Educational Psychology

Foundations of Human Development and Psychology - Early Childhood

Catalog Description

Acquaints students with the terminology, concepts, theories and issues central to child development and educational psychology, and explores the relation between these fields as they are applied in early childhood classrooms.

Course Outcomes

As a result of participating in this course, prospective teachers will be able to:

• demonstrate an understanding of the role of theory and research in informing pedagogical practice.

• recognize and analyze questions and issues fundamental to the fields of child development and educational psychology.

• describe the social, physical, emotional and cognitive development of students.

• demonstrate an understanding of the theories and principles of child development, human learning, and educational psychology including the areas of cognition and motivation, instruction, individual differences, social processes, and assessment that form the foundation upon which effective classroom practice is built.

• synthesize the principles of development and educational psychology and apply this knowledge, along with an understanding of individual differences including special needs and the impact of different backgrounds, to the analysis of the dynamics of a classroom, the planning of appropriate and effective instruction, and the determination of the progress of students.

• analyze specific educational practices with respect to their own philosophy of education.

Topical Outline

1. The Study of Children, Development and Learning

Empirical techniques used to study children and classroom learning.
How teachers can use research to inform their understanding.
Specific techniques for observing and gathering data from young children.

2. Developmental Foundations

Fundamental principles, individual differences.
Biological processes affecting development and learning.
Physical developmental norms from birth through elementary school.

3. Personal, Social, and Emotional Development.

Emotional development from multiple perspectives.
Early gender development including Freud, Erikson, Gilligan's theories.
Morality: stages and norms as well as classroom implications.

4. Behavioral Theories of Learning

From associationism, through classical to operant conditioning.
Stickers and stars: Applying behaviorism to the early childhood classroom.

5. Cognitive and Linguistic Development

Piaget, Vygotsky and other cognitive models of development and learning.
Foundations of cognitive development: from reflexes to reasoning.
Information Processing models of learning.
Intelligence and schooling .
Understanding language acquisition and early linguistic norms.

6. Cognition and Learning

Cognitive theories applied to classroom teaching and learning.
Individual differences and early childhood approaches.
Cognitive constructivism and its early childhood implications.
Early concept learning and problem solving.

7. Student- Centered Teaching and Learning

Cognitive constructivist teaching in the early childhood classroom.
Student-centered methods: Reggio, High Scope, Bank Street and others.
The use of multimedia to foster early learning experiences.
Cognitive models of teaching: Bruner, Dewey, Montessori and others.
Emergent learning and the use of projects.
Inductive and deductive approaches to teaching and learning.

8. Instruction

Principles of instruction.
Goals, Objectives, and taxonomies.
Characteristics of effective teachers.
Implications of direct instruction with young children.

9. Motivation, Teaching and Learning

The theoretical spectrum of motivational theories: From drive to cognition.
Goals, needs, attributions, beliefs and their affect on motivation.
Motivational implications of autonomy, self-regulated learning, grouping.

10. Creating Learning Environments and Classroom Management

The need for organization and creating a positive learning environment.
The psychological foundations of classroom management.
Establishing the democratic early childhood classroom.
Foundations of specific management programs for young children.

11. Assessment

Models of assessment including formative and summative assessments.
Authentic assessment, and performance based assessments.
Standardized inventories and early assessments.
Grading and reporting.

12. Putting It All Together

The synthesis of developmental and psychological theories.
Manifesting personal philosophy in educational psychological decision making.
The systems approach to classroom dynamics.

Assessment:

Students will demonstrate an understanding of each topical area through tests, individual summaries or construction of appropriate products (e.g. lessons plans, assessment tools, management plans).

Students will be asked to design specific learning activities for early childhood classrooms. They will be assessed on the coherence of the educational reasoning behind the objectives they describe, methods that they select, and the philosophy that they espouse. This will become a component in their portfolio.

Students will be assessed on their ability to articulate criteria they can use in making decisions that are developmentally as well as psychologically appropriate. This will take the form of a paper that will be included in their portfolio.

Students will apply their understanding of early childhood development and educational psychology to analyses of particular preschool and early elementary case studies. This includes children that will be observed and interviewed during the class, in the classroom within which they observe in the fall, and the specific group and learning process involved in one work sample. This work will be submitted in the form of a paper during session 1, in a profile developed during the fall practicum experience, and in a profile submitted as part of the work sample. These pieces will become part of the portfolio to be used for development of a final reflective piece that analyzes the issues and connections to continued professional development.

Students will be assessed on a rewrite of their educational philosophy based on its internal consistency and their level of critical reflection on principles of learning and development.