Education

Christmas 2015

Posted by on Jan 22, 2016

Christmas 2015 For past readers of my annual holiday note, this year’s letter will be different from all those of the past.  No travelogue; no ‘I went here and I went there, bla bla, bla’.  I’ve taught a Washington University course on introspection and reflection for the past 17 years and I thought I would share a rough transcription of the last ten minutes of this class.  Apologies that it’s a little long. “We began this course with Viktor Frankl and his life in a concentration camp, from his famous book Man’s Search for Meaning. I would like to end the course on a personal...

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Positive Psychology

Posted by on Jun 5, 2014

Syllabus Seminar in Positive Psychology Psych. 367 Spring 2008 Randy Larsen Glenn Detrick Room 206 Psychology Bldg. Whispers Lounge rlarsen@artsci.wustl.edu Glenn@webebi.com Office Hours: Wed. 3-4:00, & by appt. Tu/Th 2:00-2:30, & by appt. Format of Course: This course will be conducted as a seminar. We will avoid lecturing and will instead encourage discussion. After the first full week in most weeks we will fall into a routine where the Tuesday class is devoted to discussing the readings and the Thursday class is devoted to discussing the exercise and the papers you wrote. This...

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Self Discovery/Life Skills

Posted by on Jun 5, 2014

Self Discovery/Life Skills Winter Term 2006 GST 337 Retrospective Background This class met three hours a day (1:30 – 4:30 pm) from January 3 – 24 (14 class sessions plus a final exam period) with 26 juniors and seniors at Elon University in North Carolina. The course syllabus, student data sheet (collected and discussed in individual meetings with each student prior to the second class meeting) and final examination are attached for reference. The course was conceived and offered by Glenn Detrick who, with thirty years of experience in higher education, felt that universities did...

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Course Themes

Posted by on Jul 27, 2012

Course Themes A Retrospective of Ideas to Consider U87 – 435 1. Choice.  You choose your attitude – and you can choose to be positive 2. Perspective (remember Viktor Frankl.  And you think YOU have problems?) 3. Stay focused 4. Response Ability and Accountability (to yourself as well as others) 5. Empathy and Active Listening – keys to interpersonal effectiveness 6. DO IT!  (Don’t just hope/wish/want it to happen) 7. Let go (of the past; and/or negativity toward others) 8. Empowerment: You are in charge and control of you (but no excuses) 9. Create yourself (as well as discover...

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Taking a Family Trip

Posted by on Dec 8, 2011

Some thoughts about how to help make a family trip a learning experience for your child and still Save money as a parent. A Parent’s Guide From The Chelsea Detrick Experiential Learning Center Webster Groves High School 1. Overview: Choosing a destination 2. Planning prior to the trip Different possibilities for different age groups Knowing your kids Having objectives for the trip (or not) Pre-trip reading (for some types of trip) Discussing expectations before leaving 3. During the trip Asking questions (but not too many) Having kids keep a journal or diary Structure vs....

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Effective Teaching — Student Perceptions

Posted by on Dec 8, 2011

Student Perceptions of Effective Teaching A focus group meeting was held with High School students, grades 9 – 12, as a follow up to the administration of the EBI High School Environment Survey. In the survey students had indicated that about 40% of the teaching they received was “excellent”, 35% was “average” and 25% was “poor”. Students were asked first to think about excellent teachers they had and to write down the attributes and qualities that made these teachers effective. Of the approximately 35 attributes derived, students were then asked to indicate which were the...

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