Growth and Development 2nd Day
Course Logistics and Assessments
Grading Structure: Instead of a traditional final exam, the course concludes with a final project.
Assessments: The only quizzes or tests throughout the term are weekly quizzes based on the assigned chapters.
Modules: Chapters are to be read and completed as part of the home modules.
Observation Requirements:
Students are required to conduct observations on three specific age groups: infants, toddlers, and school-age children.
These observation assignments open after the specific relevant modules are completed.
The observations are not due the week they open but must be completed by the end of the semester.
It is the student's primary responsibility to find and contact locations for these observations; the instructor will not provide a school, make phone calls, or facilitate placement.
Observations can be conducted at a workplace or a preschool, provided the student arranges it themselves.
Expectations for Success
The 50/50 Rule: Success in the course is divided equally between the instructor and the student.
Instructor Responsibility (): Teaching to fidelity and ensuring students have enough information to hone in on the material to be prepared for the field.
Student Responsibility (): Coming to class prepared by reading the assigned chapters in advance.
Consequences of Unpreparedness: Failing to read the assigned material (e.g., Chapter 1 on theorists) results in being "lost in the sauce" during hands-on activities and deep-dive discussions.
Foundational Concepts of Theory and Theorists
Definition of Theory: An organized explanation of exactly how or why something happens. People create theories constantly to explain daily occurrences, such as why a student is absent from class (e.g., they stayed out late or are not awake yet).
Definition of Theorist: A person who develops ideas and explanations regarding how people learn, grow, think, or behave. Examples include scientists, psychologists, teachers, and researchers.
The Role of Theorists: Like detectives, theorists gather information to "create their case" and explain human development.
Professional Relevance:
Theorists and their theories (such as the Hierarchy of Needs) are frequently discussed in school buildings, IT schools, nursing, and psychology.
Knowledge of these theories is essential for those taking the Praxis exam.
Understanding theorist perspectives allows professionals to identify why a child is acting a certain way.
Influences on Child Behavior and Perspectives
Variability in Development: Though children may be the same age, they learn, grow, think, and behave differently due to various influences.
Environmental Factors: A child's behavior is heavily influenced by their surroundings, including who is teaching them and where they are growing up.
Cultural and Religious Influences:
Behavioral norms are not universal. For example, eye contact can be interpreted differently. In some households, looking a parent eye-to-eye while being scolded is seen as challenging authority; thus, a child may look down out of respect. In a school or clinical setting, an adult might misinterpret this as a lack of attention.
Language and Household Structure: Growing up in a home where no English is spoken or living in a one-parent household (led by a mother, father, grandparent, aunt, or uncle) shapes a child's behavior.
Geographic Influence: Growing up in a large city like Orlando or Chicago provides exposure to more people and different perspectives compared to growing up in a small town like Greenwood.
Personal Variables: A child’s personality, friends, school culture, and specific life experiences all contribute to who they become.
Growth versus Development
Growth: Refers to observable physical changes, including height, weight, and the acquisition of motor skills.
Development: Refers to changes in abilities, emotions, and social skills.
Social Skills: This includes the transition from parallel play (playing next to, but not with, another child) to interactive play. Parallel play is common and should not be immediately misidentified as a developmental disorder like autism; children typically do not begin playing together until around the age of .
Emotional Regulation: Children are not born with emotional regulation; they must learn it. They often mimic the reactions of adults. For example, if a teacher reacts with frustration to a spilled coffee, students may mirror that harshness toward their peers.
Other Areas: Development encompasses language acquisition, problem-solving, and the formation of friendships.
Comprehensive List of Key Theorists
Bruner: Focuses on learning through discovery.
Dewey: Emphasizes learning through experience.
Piaget: Defined the stages of cognitive development; looks at how thinking skills develop.
Vygotsky: Proposes learning through social interaction and adult-guided instruction.
Kohlberg: Investigates moral development.
Bloom: Established levels of learning and thinking (Bloom’s Taxonomy), often used in state testing to categorize question difficulty.
Thorndike: Developed the theory of learning through trial and error.
Watson: Believes behavior is shaped entirely by the environment.
Maslow: Established the Hierarchy of Needs; asserts that basic physiological and safety needs must be met before learning can occur.
Skinner: Focuses on behavior influenced by rewards and consequences (reinforcement).
Erickson: Studies social and emotional development throughout the entire lifespan.
Case Study: The Impact of Environment and Needs
Subject: A -year-old boy in a third-grade classroom who was significantly behind academically (could not read, write, or spell his last name).
History: The child had a fragmented school record, moving from Greenwood to Florida and back. He had attended kindergarten briefly but had no records between then and third grade. He was living with an aunt who claimed custody via a handwritten note.
Behavioral Issues: The child exhibited aggression, was fighting on the playground, "sucking his teeth" at the teacher, and sleeping in class.
Underlying Trauma: It was later revealed through a DSS meeting that the child’s mother, whom he thought he went on an Easter egg hunt with, had actually physically abused him. His father was a gang member.
Theoretical Application:
Maslow's Hierarchy: The child could not focus on learning because his basic needs for safety, food, water, and stability were not met.
Social Skills: His social skills were stunted because he was primarily around adults in a high-conflict environment rather than peers.
Theoretical Perspectives on Specific Behaviors
Example: Tying Shoes:
Piaget: Would see the child as developing specific cognitive thinking skills.
Vygotsky: Would emphasize that an adult guided the child through the learning process.
Skinner: Would argue that praise from adults encouraged the child's success.
Bruner: Would suggest the child learned by independently playing with and discovering how the laces work.
Maslow: Would point out that the child must first have the basic resource (shoes) and feel secure before learning the task.
Example: Student Motivation:
Rewards are not always physical (like candy). They can be internal, such as feeling proud of oneself or making parents proud.
Example: Negative Reinforcement:
A child might share a toy not because they want to, but to avoid a negative consequence, such as being hit by another child. Negative experiences often stick in the brain more vividly than positive ones.
Modern Challenges in Child Development
Technology and Attention: The average attention span of a child today is approximately seconds, likely influenced by constant exposure to media and electronics.
Mental Health Crisis: There is a significant mental health crisis among modern youth, driven in part by social media.
Generational Shifts in Parenting: Previous generations often ignored issues like anxiety (the "shut up generation"), whereas current supporters must understand the underlying causes of behavior to provide effective help.
Institutional Responses: Institutions like Lander University adapt to changing needs by renovating facilities (like the cafeteria) and adding amenities (Chick-fil-A, Starry, alcohol at sporting events) to ensure students thrive in their environment.