move ahead and begin to take concrete steps to actualize their vision."
Events: 2010 Psychology Schedule
Psychology Summary
Friday, 11:15 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.
"Using Online News and Information Videos in Psychology Courses"
Speaker: Denise Boyd, Psychology Instructor, Houston Community College
Friday, 2:30 - 3:45 p.m.
“Using Interactive Simulations in the Classroom to Explore Methods of Parenting and Child Development”
Speaker: Annapurna Ganesh, Residential Faculty and Director of the Child & Family Studies and Early Childhood Education program, Mesa Community College
Saturday, 9:00 - 10:15 a.m.
"Eliminating the F's: A Discussion on Maximizing Student Performance"
Speaker: David Echevarria, Assistant Professor of Introdution to Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscienceat, University of Southern Mississippi
Friday, March 5th, 11:15 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.
"Using Online News and Information Videos in Psychology Courses"
Speaker: Denise Boyd, Psychology Instructor, Houston Community College
A growing number of high-quality news and information programs that are relevant to psychology are available on the Internet. Most such programs focus on practical issues and present information in a contemporary style that engages students' interest. Therefore, they can serve as useful starting points for a wide variety of out-of-class and in-class assignments. This presentation will include information about where to find online news and information programs, suggestions for ensuring that the programs are available to all students, and instructions for developing several types of assignments.
Biography:
Denise Boyd has been a psychology instructor in the Houston Community College System since 1988. From 1995 until 1998, she chaired the Psychology, Sociology, and Anthropology Department at HCCS-Central College. Currently, Dr. Boyd is Assistant Chair for Psychology of the Behavioral Sciences department at HCCS-Central. Dr. Boyd is co-author of three human development texts: Lifespan Development, The Growing Child,and The Developing Child (all with Helen Bee), as well as the introductory texts Mastering the World of Psychology and The World of Psychology (both with Samuel Wood and Ellen Green Wood), all of which are published by Pearson/Allyn & Bacon.
Friday, March 5th, 2:30 - 3:45 p.m.
“Using Interactive Simulations in the Classroom to Explore Methods of Parenting and Child Development”
Raising a child can be a daunting experience for young adults. This study examines the perspectives and attitudes of college students’ about raising a child. My Virtual Child is a web-based simulation that allows students to raise a child virtually. Participating students’ are engaged in this virtual experience of raising a child while simultaneously enrolled in a child development course. This pilot study examines the change in perspectives and attitudes of the students’ about raising a child based on the theoretical aspects learned in the child development course and the practical applications of raising a child virtually. The investigation uses a "triangulation mixed methods design" (Creswell, 2005, p.514), which involves simultaneously collecting both qualitative and quantitative data to understand the research problem, with one data collection form supplying strength to augment the other form. The objectives of this pilot study include (a) understanding college students’ perspectives and attitudes toward raising a child and (b) investigating whether a web-based simulation of child rearing impacts the attitudes and behaviors of the students’ about raising a child.
Biography:
Annapurna earned her B.A. in Psychology from Bangalore University in India, M.Ed. in Elementary Education with specialization in Early Childhood Education from Arizona State University, and Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education also from Arizona State University. Her work experiences include teaching preschool, kindergarten and first grade at the primary school level, and higher education teaching undergraduate, graduate and doctoral level courses in early childhood education.
Annapurna currently serves as a Residential Faculty and Director of the Child & Family Studies and Early Childhood Education program, Education Studies Department at Mesa Community College. She served as an Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator for Early Childhood Education at the University of Houston, prior to joining Mesa Community College.
Saturday, March 6th, 9:00 - 10:15 a.m.
"Eliminating the F's: A Discussion on Maximizing Student Performance"
Speaker: David Echevarria, Assistant Professor of Introduction to Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscienceat, University of Southern Mississippi
A recent survey of professors by the Chronicle of Higher Education showed that 84 percent believe their students are "unprepared" or only "somewhat prepared" to pursue a college degree. In Introductory Psychology, many students are not doing as well as they could be, and issues such as retention and poor grades are growing challenges to professors. David Echevarria will be sharing and discussing ways he is addressing these concerns.
Biography:
David Echevarria is an assistant professor teaching Introdution to Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Southern Mississippi. He studies the neurobiology of learning and memory and how it changes during periods of stress and alcohol use. Prior to moving to Mississippi he completed a two year fellowship in Texas at UT Austin and the Health Sciences Center in San Antonio. David is originally from New York and a diehard Mets fan. In his spare time he fronts a blues/funk band called Doctor E and the Voodoo Kings.
Psychology Section Chair:
Chris Smith, Tyler Junior College