Faculty Contact Information:
Michelle Mentzer, Ed.D.
Quadrelle (AV) Italy
Home phone 081-825-7714
Cell phone 340-406-1967
Homepage for syllabus and handouts: www.homepage.mac.com/drmentzer
This is updated each semester and is not available until the semester begins. Each student is given a password for the present semester.
|
|
Consultation:
|
I am available for appointments after classes on Saturdays and Sundays. It is my preference that any assignments not received in class must be emailed. Feel free to email me with any questions you might have over class material and/or assignments. I welcome your questions and interest.
|
|
Required Texts and Readings:
|
Santrock, J.W. (2004). Life-Span Development. Boston, MA: McGraw Hill.
|
|
Supplementary Readings:
All graduate students should be prepared to utilize the UMUC online library at http://www.umuc.edu/library/. The library contains a large number of full text academic journals that are free of charge and immediately available. The library homepage also contains a number of links related to improving students’ research and writing skills.
Bibliography of well-written materials that correlate with the coursework will be available in class, and on the homepage.
|
|
Recommended Journals:
A variety of full-text, online, free-of-charge and pay-per-view academic journals are listed on the Counseling Webboard at http://www.ed.umuc.edu/graduate/webboards/
A list of journals and online sources will be handed out in class and be available on the homepage.
|
|
Course Description:
|
This course places emphasis on the study of the characteristics of human growth at each stage of development. Special emphasis will be placed on counseling in various settings, including schools. Instruction and practice in the writing of a case study report is also given. Students may receive credit for only one of the following courses: EDUC 507 or EDCP 605.
|
|
Course Goals:
|
This course is designed to enable students to become familiar with the dynamic aspects of human growth and development over the life span. It will assist students in preparing for the comprehensive exam and will prepare them for professional practice with people of all ages.
|
|
Course Objectives:
At the conclusion of the course, the student will be able to:
1. Identify the main concepts and theories of human development postulated by prominent developmental psychologists.
2. Identify the determinants of physical, cognitive, and social/ psychological human growth and development.
3. Be knowledgeable about the nature and need of the individual at every level of development.
4. Be familiar with current research in the field of human growth and development.
5. Have an understanding of how to work with children, adolescents and adults in any setting.
|
|
Grading Information:
Grades for this course will be assigned as follows:
A 92%
B 80 – 91%
C 70 – 79%
F Below 70%
Specific evaluation criteria for the Integration Paper is available in class and on the homepage; specific grading criteria for the Developmental Biography is also available in class and online.
Please note that Bowie State University does not use "D" for graduate students. The grade F(a) is used to designate academic failure. F(n) is used to designate failure for non-completion. Grades of Incomplete or Withdrawal are governed by UMUC-Europe policies. For further details, please refer to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog. Hard copies of the catalog are available in your local Education Center.
Make-up exams must be arranged in advance and they will be formatted differently than those given in class.
|
|
Course Requirements:
Graduate school at the masters level focuses on helping students obtain the education needed for success as professionals in their chosen fields. Thus, UMUC-Europe Graduate Programs and Bowie State University share the common goals of promoting excellence in academic scholarship through thoughtful inquiry and the skillful application of knowledge and theory for the betterment of society. In order to maximize your graduate educational experience in general and this course in particular, you are required to:
Classroom Discussions and Participation 10%
Integration Paper 30%
Developmental Autobiography 20%
Four Examination(s)(One essay, three objective) 40%
|
|
Description of Course Requirements:
Participate in classroom discussions: Each student is expected to attend class consistently. There will be material presented that is not available in the text. You are expected to come to class prepared to engage in all discussions in a professional and informed manner. Usually this requires two to three hours of additional study for every hour of a face-to-face class.
Each student is expected to complete an Integration Paper: An outline of expectations for the integration paper is provided in class and on the homepage. You are required to conduct professional-level research, including appropriately citing works of others and avoiding plagiarism. Plan on committing approximately 150 hours over the duration of this course to producing professional level deliverables.
Oral presentation of each Integration Paper: You are required to present your research in a professional manner. Visual media is welcomed, but not required. Student may use cue cards for presentation, but may not read from materials during presentation.
Complete four written examination(s): There are three objective exams, and one essay examination. The examination process in this class will assist you in developing the writing and critical thinking skills necessary to successfully passing the comprehensive exam required of all graduate students. The questions used for this course will either be taken directly from past comprehensive exams or written as though to be included on a comprehensive exam.
|
|
Course Schedule:
This schedule presents 16 sessions. Classes meet for eight days, organized into two sessions per day. Students are expected to have read all materials for the sessions covered, before class.
Day One (March 27):
First session:
Introductions
Review of syllabus
Clarification of goals, objectives and requirements
Orientation to subject
Chapter 1 - Introduction
Identify the goals of studying human development.
Identify and define biological and environmental processes and explain how these two developmental processes interact.
Discuss how attitudes toward children and child rearing have changed and the role of the family in these changes.
Explain three controversial issues that arise in theories of human development
Second session: Chapter 2 – The Science of Life-Span Development
Identify, describe, and compare the major theories of human development.
Identify the major concepts employed by each theory of human development.
Identify individuals connected to the major theories of human development.
Have a thorough understanding of Piaget’s cognitive learning theory and the theory’s role in current teaching model’s.
Identify and describe the types of research methodology that are used in the study of human development.
Day Two (March 28)
Third session: Chapter 3 – Biological Beginnings
Identify and explain the principles and processes of genetic reproduction.
Identify and describe the causes and characteristics of genetic abnormalities
Identify the contributions and controversies in the field of behavioral genetics.
Describe the relationship between heredity and environment in human development.
Fourth session: Chapter 4 - Prenatal Development and Birth
Describe three prenatal developmental periods
Discuss the general trends that occur in prenatal growth and development
Explain the importance of critical periods in the prenatal process
Discuss the factors that influence prenatal development
List and describe the three stages of childbirth
Summarize the changes involved in making the transition to parenthood
Describe the parent-infant bonding
Day Three (April 17) EXAM #1 over Sessions 1-4
Fifth session: Chapter 5 - Physical Development in Infancy
Describe what neonates can do.
Summarize physical development over the first two years
Explain how the development of gross motor skills and fine motor skills follows the principles of cephalocaudal and proximodistal sequences.
Explain the importance of nutrition during the first two years.
Define sensation and perception, and describe sensory and perceptual development in the first two years.
Sixth session: Chapter 6 - Cognitive Development in the First Two Years.
Explain and critique Piaget’s theory of cognitive development in the infant
Discuss the role of perceptual organization and categories in infant cognition.
Explain how the information-processing view differs from the Piagetian view of cognitive development and explain habituation and dishabituation.
Discuss the role of imitation, reinforcement, innate language structure, and cognitive development in language learning
Identify the sequence of language development in infants.
Discuss the effects of environmental stimulation on infant competency.
Explain why intervention programs are so important to high-risk infants.
Day Four (April 18)
Seventh session: Chapter 7 – Socioemotional Development In Infancy
Understand reciprocal socialization and scaffolding.
Discuss the process of attachment between the infant and primary caregiver and describe how studying the behavior of animals has contributed to attachment theory.
Describe the role the father plays in the development of the infant.
Know key factors that affect the quality of the relationship between the infant and caregiver.
Understand the concept of temperament, including the three types of temperament and the implications of temperamental variations for parenting.
Discuss the development of trust, and the developing sense of self and independence.
Have an understanding of these issues concerning parental employment, out-of -home care and the socioemotional development of the infant.
Eighth session: Chapter 8 - Physical and Cognitive Development in Early Childhood
Understand the physical development of the preschool child in terms of body size and proportion, skeletal maturation, and overall growth changes
Discuss the major aspects of brain development during the preschool years and their impact on motor skills.
Explain the major changes in gross motor and fine motor skills during early childhood.
Describe the aspects and limitations of preoperational thought and the strengths and weaknesses of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development.
Indicate what changes occur in attention, memory, and task analyses in early childhood.
Explain Vygotsky’s theory of development, including zone of proximal development, scaffolding, language and thought, culture and society, and the education applications of Vygotsky’s theory.
Understand the sequence of the preoperational child’s language development, and the variables which influence this development
Day Five (May 1) EXAM #2 over Sessions 4-8
Ninth session: Chapter 9 – Socioemotional Development in Early Childhood.
Understand the four major parenting styles and how these are affected by developmental changes in the child as well as culture, social class, and ethnicity.
Discuss factors that promote initiative in young children’s lives.
Indicate the role that peers play in early development and be able to differentiate peer interaction and parent-child interaction.
Describe the functions of play and the types of play
Discuss young children’s self-understandings
Describe the biological, social, and cognitive factors that influence gender development
Describe Piaget’s theory of moral development.
Analyze the development of the self-concept during the preschool period, and describe how children construct social concepts and gender schemes in the formation of this concept.
Explain the impact of parenting styles and parental warmth and control on Socioemotional development.
Discuss family characteristics which may support or thwart the socioemotional development of the preschool child. (e.g. sibling relationships, disciplinary techniques, out-of-home care)
Tenth session:
Chapter 10 - Physical and cognitive Development in Middle and Late Childhood.
Discuss the physical development of the school-age child, including changes in fine motor and gross motor skills.
Identify the major health and safety concerns for school-age children.
Describe the transition of the child’s cognitive abilities between preoperational and concrete operational thought.
Explain how Piaget’s concepts of thinking in middle childhood can be used in the classroom.
Discuss cognitive development during middle childhood as it is described by information-processing theorists.
Describe the expansion of language development into literacy.
Explain learning and thinking in school terms of increased demands and expectations, and discuss the ways in which schools and parents can encourage competent learning and critical thinking.
Identify the ongoing controversy regarding definitions of intelligence and the uses and abuses of intelligence testing.
Explain the two main types of learning disabilities and the various views of their causes and treatments.
Day Six (May 2)
Eleventh session:
Chapter 11 - Socioemotional Development in Middle and Late Childhood
Describe children’s developing self-concept during the elementary school years.
Discuss the factors that promote a sense of industry in elementary-aged children.
Discuss the effects of familial stresses such as divorce, poverty, and abuse on children in middle childhood.
Explain the factors which can lead to child abuse and effects of child abuse on the child’s development.
Discuss the development of social cognition and moral reasoning during middle childhood.
Summarize the characteristic features of childhood friendships and peer groups
Define and distinguish among popular children, neglected children, rejected children, and controversial children.
Explain how children develop racial awareness and how environmental factors influence their attitudes toward ethnicity.
Discuss the concept of emotional intelligence
Twelfth session:
Chapter 12 - Physical and Cognitive Development in Adolescence.
Discuss the cultural and historical factors that influence adolescent development.
Describe physical maturation during pubescence for males and females and the difficulty many adolescents have in adjusting to their body image.
Discus the impact of early, late, and on-time maturation.
Analyze the attitudes, behaviors, and relationships that influence the adolescent’s emerging sexuality and gender identity
Describe the cognitive changes that occur during adolescence, and explain how these changes affect the scope and content of adolescent thought.
Explain how social cognition (adolescent egocentrism, imaginary audience, and personal fable) affects adolescent behavior.
Discuss common adolescent disorders and describe the trends in juvenile delinquency, sexual behavior, pregnancy, suicide and eating disorders.
Discuss factors that increase the likelihood that adolescents will engage in high-risk behaviors and protective factors that help shield adolescents.
Day 7 (May 15) EXAM#3 over Sessions 9-12
Thirteenth session:
Chapter 13 - The Socioemotional Development in Adolescence.
Discuss the major developmental conflicts that adolescents must resolve in order to make a successful transition to adulthood.
Explain the concept of identity status.
Describe how intergenerational communication, including parenting styles and family dynamics, continues to influence a child’s behavior during adolescence, and identify key characteristics of successful family functioning during the adolescent’s move toward increasing independence.
Explain the importance of peers in an adolescent’s life and how relationships change from distant to intimate over the adolescent years.
Describe the developmental progression of peer pressure and conformity.
Describe the factors and processes that help shape moral development and the selection of guiding values during adolescence.
Fourteenth and Fifteenth sessions:
Selected sections of Chapters 14, 16, & 18 - Physical Development in Adulthood
Describe the physical changes that accompany early, middle and late adulthood.
Discuss the factors that impact variability in the timing of physical changes in adulthood.
Selected sections of Chapters 14, 16, & 19 - Cognitive Development in Adulthood
Describe the cognitive changes that accompany early, middle and late adulthood.
Discuss the changes in measured intelligence, fluid intelligence, and crystallized intelligence that occur with age.
Selected sections of Chapters 15, 17, & 20 - Socioemotional Development in Adulthood
Describe the socioemotional changes that accompany early, middle and late adulthood.
Describe personality in adulthood. Discuss the traits that tend to remain stable and those that tend to change with age.
Day 8 (May 16)
Sixteenth session:
Chapter 21 - Death and Dying
Discuss cultural attitudes toward death and the terminally ill.
Explain the stages of adjustment to death and suggest ways of dealing with these stages.
Discuss patterns of adjustment characteristic of the grieving process.
EXAM #4 over Sessions 13-16
Student presentations
Course evaluations
|
|
Academic Policies:
Please refer to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog for information on the following:
Academic Integrity
Course Load
Exception to Policy
Grade Appeal Process
Make-up Examinations
Nondiscrimination
Students with Disabilities
Hard copies of the catalog are available at your local Education Center.
|
|
Faculty Bio:
I have taught Pre-school through Graduate School over the past 25 years, and I thoroughly enjoy teaching. My bacherlor's work is in Elementary Education; my MA studies were in Counseling and Community Services; and my doctoral studies were in Counseling Psychology. I also write and teach classes in Curriculum Development for exceptional students, and teach courses in Early Childhood Development.
My hobbies include three almost grown daughters, my husband who is active duty Navy, and due gatti (two cats). I am an avid reader of all professional counseling books, and I love to cook!
I am excited to meet each of you, and I look forward to teaching this course.
|
|