Introduction to Psychology
This class will survey the evolution of psychology from psychodynamic theory to contemporary socio-cultural psychology. We will examine how the study of human development has progressed through time as well as reflect on how human development might be culturally defined: from Freud’s psychoanalysis theory to today’s rising interest in multicultural psychology. Course topics include the history of psychology, biological bases of behavior, learning and memory, life-span development, psychological disorders and treatments, and social/multicultural psychology.
Together, we will conduct basic experiments to illustrate our theories, engage in simple fieldwork, and connect with professionals who will share their experiences with us. We will also apply psychological understanding to promote health and wellness practices in our own lives. Students will keep a journal and regularly reflect on observations of their environment and how it affects them.
This class will hold virtual meetings on a weekly or every other week basis to discuss, debate, and present new ideas. Students’ preparation for and participation in virtual meetings is essential to creating a sense of community and enriching the learning experience of all. Students will be responsible for leading discussions around articles assigned, or debating controversial theories or findings either solo or in groups.
There will be 4 to 5 face-to-face (F2F) meetings over the course of the semester. Dates and locations are subject to guest and host availability and will be announced as available. The first F2F will occur sometime in the opening 2 weeks and the final F2F will likely fall on the last Saturday of the term.
About the Instructors
FALL 2020
Patricia Quierzy-Rossoukh – College Prep
Patricia has been teaching at College Prep since 2007. She is a French teacher and a Wellness and Decision-Making Facilitator for the tenth grade Health Program. Patricia holds a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley in Contemporary French and Francophone Literature with an emphasis on Socio-Cultural Studies, and is currently completing an MA in Counseling at Saint Mary’s College of California. Prior to teaching at College Prep, she taught at UC Berkeley as a Graduate Student Instructor and at Cal State East Bay as a lecturer. For this Intro to Psych course, Patricia will be drawing from her counseling training and socio-cultural background as well as curriculum and best practices from the American Psychological Association Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools, the Stanford Psychology One Program, and the Psych One Conference at Duke. Patricia has always been fascinated by how one’s origins and various environmental factors play a role in human psychological development and looks forward to sharing her enthusiasm for and insights into socio-cultural psychology with her BlendEd students.
SPRING 2021
Tania Bettis– Marin Academy
Tania teaches biology and neuroscience and is a collaborator in the research program at Marin Academy. She also co-leads mindfulness practices for students and enjoys participating in the Outings program. Tania received her B.S. in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavioral Sciences from UC Davis in 2000 and her PhD in Psychology from UC Berkeley in 2011. Before joining MA, Tania was at UC Berkeley, where she spent three years as the lab coordinator and developer for the introductory biology course. She has taught Comparative Cognition, Biological Psychology, and Animal Behavior as a Graduate Student Instructor and Introductory Biology and Exploring Research Methods as a lecturer at UC Berkeley. Tania has always been fascinated with the inner workings and evolution of the brain and nervous system and is excited to explore this further with students in the Blend-Ed psychology course.
Student Testimonials
I enjoyed being able to relate psychology to my own interests and passions, and being able to interact with students from schools I wouldn’t normally interact with.
Senior at College Prep, Fall 2019I liked that there was a lot of flexibility in the curriculum to explore related topics, especially since the field of psychology is so broad and it connects to so many aspects in our everyday lives.
Senior at Urban, Fall 2019The teacher is amazing and very kind! I like the room for personal reflection in the assignments instead of just regurgitation.
Senior at Marin Academy, Spring 2019