assignment one :
Do you think experimental psychology would have developed when it did without Fechner’s work? Without Weber’s work? Why?
Initial posts are due by Thursday at 11:59pm
Response posts are due by Sunday at 11:59pm
*Remember that while this is an opinion based question, you MUST utilize course material and/or outside resources to support your thoughts and opinions. Also be sure to utilize APA style citations and references.
*Two substantive response posts are required that further the discussion and utilize course material. Please see the syllabus for additional details on expectations for discussion posts.
assignment two :
Documenting Young Children’s Learning
Answer the following questions:
-Name four methods of documentation of children’s learning mentioned in the video.
-Why is it important to document children’s learning at different times and in different contexts?
-Why is it important to reflect on the information you’ve documented regarding children’s learning?
assignment 3:
Practice Writing Objectives:
You are teaching a unit on birds to your class of 4-year-olds. Write three objectives for a lesson you’ve planned where students read a book on birds and observe birds on a nature walk. The objectives should detail what children will know or be able to do by the end of the lesson (ex: Students will be able to verbally detail at least one aspect that makes birds different from other animals).
assignment 4 :
Some parents have asked you why children are wasting their time in pretend play in the 4-year-old classroom instead of focusing on getting ready for kindergarten. Describe in detail your rationale for including pretend play in the classroom. Identify three things children are learning as they engage in pretend play.
assignment 5 :
You have just been employed as a kindergarten teacher. You decide to visit the classroom where you will teach before school starts. When you enter the room, you note the shining floors first and then all of the furnishings and equipment piled high on one side of the room. Cupboards are on one wall and windows on another. A toilet and lavatory opens off the wall with cupboards and there is a sink in the countertop. You can see electrical outlets on the wall with no windows or cupboards.
List four learning centers that you would most want in the classroom. Describe the materials and equipment you would need for each one and explain how each center will contribute to children’s learning.
assignment 6:
Group Time in Kindergarten
It is March. The 20 kindergartners in Larry Widener’s class are studying the author Beatrix Potter. The children have learned about the author’s background, her love of animals, and her talent for drawing. They have enjoyed several Beatrix Potter books in the story corner, including The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Tale of Benjamin Bunny, and The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle. Today, Larry decides to read The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin to the children during group time. It is a lovely book, 4 by 5 and 1/2 inches, with charming pastel drawings. Larry begins the group time by singing a song about rabbits. He follows this with a finger play about squirrels. The children sit in a circle on the rug, participating with enthusiasm. Then Larry introduces the story by reminding the children of the other Beatrix Potter tales they have heard. Larry holds up the book so the children can see the pictures and begins reading. There is much jostling as children strain in to see the pictures. Soon children are inching up closer and closer to the book. Larry stops reading three times to remind children to “sit on their bottoms and to remain in their places.” However, before he has read two full pages the children are crowded around his chair and choruses of, “I can’t see,” are heard throughout the group as some children sit up on their knees to see better. More pushing and shoving occurs as children vie for spots in the front. Larry is frustrated. He loves this story and wants the children to have an enjoyable literary experience, however, he realizes this group time is not working well.
Drawing from your knowledge of appropriate group times, identify the most likely cause for the children’s group-time problems. Provide a rationale for your answer.
Identify three strategies Larry could use to enhance the children’s learning at a group time that includes the Tale of Squirrel Nutkin.
assignment 7:
To illustrate the chronosystem* in ecological systems theory (Bronfenbrenner), select an important event from your childhood, such as a move to a new neighborhood or a class with an inspiring teacher. How did the event affect you? How might its impact have differed had you been five years younger? How about five years older?
*Keep in mind that the chronosystem refers to significant events, especially transitional ones that occur in a person’s lifetime.
assignment 8:
Complete the attached chart.
Chapter1Theorist Review Chart.docxDownload Chapter1Theorist Review Chart.docx
Theorist Review Chart
Theorist
Major Contributions & Key Vocabulary/Concepts
Piaget
– Stages of Cognitive Development: Sensorimotor, Preoperational, Concrete Operational, Formal Operational.
– Schemas: Cognitive frameworks for organizing information.
– Assimilation & Accommodation: Processes of integrating new information into existing schemas (assimilation) and altering schemas to fit new information (accommodation).
– Constructivism: Children construct knowledge through active exploration and interaction with their environment.
Vygotsky
– Sociocultural Theory: Emphasizes the role of social interaction and culture in cognitive development.
– Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD): The difference between what a child can do independently and what they can do with help.
– Scaffolding: Support provided by adults or more capable peers to help the child learn within their ZPD.
– Language as a Tool for Thought: Language is essential for cognitive development and internalizing knowledge.
Erikson
– Psychosocial Development: Eight stages of development from infancy to adulthood, each characterized by a specific conflict that must be resolved.
– Stages include: Trust vs. Mistrust, Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt, Initiative vs. Guilt, Industry vs. Inferiority, Identity vs. Role Confusion, Intimacy vs. Isolation, Generativity vs. Stagnation, Ego Integrity vs. Despair.
– Identity Crisis: The process of exploring and forming one’s identity during adolescence.
Bronfenbrenner
– Ecological Systems Theory: Describes development within the context of interconnected systems: Microsystem, Mesosystem, Exosystem, Macrosystem, and Chronosystem.
– Chronosystem: The influence of time and significant life events on development.
– Emphasizes the interaction between the individual and their environment across multiple layers of influence.
Bandura
– Social Learning Theory: Emphasizes the importance of observational learning, imitation, and modeling.
– Self-Efficacy: Belief in one’s ability to succeed in specific situations.
– Reciprocal Determinism: The concept that behavior, personal factors, and environmental influences interact and influence each other.
– Bobo Doll Experiment: Demonstrated the impact of observational learning on aggressive behavior in children.
assignment 9 :
Consider Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory and how an environmental factor like child care costs can indirectly affect a child’s development. How can this affect low-income parents? Middle income parents? Brainstorm some potential solutions to this problem.
last one :
Describe epigenetics in your own words.
Now, describe three situations where an environmental factor (like poverty, lead contaminated water,
healthy diet, etc) could influence gene expression (for example, genes that control intelligence, heart
disease or diabetes, etc.). Use the chart below to record your answers.
Genes that control… Environmental factor (can be
positive or negative)
Result
Ex: Body Weight- obesity is
common in child’s biological
mother’s family
Ex: Poor diet in childhood and
adolescence
Ex: Child is significantly
overweight by age 16 and
developing early signs of type 2
diabetes
1.
2.
3.