LaGuardia
Community College
City
University of New York
Social
Science Department
Developmentalal
Psychology: SSY 240
Semester: Spring
2009
Required
Text Book:
Crain, W. (2005). Theories of
development: Concepts and applications (Fifth Edition). Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. (Eighth Edition). New York: Worth Publishers.
Other
Readings:
Wikipedia (n.d.). Developmental
psychology. Available at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developmental_psychology.
(Note warnings!)
Nova: Life’s Greatest
Miracle. Retrieved February 16, 2009 at
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/miracle/
Zimmer, C. (2008, November 11).
Now: The rest of the genome. Available at
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/11/science/11gene.html
and on Blackboard.
Hock, R. R. (2002). Forty
studies that changed psychology: Eplorations into the history of
psychological research. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
(excerpts on Blackboard)
Siegler, R. S. ( 1998).
Children’s thinking (Third Edition). Upper Saddle River,
NJ: Prentice Hall.
Piaget, J. (1952). The origins
of intelligence in children. New York: International Universities
Press. (excerpt on Blackboard)
National Institute of Deafness
and Other Communication Disorders (n.d.). Speech and language
developmental milestones. Available at
http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/voice/speechandlanguage.asp#mychild.
Gee (1996). Social linguistics
and literacies: Ideology and discourses. London: Taylor and
Francis. (Introduction on Blackboard)
Stein, H. T. (2009). Impact of
parenting styles on children. Available at
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/HStein/parentin.htm
@Health.com (n.d.). Parenting
styles and its correlates. Available at
http://www.athealth.com/Practitioner/ceduc/parentingstyles.html.
Gilligan, C. (1982). In a
different voice: Psychological theory and women’s development.
Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. (Chapter 1 on Blackboard)
Carey, B. (2008, September 15).
Training young brains to behave. New York Times. Available at
NewYorkTimes.com & on Blackboard.
Tough, P. (2006, November, 26).
What it takes to make a student. New York Times (New York).
Available at
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/26/magazine/26tough.html?_r=1
and on Blackboard with a response by Bracey.
Recommended
Readings and Additional Resources:
Bukatko, D., & Daehler, M. W.
(2004). Child development: A thematic approach (Fifth
Edition). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. OR OTHER CHILD
DEVELOPMENT TEXTBOOK AS A REFERENCE BOOK. This book is on reserve in
the library.
Course
Description
The
course will examine theories, topics, and research about
psychological development with an emphasis on childhood. This is a
writing intensive course, and as such, there will be both in class
and out of class writing at least once per week, though not all of it
will be graded.
Course
Objectives
-
To explore theory
as a tool for understanding our own development
-
To connect theory to “data”
-
To develop our own theories of how
children develop based on research and the dominant theories in the
field
All
students are expected to
All
students are expected to:
- Complete all reading before the
class in which it is discussed if possible.
- The purpose of
class is not to repeat what was in the book but to draw connections and
explore issues in more detail. Not reading severely limits a student’s
ability to participate in class.
- Participate in class
activities.
- Take notes during discussions
as well as during lectures.
- Respect ALL members of the class at all
times.
- Behave appropriately at all times in the
classroom. Failure to do so will result in a student’s dismissal from
the class.
- Turn off or
silence cell phones. A cell phone ringing during an exam will result in
five points deducted from the exam grade, and phones cannot be used for
any purpose during an exam.
- Spend an average of 3 hours
work for every hour spent in class. This can be distributed
throughout the week, but if you really don’t have three hours per class
available, it is extremely hard to really master course material.
Course Guidelines
- Make-up exams are NOT given
except in the case of documented emergencies.
- Students
are encouraged to review grades on Blackboard and bring concerns to the
instructor.
- Departures from the classroom must be
kept to a minimum because they can distract other students, but
students should leave quietly when necessary. During exams, no more
than one person may leave the room at once, and belongings must remain
in the room.
- Powerpoint presentations will be posted
on Blackboard. When possible, they will be posted before class. Note,
that if you intend to print them, some small formatting adjustments
will make them more readable (and use less ink) because they are
designed for presentations rather than printing.
- Use of office hours is encouraged to
address any course-related concerns or to seek advisement.
- Late students
should sign the attendance sheet left for late students
Course Requirements and
Grading Policy
The course requirements will
affect your overall grade as indicated below. This table can be used
to calculate your grade.
-
|
Examination 1
|
15%
|
_____ x .15 =
|
_____
|
|
Examination 2
|
15%
|
_____ x .15 =
|
_____
|
|
Final Examination
|
25%
|
_____ x .25 =
|
_____
|
|
Staged Research Paper
|
30%
|
_____ x .30 =
|
_____
|
|
Blackboard Guidance and Participation
|
10%
|
_____ x .10 =
|
_____
|
|
In-Class Participation and Writing
|
10%
|
_____ x .10 =
|
_____
|
|
|
|
Total =
|
_____
|
|
A- = 90.0 to 92.5
|
A = 93.0 to 100
|
|
|
B- = 80.0 to 82.5
|
B = 83.0 to 96.5
|
B+ = 87.0 to 89.5
|
|
C- = 70.0 to 72.5
|
C = 73.0 to 76.5
|
C+ = 77.0 to 79.5
|
|
D- = 60.0 to 62.5
|
B = 63.0 to 66.5
|
B+ = 67.0 to 69.5
|
|
F = Below 59.5
|
|
|
Examinations
There will be three examinations
throughout the semester. Each will have ten short-essay questions
from which students will select five to answer. The final exam
will also have a take-home essay portion worth 50% of the exam. Notes
are permitted to be used on the exams, but books or copies of
published material may NOT be used. Submitting notes can earn up to
five points bonus toward the exam.
Staged Research Paper
There are seven writing
assignments due throughout the semester that will culminate in a
final research paper. The goal is to explore one topic in
developmental psychology, relating to theory, research, and
observation. Each assignment should be typed on white paper,
double-spaced, stapled, and showing the author’s name on the
front. A more detailed explanation of each assignment will be given
prior to the due data. Each student will be randomly assigned to a
group that will meet throughout the semester, and on the due date,
students will meet in small groups to share and discuss what they’ve
done.
Additionally, each group will be
required to present one or more of the assignments to the class using
Powerpoint or other visual aid immediately following the discussion.
The presentation will be critiqued by the class to consider how it
could be improved.
The evaluation of the assignment
will be conducted as follows:
#1: Data Collection 1
(exploratory observation): 5 points
#2: Research Article Summary and
Critique: 5 points
#3: Reference List: 5 points
#4: Data Collection 2 (focused
observation or self-report): 10 points
#5: Rough Draft: 5 points
#6: Peer and Self Evaluations: 5
points
#7: Final paper: 60 points
& Oral Presentation with
Visual Aid: 5 points
Blackboard Participation and Leadership
Students will be assigned to
groups and, as a group, will be required to lead the discussion for a
particular unit of the course. The leadership portion of this will
require the group to pose questions and discussion topics related to
the unit currently being covered in class. Students are also required
to participate in blackboard discussion throughout the semester.
Evaluation will consider the quantity and quality of guidance and
participation.
In-Class Participation & Writing
Regular
attendance and participation in classroom activities is essential for
success in this course. A grade will be given based on observations
of participation in class discussions, small group work, and in-class
writing assignments. Some of these writing assignments will be
collected and handed back during the semester, but ALL in-class
writing should be compiled into a journal and submitted on the day of
the final examination.
Extra Credit
Opportunities
may appear throughout the semester to earn extra credit, which can be
applied to a particular assignment or to the final grade as agreed
upon with the professor. One such assignment is to contribute ideas
for rewriting the article on Wikipedia about Developmental Psychology
that is assigned in the first week of the class. This optional
assignment is due the final class. On 5/11/09, another opportunity
will exist: We will attend a conference during class time, Pathways
to Peacebuilding and Reconciliation, and a paper can be submitted for
extra credit that connects what was spoken about to what is know
about socioemotional development. For details, contact the professor.
Attendance
The
College’s attendance policy reads as follows: “Attendance
in class is a requirement and will be considered in the evaluation of
student performance. Instructors are required to keep an official
record of student attendance. The maximum number of unexcused
absences is limited to 15% of the number of class hours [5.4 hours in
a 3-credit course]. Note: Absences are counted from the first day
of class even if they are a result of late registration or change of
program” (2005-06 catalog, p. 114). Refer to the explanation
of participation below to understand how attendance affects grades.
Academic
Integrity
Please
refer to the College Catalog (pg. 114). Cheating
and Plagiarism: This class will be conducted in compliance with
LaGuardia Community College’s academic integrity policy. All
cases of cheating or plagiarism will be penalized by a failure on the
examination or paper at a minimum and may result in failure in the
course. All violations will be reported to the College. Please refer
to the handout on APA formatting for additional information about
plagiarism.
Incomplete Grades
Please note the
incomplete grades are only possible when students meet with the
professor and they agree that—due to a specific situation—more
time is needed to meet course requirements. Incomplete grades are
only permissible where students are already passing the course, have
legitimate reasons for not completing all the work of the class, have
furnished appropriate documentation, and have agreed to a deadline by
which all unfinished work must be completed. Failure to submit all
assigned course work or to appear for a final exam are NOT legitimate
reasons for granting an incomplete grade.
Attendance
The College’s attendance
policy reads as follows: “Attendance in class is a requirement
and will be considered in the evaluation of student performance.
Instructors are required to keep an official record of student
attendance. The maximum number of unexcused absences is limited to
15% of the number of class hours [5.4 hours in a 3-credit course].
Note: Absences are counted from the first day of class even if they
are a result of late registration or change of program”
(2005-06 catalog, p. 114). Keep in mind that students are held
responsible for material discussed in class that is not in the
reading, thus regular attendance is essential. Attendance
will not have a direct impact on grades, but poor attendance prevents
participation. Frequent tardiness or early departures similarly
reduces participation and can interfere with fellow students’
learning. It is recommended that if students miss more than 4
classes, they should speak with the professor and that if students
miss more than 7 classes, they should consider withdrawing from the
course.
Student
Support Information
The Student
Information Center: Welcome Center, M-Building Lobby
e-mail:
callcenter@lagcc.cuny.edu
Library Media
Resources Center (E-101)
(718) 482 5426
Website:
http://www.lagcc.cuny.edu/library/
Writing Center
(Rm. E-111)
Website:
http://www.lagcc.cuny.edu/english/writingcenter/
Counseling
Department, Division of Academic Affairs (C 239)
(718)
482 5250
Website:
http://www.lagcc.cuny.edu/counseling/services.htm
Office for
Students with Disabilities (M102)
(718)
482-5279
Women’s
Center (MB10)
Early
Childhood Learning Center (MB09)
(718)
482-5295