Wayland Baptist University –
EDUC 5381 Child and Adolescent Development and Learning
Fall 2010
Syllabus
MISSION OF THE UNIVERSITY: Wayland Baptist University exists to educate
students in an academically challenging and distinctively Christian environment
for professional success, lifelong learning and service to God and humankind.
General Information
Instructor: Dr. Michael Wolf
Office: 480-484-1509
wolfm@wbu.edu
Office Hours:
by appointment
Class Meetings:
August 20, 21, 2009
October 9, 10, 2009
Course Description
Catalog Description
Characteristics of children’s development and [ways in which] these developmental
passages impact the student’s ability to learn and grow developmentally [are
examined]. Emphasis is placed on the impact of various factors [as they relate to]
student achievement and learning.
Course Overview
This course reviews the growth and development of school-age students and focuses
on ways that teaching and learning can be enhanced -- based upon learner
characteristics.
Required Textbooks
McDevitt T. M. & Ormrod, J. E. Child Development and Education ( Fourth Edition)
Upper Saddle River: Merrill Prentice Hall.
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Course Outline: Instructional Components
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Making a Difference in the Lives of Infants, Children and Adolescents
Physical Development
Cognitive Development 1: Piaget and Vygotsky
Cognitive Development 2: Cognitive Processes
Intelligence
Language Development
Development of Literacy: Reading and Writing
Personal and Emotional Development
Social Understanding and Moral Development
Development of Motivation and Self-Regulation
Families
Interpersonal Relationships
Course Goals
Upon completion of readings, class participation, and written assignments, the student
will be able to…
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describe important developmental issues, significant theories, and general trends
related to four specific age periods -- and explain how developmental information
can be applied to classroom practice.
explain how genetic factors blend with environmental factors to impact the
students’ development and -- how physical growth and motor development
reflect principles of refinement and coordination.
describe contemporary theoretical perspectives of students’ cognitive processes
and the development of these processes.
describe theoretical perspectives on the nature of intelligence and describe some
of the ways in which psychologists typically try to assess students’ intellectual
development.
compare theoretical perspectives of language development and describe ways in
which children’s and adolescents’ ability to understand and converse with others
changes over time.
describe three perspectives of literacy development.
discuss children’s and adolescents’ personal and emotional development,
including topics such as emotional bonds with others, ability to understand and
regulate emotions, and sense of self.
explain the nature of children’s and adolescents’ beliefs about other people,
society in general, and moral actions.
discuss the nature of motivation and how it changes over the course of childhood
and adolescence.
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outline theoretical models that describe and explain how families persuade,
inspire and direct children toward increasingly higher levels of responsibility.
describe the social skills and styles of interacting that children and adolescents
learn to use with friends, classmates, other students, and adults.
Domains/ Competencies for Professional Development
The focus of the course will center on students in grades 4-12. The following State
Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) Texas Examinations of Educator Standards
(TExES) domains/competencies will receive emphasis during this graduate course:
DOMAIN I – DESIGNING INSTRUCTION AND ASSESSMENT TO PROMOTE
STUDENT LEARNING
Competency 001
The teacher understands human developmental processes and applies this
knowledge to plan instruction and ongoing assessment that motivate students
and are responsive to their developmental characteristics and needs.
The beginning teacher:
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Knows the typical stages of cognitive, social, physical, and emotional
development of students….
Recognizes the wide range of individual developmental difference that
characterizes students …and the implications of this developmental variation for
instructional planning.
Demonstrates an understanding of physical changes associated with [middle
level and] adolescence – and ways in which these changes impact development
in other domains (i.e., cognitive, social, emotional).
Recognizes typical challenges for students during [later childhood,] adolescence,
and young adulthood (e.g., self-esteem, physical appearance, eating disorders,
identity formation, educational and career decisions) and effective ways to help
students address these challenges.
Understands ways in which student involvement in risky behaviors (e.g., gang
involvement, drug and alcohol use) impact development and learning.
Demonstrates knowledge of the importance of peers, peer acceptance, and
conformity to peer group norms and expectations….; and understands the
significance of peer-related issues for teaching and learning.
Understands that social and emotional factors in the family (e.g., parental
divorce, homelessness, etc.) impact the learning and development of
students…in other domains.
Uses knowledge of cognitive changes in student (e.g., refinement of abstract
thinking and reasoning, reflective thinking, focus on the world beyond the school
setting) to plan instruction that promotes learning and development.
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Analyzes ways in which developmental characteristics of students… impact
learning and performance; and applies knowledge of students’ developmental
characteristics and needs to plan effective learning experiences and
assessments.
Understands that development in any one domain (i.e., cognitive, social,
physical, emotional) impacts development in other domains.
Competency 002
The teacher understands student diversity and knows how to plan learning
experiences and design assessments that are responsive to differences among
students and that promote all students’ learning.
The beginning teacher:
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Demonstrates knowledge of students with diverse personal and social
characteristics (e.g., those related to ethnicity, gender, language background,
exceptionality) and the significance of student diversity for teaching, learning,
and assessment.
Competency 004
The teacher understands learning processes and factors that impact student
learning and demonstrates this knowledge by planning effective, engaging
instruction and appropriate assessments.
The beginning teacher:
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Recognizes how various characteristics of students... impact teaching and
learning
Analyzes ways in which factors in the home and community impact student
learning….
Understands the importance of self-directed learning and plans instruction and
assessment that promote students’ motivation and their sense of ownership and
responsibility for their own learning.
Writing Style
Written work in this course is expected to follow the style as prescribed by the American
Psychological Association (APA) Publication Manual (2002, 5th Ed.).
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Student Expectations and Major Assignments
Each student is expected to participate in and contribute to the activities of the course.
The quality of the course will depend to a large degree on the extent of sharing,
relevance of contribution, and general participation by the graduate students.
The student will be expected to…
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Attend all class sessions and actively participate in class discussions/activities.
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Complete assigned readings/assignments/activities, including the following:
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3 Journal Reviews
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Internet Research Project
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7-10 page paper or Book Review
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Chapter Presentations and Discussions
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Final Exam
Attendance Policy
1.
Wayland Baptist University External Campus Attendance Policy:
a.
Students enrolled at one of the University’s external campuses of Wayland
Baptist should make every effort to attend all class meetings. All absences must be
explained to the instructor, who will then determine whether the omitted work may be
made up.
b.
Any student who misses twenty-five (25%) or more of the regularly scheduled
class meetings will receive a grade of F in the course.
c.
When a student reaches that number of absences considered by the instructor
to be excessive, the instructor will so advise the student and file an unsatisfactory
progress report in the office of the campus dean.
d.
Additional attendance policies for each course, as defined by the instructor in the
course syllabus, are considered a part of the University’s attendance policy.”
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Course Evaluation
The course grade will be determined from work completed (e.g., class participation, the
unit of study, periodic quizzes, a comprehensive final examination, other assigned work,
etc.) The grading scale is as follows:
A.
University Grading System
A
B
C
D
F
90-100
80-89
70-79
60-69
below 60
Cr
NCR
I
IP
X
for Credit
No Credit
Incomplete*
In Progress
No Grade Given
W
WP
WF
for Withdrawal
Withdrawal Passing
Withdrawal Failing
A grade of “CR” indicates that credit in semester hours was granted but no grade or
grade points were recorded.
*A grade of incomplete is changed if the work required is completed prior to the date
indicated in the official University calendar of the next long term, unless the instructor
designates an earlier date for completion. If the work is not completed by the
appropriate date, the I is converted to the grade of F. An incomplete notation cannot
remain on the student’s permanent record and must be replaced by the qualitative
grade (A-F) by the date specified in the official University calendar of the next regular
term.
B.
Procedure Used for Computation of Final Grade: The final grade will be
determined by the total number of points accumulated by the student in accordance
with the scoring rubric distributed. Student attendance, submission of written work,
presentations, and active participation in a variety of activities which demonstrate the
student’s knowledge, skill, and attitude are among the components that will be reflected
in the rubric provided.
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Special Needs
It is University policy that no otherwise qualified disabled person be excluded from
participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any
educational program or activity in the University.
Academic Honesty
Wayland Baptist University Policy: University students are expected to conduct
themselves according to the highest standards of academic honesty. Academic
misconduct for which a student is subject to penalty includes all forms of cheating, such
as illicit possession of examinations or examination materials, forgery, or plagiarism.
(Plagiarism is the presentation of the work of another as one’s own work.)
Disciplinary action for academic misconduct is the responsibility of the faculty members
assigned to the course. The faculty member is charged with assessing the gravity of any case of
academic dishonesty -- and with giving sanctions to any student involved. Penalties may be
applied to individual cases of academic dishonesty (See WBU University catalog for more
information regarding academic honesty/dishonesty.
Class Meetings: August 27, 28, 2010
October 22, 23, 2010
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