Re: [tips] psychic kids now understood
Michael Smith wrote: > > Hi Tim. > > Yes, I graduated from York. I even took a course from Chris (the > history guy). > I thought he (Chris) would have lambasted me already on the off the > cuff remark about history being nothing but personal experience > written down. :-). Oh well, he is after all a nice guy. > Thank you Michael. Nice as I might be, the sad truth is that I was mostly skipping "psychic kids" thread as being too silly to bother with. Leading a class discussion need not start with the discussion leader having (or feigning having) no idea where it should ultimately lead. If that were true, then one could just as easily have one of the students lead it as pay some "expert" tens of thousands of dollars a year to do so. As for history, it is nothing but "personal experience written down" exactly to the same degree as natural science is. Science is "just" observation after all, right? :-) > > Actually I don't think CPR is pass¨, but I don't have 65 years of the > history of psych at my command, not to mention 125 years of philosophy > of science! > Pass¨ isn't quite the same as irrelevant. I don't think there is anyone (of significance) who thinks that science works the way Kant said it did (as he attempted to salvage Newtonian physics from Humean ultra-empiricism on the one side, and Leibinzian idealism on the other) in the First Critique (calling it CPR confuses it with the 2nd Critique, the initials of which are also CPR). Nevertheless, Kant's philosophy could be argued to be the pivot point on which modern European thought turns. Without it, nothing else would have been the same. Don't believe me? Think scientists ignored it? Then its time to read some Helmholtz, who explicitly declared himself to be a Kantian. And what of psychology? Fechner and Wundt were, in important ways, followers of Herbart, whose main claim to fame rests on his having disagreed with Kant that psychology cannot be a "proper science" (a phrase in which much is buried) because mental phenomena cannot be quantified. (Don't feel bad psychologists. Kant felt the same way about chemistry, but then again, he never really got to take a look at the periodic table.) Chris -- Christopher D. Green Department of Psychology York University Toronto, ON M3J 1P3 Canada 416-736-2100 ex. 66164 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.yorku.ca/christo/ "Part of respecting another person is taking the time to criticise his or her views." - Melissa Lane, in a /Guardian/ obituary for philosopher Peter Lipton = --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
RE: [tips] Thanks Allen!! Kant in 1871?!?
Oops!! Thanks for catching that Allen (yes, very late or perhaps he came back 100 years later for a brief publishing flourish!). I did mean to type 1781!! :) Tim ___ Timothy O. Shearon, PhD Professor and Chair Department of Psychology The College of Idaho Caldwell, ID 83605 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] teaching: intro to neuropsychology; psychopharmacology; general; history and systems "You can't teach an old dogma new tricks." Dorothy Parker -Original Message- From: Allen Esterson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sat 7/19/2008 2:04 AM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) Subject: RE: [tips] psychic kids now understood Just for the record: Tim Shearon wrote in relation to Kant's Critique of Pure Reason: >CPR was first published, if memory serves, in 1871? That sounded just a wee bit late for Kant, so I did a quick check on the internet. It should have been 1781. Allen Esterson Former lecturer, Science Department Southwark College, London http://www.esterson.org --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED])<>
[tips] psychic kid therapy and class discussion contd.
Mike felt my effort to suggest a class discussion question about clinical workers doing therapy with "psychic kids" was too insulting or callous. As he noted: >From Mike- To condemn areas, beliefs, etc., with such strongly worded opposition doesn't seem to me to bespeak of an open mind--of inquiry. There is much unknown about the human condition. Spirituality, for example, is a FACT in people's lives. Often poetry, literature and art do have 'healing' properties for the human 'soul'. Although we 'know' objectivity is more a myth than real (which goes for the hard sciences too--and how much more then for the soft ones like psychology) we often don't behave like we know. And often derogatory language is used to condemn such things and we expect people who are invested in such things to take it calmly and look at the 'facts'. Would academics take it calmly if they were so criticized and are invested in their area? *- >From Gary I certainly do not aim to embarrass or insult my students, but I do aim to challenge them and hope they (class AND colleagues) do not take it calmly but begin to think carefully about the issues raised, examine all assumptions, explore biases, and learn how to evaluate the evidence. I try to always be sensitive to the emotional feelings and prior beliefs we all bring to the class, but we are not there to reward everyone's belief and provide warm fuzzies. I love it when people have challenging criticisms about psychology or my area as it can promote useful discussion (especially in the context of a classroom) and I frequently learn about other evidence, enjoy critically examining my own assumptions, as I am sure most tipsters do, etc. The class question I suggested regarding the appropriateness of clinical workers promoting and reinforcing the "psychic experiences" of children opens up important issues regarding the role of such therapy, the ethics of such work, etc. Yes, I feel it can reinforce false beliefs, superstitions, etc. I may or may not use this language in class, but I feel it is defensible in this instance. I think a larger issue here centers on the role and purpose of educators and clinical therapists. I think it is important to respect the cultural beliefs brought to the classroom/therapy session, but feel that ethical and practical challenges arise when dealing with some beliefs and practices that run counter to reason, and real world knowledge. I think the comparison to the repressed memory history is relevant. With the recent popularity of aligning therapies with the cultural/spiritual framework of clients, I was hoping clinical workers on tips might have more to say about such challenges. Gary Gerald L. (Gary) Peterson, Ph.D. Professor, Psychology Saginaw Valley State University University Center, MI 48710 989-964-4491 [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
Re: [tips] Is the GRE
Christopher D - Original Message - From: Christopher D. Green To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) Sent: Saturday, July 19, 2008 9:41 AM Subject: Re: [tips] Is the GRE [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Eurocentrically biased? Only as much as Princeton, NJ... :-) Chris -- Apparently the TOEFL is recommended for Latn American grads. Michael Sylvester,PhD Daytona Beach,Florida --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
Re: [tips] Is the GRE
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > Eurocentrically biased? Only as much as Princeton, NJ... :-) Chris -- Christopher D. Green Department of Psychology York University Toronto, ON M3J 1P3 Canada 416-736-2100 ex. 66164 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.yorku.ca/christo/ "Part of respecting another person is taking the time to criticise his or her views." - Melissa Lane, in a /Guardian/ obituary for philosopher Peter Lipton = --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
[tips] Is the GRE
Eurocentrically biased? Michael Sylvester,PhD Daytona Beach,Florida --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
Re: [tips] Random Thought: Hokey Pokey Teaching, IV
You could be describing me also.But I would call mine Macarena teaching.Btw, I read somewhere that students do not learn as much in those turned -on excitable classes as they woild learn from a boring lecturer. Michael Sylvester,PhD Daytona Beach,Florida --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
[tips] Random Thought: Hokey Pokey Teaching, IV
So, how does passion work in me and work for my teaching? Although I have a "steady as it goes" course, I am prone to passionately use passionate words like "excited," "turned on," and "on a high" to describe myself at those times when I am around students. That's one of the situations when I feel most alive. Anyway, I have a free-floating unease about me, a kind of restlessness, and a discomfort with status quos. I feel quite comfortable living in a state of "organized chaos." I follow my "let's see" and "what if" spirit guides. Curiosity is my name; experimentation is my game. I am constantly reinventing myself. You'll find no moss on my constantly rolling stone and no grass is growing under my constantly moving feet. I excitedly dance with serendipity and deliciously hug surprise. I don't fight inspiration. I just take what comes and go on walking along that audacious road. My teaching involves disciplined exploration as well as unstructured play. I am by no means a conformist. Maybe, I'm a contrarian at heart. I've learned that to make a difference I often have to be different. I've learned that the classroom is a constantly continuing adventure only if I'm always seeing constantly changing students with new eyes. Where others forlornly sigh, "students nowadays," I see the promise of opportunity and potential. I look for promising alternatives and struggle to bring out potential and convert it into actual. I tend to take the condom off the classroom rather than practice safe teaching. When I go on campus, it is with an "okay, here we go; I don't know where we're going with this; I'm going to let it develop as I go along." I value risk over safety. I value creativity over productivity. I value lasting effectiveness over immediate efficiency. I value spontaneity over predictability, excitement over order, an inner freedom over authority, earned respect over entitled authority, student ownership over my deed to the class, challenge more than control, being off center more than on dead center, being off-the-wall more than pinned to the wall as a wallflower. I operate from the assumption that there is always an opportunity to change things, that there's a chance I just may help someone become a better person and thereby make for a better world. It's not just a "to do" on the list of things to be done. It's not to be filed away and mentally checked off as "done." A passion is an empowering "doing." It's a nurturing, cultivating, growing. I am not afraid of being wrong or of making a mistake. I value learning and improving from being off the mark and any mistakes I may make. I value being fired up rather than being a dying ember. I am a "quester." In the spirit of Pablo Picasso, I am always seeking to do that which I have not done or cannot do in order to learn how to do it. To enter other worlds is the only way to expand my world. When I talk about my experience of teaching with passion, I'm never promoting myself. Rapture in teaching is always in community, connection, relationship with, and, above all, in the service of others. And yet, I freely admit that I am selfish. Selfish is a much maligned word. It's gotten such a bad rap as a cardinal sin. If I were to carve some teaching commandments in stone, however, one would say "Thou Shalt love each student as you love yourself." That means that I must first make peace with myself, love myself before I can make peace with and love students. That is not being egotistical or narcissistic. It means if I have self esteem, self respect, self regard, self acceptance, I'm more likely to be likeable, less likely to get depressed, more likely to love life, more likely to have an acute sense of both awareness and otherness, and certainly more likely to love people around me. I think the highest form of selfishness is to give of ourselves to others so that we may broaden our understanding and confidence, so that we may reach inner security, serenity, purpose, meaning, and fulfillment. The richest reward in teaching comes from helping others with no thought of reward. We cannot get unless we give, and we cannot give unless we have something to give. If you are not willing to serve students, you will not be a class act in class. If you walk into the classroom as if you're entitled, if you shy away from sharing yourself with students who need you, if you prefer to be somewhere else, you'll likely get frustrated and see students as an intrusion. However, if you have faith, have hope, believe, and give, the riches of the teaching coffers will never be empty and will be yours for the taking. That's what it's all about! Make it a good day. --Louis-- Louis Schmier http://therandomthoughts.edublogs.org/ Department of History http://www.newforums.com/Auth_L_Schmier
RE: [tips] psychic kids now understood
Just for the record: Tim Shearon wrote in relation to Kant's Critique of Pure Reason: >CPR was first published, if memory serves, in 1871? That sounded just a wee bit late for Kant, so I did a quick check on the internet. It should have been 1781. Allen Esterson Former lecturer, Science Department Southwark College, London http://www.esterson.org --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
