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Hewlett Syllabus |
Julie Dunsmore: Child Development
PSY 211S Child Development: An introduction to the science of child behavior. Perceptual, cognitive, linguistic, social and personality development from birth through childhood. Prerequisite, 101.Syllabus:
Introduction: Why are you interested in children’s development? Perhaps you plan to work with children as a teacher, school counselor, social worker, psychologist, or pediatrician. Perhaps you think you might parent a child one day. Perhaps you are already a devoted aunt, uncle, or godparent. Perhaps you simply find, as I do, the process by which children develop into adults to be endlessly fascinating. Regardless, you (and all adults) need to learn about children’s development because of your potential to contribute to their development through your interactions with them, your interactions with other adults in their lives (such as their parents), and your contributions to the social context in which they live through your informed citizenship within your community, state, nation, and world. Ultimately, fostering children’s development is self-serving, as they grow up to shape the lives of the previous generation.
In this course we will explore the psychological understanding of children’s development. We will begin with the history of developmental psychology, and research methodologies. We will discuss the contexts in which children live, with a particular focus on family, peers, and the larger cultural context. Then, we will examine children’s physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional development, with consideration of the cultural context, and focusing within each on examples of current research.
Class Format: I believe that learning is fundamentally an active, collaborative process, and that you will learn more by articulating your thoughts, questions, reactions, agreements and objections to the readings, and by working through discussions with fellow classmates, than from listening to me talk uninterrupted. Therefore, this class will be highly interactive. I will lecture to convey important information not covered in readings and to help you to understand the readings. Much of class time, however, will be spent discussing the readings and the questions that they raise for you and your classmates. Thus, you will need to be fully prepared to engage in discussion every class day. This includes reading the assigned readings carefully and reviewing them before you come to class.
You will also need to contribute to a class atmosphere in which everyone is encouraged to speak by the respectful manner in which all class members thoughtfully listen and respond to each other. I anticipate that class discussions may sometimes touch on topics that are personally sensitive to at least some class members; we will all need to be careful to maintain sensitivity to each other, and to be considerate of each others’ privacy both in and out of class. At the same time, we will want to think carefully about various controversies, and discussion depends on people taking different stances; thus, it is important to bring up points of disagreement, and to also respect others who disagree with you. Respect is often shown by taking others’ points of view seriously enough that they are worth responding to!
Depending on the material we are covering and the activities we are conducting to learn the material, I will sometimes ask you to work individually and will often ask you to work in small groups during class. Group work can be difficult, especially when you have experienced success in working individually in the past. However, I have found that this type of group work is effective for most students in learning the material, and is enjoyable for most students. Working with others is also a typical requirement in many business and professional settings that you may experience in your future. It is important, therefore, to develop skill in group processes both for you as a person living in the real world (!), and, of course, within the context of this class. These skills will help you realize more of the potential benefits of learning in a group and minimize the potential difficulties.
Therefore, I will ask you to form stable small groups for the first half of the semester. For the second half of the semester, I will ask you to form a different stable small group. In this way, I hope you will experience the benefits both of working with a consistent group and of working with different people during the semester. You will have the opportunity in class to set ground rules for these groups to maximize your learning in them, and I will also ask you to provide feedback on how the groups are working. Samples of the feedback forms are attached at the end of the syllabus. I hope that groups will function smoothly; please call on me if necessary to help facilitate that smooth functioning.
Late Policy: All assignments need to be turned in at the beginning of class on the day noted on the schedule. I take off 10% of the assignment’s potential points from the grade for each day assignments are late. Three days after the due date, I will no longer accept assignments; therefore, the grade for assignments that are more than 3 days late will be 0.
Assignments
Service Practicum. The best way to gain an understanding of individual variation in children’s development is through experience working with children. In the service practicum, you will gain this experience by volunteering in an applied setting of your choice. I would like to emphasize that your role at your practicum site is to serve as a volunteer; you will not be a passive observer of the children or adolescents, but rather will be working directly with them in a way that meets the needs of the children (adolescents) within the guidelines of the site.
You may complete the service practicum by volunteering at the Clinton Child Care Center (located in Root Dormitory). Michelle Thieme and Doreen Falin-Favale, the Director and Assistant Director, respectively, of the Child Care Center, will be visiting our class to discuss the Center. Following her visit you will be able to sign up to volunteer in one of the classrooms.
You may find suitable service practicum opportunities by visiting the HAVOC fair or otherwise contacting HAVOC. Based on students’ past experience, one HAVOC program I particularly recommend involves tutoring children from Utica who are brought to Hamilton’s campus after school one or two days a week. No transportation is needed for this program. Students have also found it especially valuable to work at the House of the Good Shepherd and Cosmo Kids programs. Some of these students have provided their own transportation and some have carpooled with other HAVOC volunteers. You may also be able to take the bus to your service site now that it comes to campus. HAVOC has a volunteer fair at the beginning of each semester at which you may learn more about their programs.
In the past, students have also enjoyed working in local elementary schools, which often welcome student volunteers as tutors or as assistants in the classroom or lunchroom or at recess, and at local libraries, where storytime, fingerplays, and crafts often require assistance. I will have more information on these possibilities during the second week of classes.
Finally, if none of the above options appeal to you, you may ask me to approve a service practicum site that you set up on your own. To find a place to volunteer your time, I suggest that you contact Judy Owens-Manley of the Levitt Center, or peruse the community service pages in the local phone book.
You should plan on volunteering in your setting at least 1 1/2 to 2 hours per week, for a total of at least 15 hours over the course of the semester. You will find that the more time and energy you put into the experience, the more you will gain.
You will keep a journal of your volunteer experience, writing your weekly schedule and brief notes about what you are doing and what your reactions are after each time you have been to your service site. Again, let me emphasize that while you are at the site, you should be fully concentrating on your role with the children (or adolescents). You will reflect on your day’s experience in your journal entries after your work is done for the day at the site. At two points in the semester (Monday, March 3 and Monday, April 14) you will turn in a summary of the hours you have worked thus far. At the end of the semester (Friday, May 9), you will turn in your entire journal along with an 8 – 12 page report for the entire semester. Grading criteria for the report is attached to this syllabus. To help you prepare the best report possible, you will select a writing partner from your first small group who will read a draft of your report and select (a) the best point or example or connection you include, and (b) at least one new connection to the text or class notes that you might make. Your draft, and your writing partner’s comments, will be turned in with your final report. Writing partner effectiveness will be taken into account in class participation grades.
Additionally, I will solicit comments on your performance from your supervisor(s) at the service practicum. Regardless of the quality of your written summaries, if your site supervisor gives you a negative performance evaluation, you will receive a 0 for your grade. You need to select your volunteer site and schedule your hours by Monday, February 3.
Pop Quizzes. You will have 2 to 5 pop quizzes throughout the semester. These will be brief responses, one paragraph at most. They will likely involve defining a term or describing a stage of development. You should be well prepared for these based on your usual careful reading of the texts and attention to class lecture or discussion. They will be graded on the following scale: 3=accurate and well-explained response, 2=some aspects correct, but incomplete OR some aspects incorrect OR unclear explanation, 1 = completely incorrect response, no evidence that you have any knowledge of the term or stages asked about, 0 = no response turned in. Your lowest pop quiz grade will be dropped, and your total pop quiz grade for the class will be the percentage of points you earned from the total that could be earned. As is the nature of pop quizzes, these will not be regularly scheduled, and each section may – or may not – have pop quizzes on the same day. The appearance of being unprepared for class and/or unengaged in class lecture and discussion will make it more likely that I will give a pop quiz.
Mid-Term Exam. The mid-term exam, on Foci 1 through 3, will be taken at your convenience on Thursday, March 13 or Friday, March 14. The exam will be composed of a mixture of true/false, matching, fill-in-the-blanks, and short answer questions.
Final Exam. There will be a cumulative final exam given during the final exam periods on Tuesday, May 13 from 2:00 to 5:00 pm and Wednesday, May 14 from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon. You may attend either exam session, regardless of which section you are in. This final exam will consist of two parts. The first part will be an analysis of a case study, including identification of symptoms, diagnosis, and proposal of a treatment plan. The second part will be your responses to two or three essay questions asking you to integrate what you have learned in this course across the semester.
Class Participation. Class participation includes being prepared for class, attending class, and contributing to class discussions (see sections on Class Format and on Thought Question Responses above.) I will evaluate your class participation in terms of the effort you are showing (e.g., attendance, contributions to small group and class discussion, clear preparation and attempts to understand) and the effectiveness of your participation (e.g., insightfulness of comments and questions, ability to facilitate other students’ participation and understanding). This is, admittedly, a subjective evaluation. In order to share subjective viewpoints (because you will also have your own perspectives), I will ask you to rate your peers’ and your own class and small group participation periodically. Examples of forms for peer evaluation are attached to the syllabus. I will also give you a preliminary class participation grade when I hand back your mid-term exam, so that you may make any changes you feel necessary, and so that you can speak with me about any concerns you may have.Grading: Final grades will be based upon the following formula:
(a) participation in class 0 – 150 points
(b) service practicum report 0 – 250 points
(c) pop quizzes 0 – 100 points
(d) mid-term exam 0 – 200 points
(e) final exam 0 – 300 points
FINAL GRADE = a + b + c + d + e
A+ = 965 - 1000 B+ = 865 - 904 C+ = 765 - 804 D+ = 665 - 704
A = 935 - 964 B = 835 - 864 C = 735 - 764 D = 635 - 664
A- = 905 - 934 B- = 805 - 834 C- = 705 - 734 D- = 605 - 634
F = 0 - 604
Extra Credit: I may occasionally announce lectures you may attend for extra credit. If you attend and turn in, within one week, a 1- to 2-page typed response to the lecture, you may earn up to 2 points extra credit. There may also be a Psychology Subject Pool, which provides opportunities to participate in research studies. If you participate in studies and turn in, within one week of your participation, a 1- to 2-page typed reflection on the study along with your participation card, you may earn 1 to 2 points extra credit, depending on the length of time the study took to complete. The ceiling for extra credit is 10 points added to your final grade.
Honor Code. Please review the Honor Code, and please review appropriate paraphrasing to avoid plagiarism (http://onthehill.hamilton.edu/academics/resource/wc/AvoidingPlagiarism.html). I will submit violations of the Honor Code to the Associate Dean of Students (Academic), Christina Willemsen.
Disabilities. Hamilton College provides reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. Proper documentation is necessary to be eligible for accommodation. If you feel that you may need academic adjustments or accommodations in this course, please speak with me during the first two weeks of class. All such discussions will remain confidential. You will also need to contact Nancy Thompson in the Dean of Students Office (KJ104; ext. 4022), who coordinates services for students with disabilities.
New Drop Policy. A new academic regulation was passed by the Faculty last spring, to the effect that a student who misses any day of class during the first week of classes may be dropped from that course. There is a wait list for this course. I will drop you from this course if you miss class on Monday, January 20 or Wednesday, January 22.Texts: available in bookstore
Berk, L.E. (2003). Child Development, 6th edition. Allyn & Bacon.
DeLoache, J.S., Mangelsdorf, S.C., & Pomerantz, E. (1998). Current Readings in Child Development, 3rd edition. Allyn & Bacon.
Gardiner, H.W. & Kosmitzki, C. (2002). Lives across Cultures: Cross-Cultural Human Development, 2nd edition. Allyn & Bacon.
SPRING 2003
Day Topic Assignments
FOCUS 1 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND METHODS
Monday, January 20 introduction
Wednesday, January 22 Human development across cultures: important themes G & K, Chapters 1; D, M, & P, Article 1
Monday, January 27 Development of the field of child development Berk, Chapter 1; G & K, Chapter 2, pp. 17 – 35
VISITORS: Michelle Thieme, Director, and Doreen Falin-Favale, Assistant Director, Clinton Child Care Center
Wednesday, January 29 Research methods Berk, Chapter 2; G & K, Chapter 2, pp. 36 - 47
Monday, February 3 Research methods continued TBA
Turn in where you will be doing your service practicum and what your hours will be
FOCUS 2 CONTEXTS FOR DEVELOPMENT
Wednesday, February 5 Ecological niches G & K, Chapter 3; D, M, & P, Article 2
Monday, February 10 Family Berk, Chapter 14
Wednesday, February 12 Family in cultural context G & K, Chapter 9; D, M, & P, Article 25
Monday, February 17 Peers, media, schools Berk, Chapter 15; G & K, Chapter 8, pp. 189 - 192
Wednesday, February 19 Research on peers, broader ecological context D, M, & P, Articles 21 & 22 OR 23 & 24
FOCUS 3 BIOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS
Monday, February 24 Genetics, prenatal development, and birth
Berk, Chapter 3; D, M, & P, Article 3
Wednesday, February 26 Movie on childbirth ask someone you know who has given birth about her experience
Monday, March 3 Infancy Berk, Chapter 4; D, M, & P, Article 4
Turn in your hours worked to date on your service practicum
Wednesday, March 5 Research on development in infancy D, M, & P, Articles 5, 6, & 7
Monday, March 10 Physical growth across the lifespan Berk, Chapter 5
Wednesday, March 12 Cultural aspects of physical growth G & K, Chapter 4
Take Mid-Term Exam before you leave for Spring Break
Spring Break
FOCUS 4 COGNITION AND LANGUAGE
Monday, March 31 Cognitive development I: Piaget & Vygotsky Berk, Chapter 6
Wednesday, April 2 Research on cognitive development I D, M, & P, Articles 8 & 9
Monday, April 7 Language development Berk, Chapter 9
Wednesday, April 9 Research on language development D, M, & P, Articles 12 & 13
Monday, April 14 Cognition and language within cultural context G & K, Chapter 5
Turn in your hours worked to date on your service practicum
FOCUS 5 SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Wednesday, April 16 Emotional development Berk, Chapter 10; G & K, Chapter 8, pp. 179 – 188, 210 – 208
Give a copy of your draft of your service practicum report to your writing partner
Monday, April 21 Research on emotional development D, M, & P, Articles 14 & 15
Wednesday, April 23 NO CLASS This would be a good opportunity to meet with your writing partner to discuss your service practicum report.
Monday, April 28 Self and social understanding Berk, Chapter 11; G & K, Chapter 8, pp. 198 - 200
Wednesday, April 30 Research on self-evaluation; self in cultural context D, M, & P, Article 16; G & K, Chapter 6
Monday, May 5 Moral development Berk, Chapter 12; G & K, Chapter 8, pp. 193 - 197
Wednesday, May 7 Research on moral development; conclusions D, M, & P, Article 17; G & K, Chapter 11
Friday, May 9 Turn in service practicum report by NOON
Final Exam Tuesday, May 13, 2 - 5 OR Wednesday, May 14, 9 – noon
SAMPLE SMALL GROUP FEEDBACK FORM
Your name: _____________________
Who are the members of your small group?What is your group doing that helps your learning?
What would increase your learning in this group? What could you do? What could others do?How could I help your group be more effective in collaborative learning?
SAMPLE FINAL SMALL GROUP FEEDBACK FORM
Your name: ________________
Please describe each group member’s behavior, including yourself, on the listed characteristics, using the following scale: 1 (rarely), 2 (sometimes), 3 (usually), 4 (almost always), 5 (always)
NAMES:
Task Leadership:
present and prepared for class
refrained from distracting and irrelevant discussion
participated in group discussion
helped clarify concepts and resolve disagreements
got the group started on task
asked questions when confused
kept group on track
gave appropriate examples
Relationship Leadership:
brought energy and enthusiasm to group discussions
encouraged others’ participation
took leadership responsibility for the group’s learning
helped foster group morale
used humor effectively
helped group explore and improve its functioning
Service Practicum Report
The purpose of this report is twofold: to help you reflect on what you learned, and to inform me of what you did on your service practicum and how your understanding developed. You will NOT need to consult any sources besides your daily journal entries and your texts to do this report. I anticipate that the report will be approximately 8 to 12 pages. Please attach your daily journal entries, your draft, and your writing partner’s comments.
I would like you to include the following information. Please feel free to expand on your thoughts and to offer additional insights as you see fit.
1. Report the dates and times that you participated in your service practicum.
2. What did you do at your service practicum? Discuss the specific tasks you engaged in and how you accomplished them. Mention any special challenges or rewarding features. You may find it useful to talk about your reasoning process as you decided how best to complete the tasks you engaged in. Please discuss how your work and experience changed as you became more accustomed to the practicum. Please try to maintain confidentiality of the people you worked with by identifying them only by their first names or, if necessary, only by their first initials. This section will likely take around 3 to 5 paragraphs to be complete.
3. What did you learn about individuals’ development? Discuss both normative patterns and group and/or individual variation. Explain your reasoning. Connect to your texts. This section will likely take around 4 to 6 paragraphs to be complete.
4. What was your reaction to the service practicum? How did you feel at the beginning and end of each day? Did you become more engaged with the people with whom you are working, less engaged, the same? Why or why not? Did their interactions with you change? If so, how? Did you find yourself feeling more or less skilled at your tasks? Do you see future use for what you learned through the service practicum? Why or why not? Be sure to look through your journal to compare and contrast your current reactions to your past reactions. This section will likely take around 2 to 4 paragraphs to be complete.
5. Would you recommend this particular service practicum for future classes? Why or why not? This conclusion will likely take around 1 to 2 paragraphs to be complete. Grading scale for service practicum report:
225 - 250 points: explains activities clearly, uses specific examples well to illustrate points, explains how practicum activities aid in understanding of development (including both normative patterns and group/individual variation) using evidence rather than simply stating it, connects appropriately and informatively to information from the text or class notes, describes reaction to practicum clearly, explains reasons for decisions regarding practicum’s future utility for self and other students rather than simply stating them, writes in a well-organized and logically flowing manner
200 - 224 points: explains activities clearly, often includes specific examples that are relevant to points, gives reasons for how practicum activities aid in understanding of development, connects appropriately to information from the text or class notes, describes reaction to practicum clearly, gives decisions regarding practicum’s future utility for self and other students, writes engagingly yet could be better organized
175 - 199 points: lists activities without explanation, uses examples that are not clearly connected to points, gives unconvincing reasons for how practicum activities aid in understanding of development, refers to information from the text or class notes, states reaction to practicum without explanation, gives decisions regarding practicum’s future utility for self and other students without explanation, assumes much knowledge on reader’s part
150 - 174 points: lists activities without explanation, uses examples rarely or never, leaves out reasons for how practicum activities aid in understanding of development or reaction or decisions regarding practicum’s future utility, may be very brief or perfunctorily written
125 points: leaves out dates and times participated in practicum
0 points: negative report on performance by site supervisor
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