CLASSES CANCELLED 9/30/2013/ Another valuable resource!

Attention all Monday/Wednesday Students: Next Monday, September 30th, all classes will be     cancelled.




All Students: Please visit the Suffolk County Community College Virtual learning Commons (VLC)!

Suffolk Community College has developed additional student support for the Psychology Department as part of their Virtual learning Commons. While the Psychology section of the VLC is geared towards Introductory Psychology Students, the resources would help both Abnormal Psychology and Brain and Behavior students as well. Please take a moment to access it and become familiar with the available resources!

Virtual Learning Commons: The VLC/Psychology site contains over 100 videos, short tutorials, self-assessments, and various interactive activities that will enhance your understanding and/or help you review some of the more difficult concepts covered in your Psychology 101 class. Chapters covered include Research Methodology, Biological Perspectives, Learning, Human Development, and Personality Theory/Psychological Disorders. You can access the VLC through MySCCC on the College’s home page.- link to www.sunysuffolk.edu

 

Predicting Violent Behavior

Often times, the role of a Psychologist requires them to assess whether or not an individual is a threat to themselves or others. The following article gives a glimpse into how this process works in real lif and the challenges associated with it:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/19/us/signs-may-be-evident-in-hindsight-but-predicting-violent-behavior-is-tough.html

GET INVOLVED!

Those interested in pursuing the field of psychology or learning more about it have an excellent opportunity at Suffolk Community College. Applications are now being accepted for Psi Beta, The National Honor Society in Psychology for Junior and Community Colleges. The benefits of membership include:

·         Members gain recognition for achieving the honor of membership.  Among the entities that recognize Psi Beta membership are Psi Chi, APA, APS, psychology departments at colleges and universities, and employers.

·         Verification of membership for references throughout the member’s lifetime.

 

·         Eligibility for national awards.

 

·         Publication of membership and activities in the nationally distributed Psi Beta Newsletter.

 

·         The opportunity of participate in national, regional, and local psychological association programs, including paper and poster presentations at professional conferences.

 

·         Eligibility for student membership in APA and APS.

 

·         Membership meets one of the requirements for entrance at the GS-7 level in numerous occupations in federal service.

 

Psi Beta offers students the opportunity to operate a chapter and provides opportunities for students to acquire leadership skills, interact with faculty outside of the classroom, learn more about the professional and educational choices available in psychology, network with professionals in the field of psychology, participate in community service, interact with peers who have similar interests, and be involved with Psi Beta on the national level.

 Applicants must have completed an Introduction to Psychology course, received a B or better in any psychology courses they have completed, and have an overall GPA of 3.5 or higher.  Applicants must be enrolled as full time students and must have already completed 12 credits of coursework.

Members are expected to be active participants, and to attend meetings and events regularly.

 If you are interested in applying, please contact:

 Courtney Brewer, PhD, LMHC (brewerc@sunysuffolk.edu)

The New Science of the Mind

In the world of psychology/psychiatry, there continues to be a vigorous debate regarding the role of Neuroscience in the understanding of mental disorders.  Recently,  Dr. Eric Kandel, one of the most renown living neuroscientists, published an op-ed discussing some newer research on how Neuroscience is helping us elucidate the etiology of depression. In addition, he discusses research demonstrating the effectiveness of psychotherapy on facilitating structural changes to the brain. The article can be found at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/08/opinion/sunday/the-new-science-of-mind.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

 

As with any debate, there are two sides. A good critical thinker becomes skilled at understanding the notion that there is more than one way to view anything. Other noted professionals have offered their opinions regarding Dr. Kandel’s assertions and they can be found at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/16/opinion/are-depressions-causes-biological.html

 While Dr. Kandel’s article touches on one of the deeper debates of our discipline (nature versus nurture) it also incorporates some very exciting topics in terms of Neuroscience’s growing influence. For example, the possibility that we can use some of the tolls of neuroscience (i.e. imaging techniques) to better diagnose disorders and identify what treatment will be most effective (evidenced based practice) will continue to move our field towards a more scientific approach to dealing with psychological disorders. In addition, it adds to a growing base of evidence demonstrating the power of neural plasticity, the brain’s ability to change in response to environmental stimuli. Finally, it reinforces a growing body of evidence that suggests psychotherapy can have biological effects on the brain as well as be an efficacious treatment for many psychological disorders.

While the final answer to some of the deeper questions referenced by Dr. Kandel and his colleagues remains elusive, what is clear is that there continues to be excited changes in the fields of psychology, psychiatry, and neuroscience, all of which should lead us to a better understanding of mental disorders and add to our toolbox effective treatments.

 

INTERESTING ARTICLE

A great article for those of you on Psy 201 (Brain and Behavior) as well as any psychology students.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/13/brain-surgery-hyper-empathy-amygdala-remove-epilepsy_n_3920770.html?icid=maing-grid7|main5|dl4|sec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D374688


If you are interested in using this as a topic for one of your writing assignments, feel free (the requirements are the same as the other ones requiring research.....)

You're Invited: Brain Aneurysms � Beyond the Basics, Thursday, September 26, 6 to 7:30 pm

You're Invited: Brain Aneurysms -- Beyond the Basics

During Brain Aneurysm Awareness Month, we invite you to learn about
the latest research and treatment for brain aneurysms from three
world-renowned experts at Stony Brook Medicine: Henry Woo, MD; David
Fiorella, MD, PhD; and B. Barry Lieber, PhD.

Thursday, September 26

6 to 7:30 pm

Hospital Lobby Conference Rooms 1 and 2

Light refreshments will be served.

Presentation topics:

Treatment of Brain Aneurysms: Then and Now

New Endovascular Technology for Brain Aneurysms

Introduction to Headley: A New Neurovascular Simulator for Training
and Research

Open to all healthcare professionals, students and the general
public.

Free. Register at neuro.stonybrookmedicine.edu or call (631)
444-8121.

Stony Brook University/SUNY is an affirmative action, equal
opportunity educator and employer. If you require a
disability-related accommodation, please call (631) 444-4000.

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS DAY EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITY

Suffolk Community College will be hosting its’ annual mental health awareness day on Wednesday, October 9th from 9:30am until 1:30pm in the Babylon Student Center. Specifically, it will offer workshops on a variety of issues.  This year the current planned workshops are:

 PRESENTATIONS at 9:30am, 11:00am, and 12:30pm, all in the Babylon Student Center: 

 

·         “Dating Violence & Domestic Violence 101” at 9:30am, Old Field Room (Shannon Rigney, SCADDV)

·         “Anger Management in the 21^st Century “at 9:30am, Orient Point Room (Steve Pinto, Life Center)

·         “The Biology of Addiction” at 9:30am, Mildred Green Room (Professor Mike Mangino)

·         “Heroin: The Long Island Epidemic” at 11:00am, Montauk Point Room (Steve Chassman, Clinical Director, LICADD)

·          “GLBT 101” at 11:00am, Orient Point Room (LIGALY)

·         “Veterans: Diagnoses, Treatment, & Suicide Prevention” at 11:00am, Mildred Green Room (Nancy Olsen, Northport VA Hospital)

·         “Enhancing Inner Peace Through Yoga” at 12:30pm, Mildred Green Room (Professor Angela Strynkowski)

9:30am – 1:30pm:  Tables staffed by representatives from:

·          Victim's Information Bureau of Suffolk (domestic violence, sexual assault and other issues)

·          John T. Mather Eating Disorders Program

·          Suffolk County Coalition Against Domestic Violence (SCCADV)

·          Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (LICADD)

·          Response of Suffolk County (crisis intervention and suicide prevention)

·          Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY)

·          National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

·          FEGS Positive Space Program (HIV and mental health)

·          Federation of Organizations (mental health services for individuals and families)

·          Northport Veterans Administration Hospital (mental health and suicide prevention)

 

Students in my Psychology Classes can obtain up to 7 points of extra credit on the mid-term exam by doing the following:

1)     Attend one of the lectures

2)     Obtain one additional resource on the topic of the lecture

3)     Complete a summary paper of the topic and information from the source

 

All the same requirements of the writing assignments apply (i.e. APA format).

 

Due Date: Wednesday, October 16^th.

 

UPDATES

ALL STUDENTS: There was a delay in updating the information for MyPsychLab on the webiste. It should be there by tomorrow. If you had trouble logging on try again with the new information.

Psy215: The textbook IS the custom version of the book. So move forward with purchasing that one.

Just a reminder, the college is closed tomorrow!

WELCOME TO THE FALL 2013 SEMESTER

Welcome students of the Fall 2013 semester! I am hoping we have a stimulating and enjoyable semester as you experience the world of Psychology. There are a host of additional course materials as well as sources to assist you with your research available through the website. Also, make sure you check this blog on a regular basis for updates and extra credit opportunities.

My goal is to offer students who are willing to work hard an opportunity to be immersed in the world of Psychology and explore topics of interest in more detail. In addition, it can serve as a valuable opportunity for you to increase your chances of obtaining a good grade in the course. On that note, I would like to share a few ideas of things to focus on to both enhance your course experience and give yourself a chance to obtain the best grade possible:

Homework: It will be important to consistently complete your standing homework assignments. If you do, they will provide you valuable context and reinforcement of class lectures. Your standing homework assignments are:

1.     Keep up with the reading: It is a general assumption you will be doing a reading to accompany the class lectures. This will help enhance your understanding of the material and give you a deeper knowledge of the subject matter

2.     Watch the assignment videos: The videos associated with the lectures were designed to provide you more details about different topics as well as reinforce material covered in class. Watching them is an excellent way to enhance your understanding and assist with the process of committing the material to memory for test preparation.

·       Plan out your assignments: Writing assignments are a key component of the class. Make sure you develop a schedule early on for their completion and adjust accordingly if you fail to stay on time

·         Make sure you understand all the requirements for the writing assignments on the syllabus so you are not penalized for not following the assignment!

·         Stay in touch: Many issues can be resolved earlier in the semester and can make the rest of the semester go much smoother. Make sure you are familiar enough with course expectations to ask the questions early in the semester. Feel free to ask during class time so everyone can get the benefit of the information

·         Class Participation: Please feel free to share thoughts, ideas, and questions during class. I find class discussion an integral part  of a stimulating learning experience and hope you will be an active participant in the class.

·         If you find any websites or resources that are helpful to you in the course please share them with me

as my website is a dynamic site and I am always looking for resources that will be useful to students

1^st Homework Assignment:

·         Familiarize yourself with my website and MyPyschLab. Between them, you will have the majority of resources you  will need to complete course assignments and prepare for exams

o    If you are having difficulty with MyPyschLab follow the following steps to resolve it:

                   1.     Visit the Student Support Homepage

               2. Find Answers: Search frequently asked questions 24/7

          3. Chat: Chat online with a live representative 24/7

               4. Email: Ask a question via email and receive a detailed response 24/7

  5.    Phone: Student telephone support 24/7 | 800-677-6337 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 800-677-6337 FREE  end_of_the_skype_highlighting

If you are unable to resolve it, get an incident ID# from the support person and forward it to me. I will get the Pearson sales representative to assist in resolving it.

Look forward to seeing you in class!