Syllabus – EIU PSY3515-600
Child Psychology Online
Instructor: Cathy D. Schoonover
5458 Lincoln Hwy Rd
Charleston, IL 61920
Office: 1051 Physical
Science Bldg.
Office phone: 217-581-6612
Home phone: (217) 345-0376
Cell phone: (217)
299-1046
E-mail:
cdschoonover@eiu.edu
Please don’t hesitate to talk to me if you
have any questions or problems!
Textbook: Papalia, D. E., Olds, S. W., & Feldman R.
D., (2006). A Child’s World
(10th ed.). NY:
McGraw-Hill.
Grading: This course will consist of 4
modules, each containing several assignments
with
varying point values. The modules will
be individually released on a
schedule
corresponding with course material and will contain detailed
instructions
for each assignment therein. All assignment due dates will be
posted
on the course calendar. Discussion
participation will be a part of
your
grade as will be timeliness of postings.
Additionally,
as a course project, you will be creating a portfolio (sort
of
a digital scrapbook) examining specified topics related to
child
development. Students will assemble a
PowerPoint presentation or
Word
document containing all of the elements as listed in the portfolio
assignment
instructions. For this project you may
use any form/s of
creativity
or technology you want to use. Most
students will find this
to
be a fun project, but time consuming, so don’t wait till the last minute
to
begin your portfolio!!!
Important:
the grading scale for this course is as follows:
93 - 100% = A 395
- 425
86 -
92% = B 365 - 394
79 -
85% = C 335 - 364
72 -
78% = D 306 - 334
below 72% =
F 305 or below
Module Overviews:
Module
1: Background, Prenatal Development, & Newborns
Readings: Textbook
Chapters 1 through 5
Assignments:
Introductions – (5 points)
2
Discussion Questions (DQ)/responses (10
points each)
Quizzes
(50 points)
Module
2: Infancy & Toddlerhood
Readings: Textbook Chapters 6,
7, & 8
Assignments:
2 DQs/responses (10 points each DQ)
Research Topic Review (30 points)
Quizzes (30 points)
Module
3: Early Childhood
Readings: Textbook Chapters 9,
10, & 11
Assignments:
2 DQs/responses (10 points each DQ)
Developmental Autobiography (50 points)
Quizzes (30 points)
Module
4: Middle Childhood
Readings: Textbook Chapters 12,
13 & 14
Assignments:
DQs/responses (10 points)
Quizzes (30 points)
Reflection (5 points)
Portfolio due (80 points)
Portfolio Instructions
The
portfolio will be a collection of work all relating to some aspect of child
development. The format of your project can be either a
PowerPoint presentation
or
an electronic Word document. It is
always good to have some visual appeal to
your
project even if you do it in document form – you can add pictures, clip
art,
and
color as you wish. Feel free to add
personal photos. Find your creative
side!
You
will be turning in your portfolio as an attachment to a post in the
appropriately
designated
discussion forum so that your classmates can view them. There are
12
required elements and other than the Introduction and conclusion,
these can be in any order that makes sense to you. Each of the main elements
will be worth
remaining 10 points, for a total of 80 points for the project.
1. Introduction – This will introduce your project and provide a brief overview.
You will include a title page with your
name and the name of the course as well
as a table of contents for your
portfolio and a brief biography of yourself.
2. Observation A – You will observe a child between the ages of 3
and 6 for
a minimum of 15 minutes and record the
following:
Setting
– briefly describe the setting of the observation, including place
and situation. Who are the people present and what are
their roles? What
type of activity is occurring? What is the time of day? Include anything
else necessary that may enhance our
understanding of the setting.
Child
– Provide all information possible to give a full description of the
child, including his/her age,
physical characteristics, expressions, and
appearance;
personality, mood, and activity level. To preserve
confidentiality,
either use a first name only, or make up a name for the child.
Behavior
– Record all of the behaviors exhibited by the child during the
observation
period. Indicate strength or quality of
activity level.
Include
interactions, movements, activities, or even silence. Be objective!
Avoid
using words like happy, sad, depressed, or angry – these are judgments
that
you make based on the behaviors.
Describe only the behaviors without
interpretations. Do not interact with the child, only
observe.
Then
write a few paragraphs interpreting and analyzing your observations.
You
can include any comments, questions, or concerns about the child, and
here
is where you can make judgments or draw conclusions based on what
you
have observed.
3. Observation B – You will observe a child between the ages of 6 and
11 for a
minimum of 15 minutes. Follow the same instructions as for #2.
4. Movie Review A – Choose and
watch a movie (cartoon or non-cartoon,
either one is OK) that is marketed toward
younger children (most classic
Disney and Pixar films would fall into
this category). Provide the provide the
title of your movie, a brief description
of the plot. Look for messages the
movie sends to children (such as in
“Finding Nemo” you might discover that
1) the first day of school is exciting;
2) reading is very valuable; 3) persistence
pays off……etc.) Find at least 5
such messages and determine whether they
are positive, negative, or informative. Then give your overall opinion of the
movie’s possible/probable effect on
children. Why do you think it appeals
to
kids of this age? Would you want your own children to watch
it? Why or
why not?
5. Movie Review B – Choose and
watch a movie that is marketed toward
older children (such as Harry Potter,
“The Goonies,” “Anne of Green
Gables,” “The NeverEnding Story,”
etc.). Follow the same instructions
as for #4.
6. TV Show Review A –
Choose and watch a TV show (cartoon or non) that
is aimed toward young children (“Blues
Clues,” “Barney,” “Sesame Street,”
“Mr. Rogers,” “Thomas the Tank Engine,”
“Dora the Explorer,” etc.). Follow
the same instructions as for the
movies.
7. TV Show Review B – Choose and watch a TV show that
is aimed toward
older children (“That’s So Raven,” “The
Suite Life of Zach & Cody,” “Hannah
Montana,” etc.). Again, follow the same instructions as for
the movies.
8. Toy Review A – Select and
examine any toy or game that is manufactured
for preschool children 6 or under. You don’t need to purchase the toy,
just take a close look at it and what it
is supposed to do. Describe the
toy and its suggested age range, then
discuss the positive and negative
aspects of the toy. How might this toy assist in
development? Would you
want your child to play with this
toy? Why or why not?
9. Toy Review B – Select and examine any toy that is manufactured for
school-aged children over 6. Games or video games can be included
in this category. Follow the same instructions as in #8.
10. Book Review A – Select and read a book that is written for
preschoolers (any Dr. Seuss,
Berenstain Bears, Little Golden Books, etc.).
Write a review of the book that
includes a brief summary and your
opinion of the story. What kind of ideas does it present to the
child? Is
it meant to teach or simply
entertain? What would make a child like
this book? Would you want your own child to have this book? Why
or why not?
11. Book Review B – You guessed it, choose and read a book that is
written for school-age children
(“young readers” books, any Beverly
Cleary or Judy Blume, Harry Potter,
Boxcar Children, Babysitters Club,
Nancy Drew, etc.) Again, write a review of the book based on
the
instructions in #10. Get yourself into the mindset of a child
again!
12. Conclusion – You will
conclude your project with a reflective paragraph
(or more) that summarizes your project
and what you have learned from
doing it.
Discussion Question Rubric:
10 Points:
Initial
answer is posted by due date so others can respond
All
parts of question are addressed or answered
Answer is clear and
understandable
Clear reasoning is
given
As appropriate, answer
includes a reference to a reading from reading list or
other
source
Answer includes
personal references (opinions, reactions, experiences,
observations,
etc.)
Two responses posted to other
students’ answers by due date
8-9
Points:
All parts of questions
are addressed or answered
Answer is
clear and understandable
Some reasoning is given
.......A question is posed for other students to answer
A reading is
referenced and a personal reference made
Or:
Answer is posted
after due date (one point off for each day late)
Or:
Only one response to other students’
answers by due date
6-7
Points:
Something is not
answered or
Response is not clear
or
A reading or personal
reference is missing or
No responses to other students’
answers by due date
4-5
Points:
At least 2 items from
previous criteria are missing
1-3
Points:
Question is not
answered but responses to others are posted OR
Answer does not make
sense and no reasoning is given
0
Points:
Question is not
answered and no responses are posted by end of module
If there is anyone who would like to be known by a different name than the one you seeing in WebCT, please let me know. I can change it!
2. Due Dates:
Regarding what time of the day assignments are due on the due date: I
consider midnight on the due date the limit, but if you stay up late to
finish your assignment and turn it in at 2 a.m., I will flex you that!
Also, remember that you make your own time-line. Just because the due date for an assignment is on a particular day, you can certainly turn it in any time before that day, depending on what works best with your schedule. I like to make weekend due dates because working people often have more opportunity to do their work on weekends.
Regarding the portfolio due date, it is important to realize that the portfolio can be completed in segments, so you SHOULD be working on it as we go along. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT wait until the last minute to do your portfolio, because you won't have time to complete it. And I absolutely will not accept ANY late portfolios. You have the entire semester to work on it, so no excuses!
3. Posting:
I ask that you put your name in the subject line when you post your DQ
answers. It really helps me out when grading. Additionally, I would
like to remind everyone to be sure and type out their question before
their answer so everyone can see what we are talking about.
4. Attachments:
I would like to request that if you post ANYTHING as an attachment,
please be sure to put your name on the attached document. In general,
if you can avoid attachments for the Discussion Question answers it
makes them more reader-friendly. If you prefer to type up your answer
on a document, you can copy and paste it into the message window. In
fact I HIGHLY recommend doing this so you won’t accidentally lose your
work (it happens all too often). It just saves everyone time and
trouble not to have to open attachments, thus making it more likely
that everyone will read your posting.
For some longer assignments you will probably want to
use attachments, and that is fine. I can read documents in Microsoft
Word, but I'm not sure if everyone can, so it is advisable to save them
in Rich Text Format and post them that way. If anyone does not know how
to do this, let me know and I will step you through it. Also, I seem to
have
trouble with anything created in Office 2007, but I’m working on that.
IMPORTANT: Make SURE that if you think you attached an assignment to a message (esp. the portfolio) you go back and check to make sure it is actually attached. You would not believe how many times attachment errors have occurred.
5. Readings:
Since there are no lectures, your textbook will be your main source of
info for this course, thus you will be expected to read it. You are
always welcome to seek additional related information from other
sources when doing your DQs or assignments though. Just be sure to
reference any outside sources you may use. It won't be necessary to
reference the text - we will assume that as the main source.