RE: [tips] Intro Psych Textbooks

2011-07-04 Thread Edgar Johns 
Thanks.

 

Edgar Johns
-
International Consultants for Educational Excellence
(734) 564-4964
www.intl-education.com 



 

From: michael sylvester [mailto:msylves...@copper.net] 
Sent: Monday, July 04, 2011 3:28 PM
To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS)
Subject: Re: [tips] Intro Psych Textbooks

 

 

 

 My favorite intro texts have been Rodney Plotnik ( straight to the chase,no
BS) and Allen and Santrock( the definitive intro text with a cross-cultural
perspective on virtually every page).Best test bank ever was Doug
Bernstein's.

 

Michael

 [snip]


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Re: [tips] Intro Psych Textbooks

2011-07-04 Thread michael sylvester 
 My favorite intro texts have been Rodney Plotnik ( straight to the chase,no 
BS) and Allen and Santrock( the definitive intro text with a cross-cultural 
perspective on virtually every page).Best test bank ever was Doug Bernstein's.

Michael

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RE: [tips] Intro Psych Textbooks

2011-07-04 Thread Edgar Johns 
Thanks.

Edgar Johns
-
International Consultants for Educational Excellence
(734) 564-4964
www.intl-education.com 

-Original Message-
From: Dr. Bob Wildblood [mailto:drb...@rcn.com] 
[snip]
Subject: RE: [tips] Intro Psych Textbooks

I agree heartily with the analysis of Annette.  Both on the books that you
are restricted to and to the books that she suggested, specifically on the
critical thinking comments.



.
Robert W. Wildblood, PhD
Adjunct Psychology Faculty
Germanna Community College
drb...@rcn.com  
[snip]


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RE: [tips] Intro Psych Textbooks

2011-07-04 Thread Edgar Johns 

Thanks, Annette. I appreciate your taking the time to respond.


The program uses a second book in its intro class "Thinker's Guide to
Analytic Thinking: How to Take Thinking Apart and What to Look for When You
Do" by Elder & Paul to cover critical thinking. But, I see how a text that
integrates critical thinking as part of the introductory material would be
valuable.


I see my challenge of engaging the students with the text I finally choose.
I owe you for pointing it out to me.


Happy and safe holiday.

Edgar Johns
-
International Consultants for Educational Excellence
(734) 564-4964
www.intl-education.com 



 

From: Annette Taylor [mailto:tay...@sandiego.edu] 
Sent: Monday, July 04, 2011 9:32 AM
To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS)
Subject: RE: [tips] Intro Psych Textbooks

 

 

 

I just finished looking over intro texts again because I tie my research to
my intro text and want to be sure that it meets some important criteria for
me.

 

The books you mention did not even make my final list after I browsed
them--two of them pretty closely, one not so much.

 

They did NOT have a theme of critical thinking--see the Lilienfeld, et al
book to see what I mean.

They did NOT have ANY refutation of misconceptions--see Lilienfeld, et al,
Myers short text and E-Z Psych

 

The texts you are being asked to pick from are ALL encyclopedias. Students
cannot possibly learn all of that information in one semester and remember
even a fraction of it. Let alone learn to THINK about psychological
information in the midst of all that rote memorization. That is unrealistic
based on all the current research. After all, most of them have 3 of 4 other
classes and jobs and a life, etc. It's 10-15 weeks, depending on your
school, 2 or 3 days a week and the rest on their own. They don't know the
field, they can't tell what is primary and what is secondary in importance.
The good students will try to learn it all, the less than good ones will
give up right about the time you hit biopsych.

 

My finalists were the more "essentials" editions, including Myers,
Lilienfeld et al and EZ Psych. I then supplement on my own with primary
readings from journals and "magazines" and book chapters. (My favorites
books for short but sweet chapters right now are 50 myths and Mind Hacks and
McBurney's little book.)

 

I know you probably can't go beyond the three you've been given, but if you
could convince someone, you might look at Myers and Lilienfeld, et al. I
think that of the 20 or so books my collaborator and I looked at we agreed
that those two stood up head and shoulders above the rest in terms of
readability, accuracy, what we really want students to get out of an intro
psych class (how to separate psych science from psych fiction for the rest
of their lives for all the new things that come along), and how to stay
motivated to be a life long learner about psychology. Encyclopedias are
great for some people, heck, I'm writing one this summer...and fall...and
winter...well, that's another story, and I'm NOT your average intro psych
student and probably wasn't back then either.

 

Annette

 

ps: that said, I'd rank them Plotnik, Coon and Ciccarelli in that order,
apologies to those authors from my opinion. It's hard to be an author.

 

Annette Kujawski Taylor, Ph. D.

Professor, Psychological Sciences

University of San Diego

5998 Alcala Park

San Diego, CA 92110

tay...@sandiego.edu

  _  

From: Edgar Johns [ed...@intl-education.com]
Sent: Sunday, July 03, 2011 7:40 PM
To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS)
Subject: [tips] Intro Psych Textbooks

This fall, I will be teaching Introductory Psychology. 

The department requires one of three texts:
1. Plotnik & Kouyoumdjian (2011) "Introduction to Psychology (9th Ed.)"
Wadsworth.
2. Coon & Mitterer (2011) "Psychology: Modules for Active Learning (12th
Ed.)" Wadsworth.
3. Ciccarelli & White "Psychology (3rd Ed.)" Prentice Hall.

I'm leaning toward Plotnik but was wondering if I could get some opinions
about any of these texts. 

I'll be teaching at an urban/suburban community college.

Thanks.
Edgar Johns
-
International Consultants for Educational Excellence
(734) 564-4964
www.intl-education.com <http://www.intl-education.com/>  




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Re: [tips] Intro Psych Textbooks

2011-07-04 Thread Paul C Bernhardt 
I'm wondering, given the restriction given by the OP, what would anyone 
recommend as a supplemental text or reading? 

Paul C Bernhardt
Frostburg State University
Frostburg, MD, USA
pcbernhardt[at]frostburg[d0t]edu

On Jul 4, 2011, at 11:05 AM, Dr. Bob Wildblood wrote:

> I agree heartily with the analysis of Annette.  Both on the books that you 
> are restricted to and to the books that she suggested, specifically on the 
> critical thinking comments.
> 
>   
> 
> .
> Robert W. Wildblood, PhD
> Adjunct Psychology Faculty
> Germanna Community College
> drb...@rcn.com
> 
> ---
> You are currently subscribed to tips as: pcbernha...@frostburg.edu.
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RE: [tips] Intro Psych Textbooks

2011-07-04 Thread Dr. Bob Wildblood 
I agree heartily with the analysis of Annette.  Both on the books that you 
are restricted to and to the books that she suggested, specifically on the 
critical thinking comments.



.
Robert W. Wildblood, PhD
Adjunct Psychology Faculty
Germanna Community College
drb...@rcn.com  

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RE: [tips] Intro Psych Textbooks

2011-07-04 Thread Annette Taylor 
I just finished looking over intro texts again because I tie my research to my 
intro text and want to be sure that it meets some important criteria for me.

The books you mention did not even make my final list after I browsed them--two 
of them pretty closely, one not so much.

They did NOT have a theme of critical thinking--see the Lilienfeld, et al book 
to see what I mean.
They did NOT have ANY refutation of misconceptions--see Lilienfeld, et al, 
Myers short text and E-Z Psych

The texts you are being asked to pick from are ALL encyclopedias. Students 
cannot possibly learn all of that information in one semester and remember even 
a fraction of it. Let alone learn to THINK about psychological information in 
the midst of all that rote memorization. That is unrealistic based on all the 
current research. After all, most of them have 3 of 4 other classes and jobs 
and a life, etc. It's 10-15 weeks, depending on your school, 2 or 3 days a week 
and the rest on their own. They don't know the field, they can't tell what is 
primary and what is secondary in importance. The good students will try to 
learn it all, the less than good ones will give up right about the time you hit 
biopsych.

My finalists were the more "essentials" editions, including Myers, Lilienfeld 
et al and EZ Psych. I then supplement on my own with primary readings from 
journals and "magazines" and book chapters. (My favorites books for short but 
sweet chapters right now are 50 myths and Mind Hacks and McBurney's little 
book.)

I know you probably can't go beyond the three you've been given, but if you 
could convince someone, you might look at Myers and Lilienfeld, et al. I think 
that of the 20 or so books my collaborator and I looked at we agreed that those 
two stood up head and shoulders above the rest in terms of readability, 
accuracy, what we really want students to get out of an intro psych class (how 
to separate psych science from psych fiction for the rest of their lives for 
all the new things that come along), and how to stay motivated to be a life 
long learner about psychology. Encyclopedias are great for some people, heck, 
I'm writing one this summer...and fall...and winter...well, that's another 
story, and I'm NOT your average intro psych student and probably wasn't back 
then either.

Annette

ps: that said, I'd rank them Plotnik, Coon and Ciccarelli in that order, 
apologies to those authors from my opinion. It's hard to be an author.

Annette Kujawski Taylor, Ph. D.
Professor, Psychological Sciences
University of San Diego
5998 Alcala Park
San Diego, CA 92110
tay...@sandiego.edu

From: Edgar Johns [ed...@intl-education.com]
Sent: Sunday, July 03, 2011 7:40 PM
To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS)
Subject: [tips] Intro Psych Textbooks

This fall, I will be teaching Introductory Psychology.

The department requires one of three texts:
1. Plotnik & Kouyoumdjian (2011) "Introduction to Psychology (9th Ed.)"
Wadsworth.
2. Coon & Mitterer (2011) "Psychology: Modules for Active Learning (12th
Ed.)" Wadsworth.
3. Ciccarelli & White "Psychology (3rd Ed.)" Prentice Hall.

I'm leaning toward Plotnik but was wondering if I could get some opinions
about any of these texts.

I'll be teaching at an urban/suburban community college.

Thanks.
Edgar Johns
-
International Consultants for Educational Excellence
(734) 564-4964
www.intl-education.com




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