Understanding the development of students is a particularly useful skill to have when developing curriculum or practicing in the field of education. Knowledge of human development is one of the primary influences upon learning theories (Caldwell & Richmond, 1970). One would not give algebra to a kindergartener! Being aware of these patterns can help to explain the "how and why" curiosity of human growth and can signal when something is amiss in the development process (Rice, 2001).

During the duration of the class CI 6320: Child Growth and Development, I had the opportunity to create a developmental chart detailing the social, psychosexual, cognitive and moral evolution of individuals. With those guidelines in mind, I designed a chart in Microsoft Excel with the primary goal being ease of use. This chart functions in one of two ways depending on how it is being used. One may either look up a particular milestone to find out what age range it is associated with or one may look at a broad range of developments affecting a particular age group. This particular assignment will prove helpful in a classroom setting because it provides a way to familiarize oneself with the probable experiences of one's students and the instructional approaches that are most likely to succeed. Additionally, it will be helpful on an individual basis in order to determine potential explanations for behavioral or cognitive difficulties. It was quite helpful when performing a case study as well.

References

Caldwell, B. & Richmond, J. (1970). The Impact of Theories of Child Development. In F. Rebelsky & L. Dorman (Eds.), Child Development and Behavior (pp. 3-12). New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.

Rice, F. (2001). Human Development: A Life-Span Approach. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

It is important to remember that the development of an individual is cumulative (Rice, 2001), nature and nurture constant building upon one another to create a unique person. Understanding what has happened and what should be happening provides a foundation upon which to build. Having this knowledge may make the difference between being able to reach a student or understand his perspective. Furthermore, with this knowledge, one is able to plan for the future (Bronfenbrenner, 1970).

Created in CI 6351: Human Growth and Development, this artifact examines the practice of keeping animals in the classroom from a developmental standpoint. Moving beyond long held developmental theories, it focuses more on abstract character concepts such as responsibility, self-esteem, and empathy. Incorporating research from fields other than psychology, this Power Point looks at our understanding of how these feelings develop to try to determine what role, if any, classroom pets might play in the process. Since these ideas are not isolated to only children, they may be considerations for anyone interested in a pet, those curious about how some of our more complex feelings develop, or perhaps even how to inspire them.

References

Bronfenbrenner, U. (1970). The Changing American Child--A Speculative Analysis. In F. Rebelsky & L. Dorman (Eds.), Child Development and Behavior (pp. 3-12). New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.

Rice, F. (2001). Human Development: A Life-Span Approach. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.