Developmental Psychology and Educational Perspectives

Course description

Different theories of development embody varying images of the child and different ideas about the kinds of changes that happen from infancy to adulthood. Some theories focus on how children learn about the world and themselves, how their ways of thinking evolve. Other theories focus more on the child's feelings and understandings about themselves and the social world. Theories of both kinds may be concerned with how children represent and communicate their experience, in language and through other forms such as drawing and pretend play. As we will see, some psychologists emphasize the 'universals' of human development, but many are concerned with how the life ways of different cultures construct psychological development along

distinct paths. All approaches to education are based on implicit or explicit ideas about psychological development, how children learn and how they function in the world. Approaches to education are threaded through with ideas about what schooling should encompass, and in what ways schooling should be 'preparation for life.'

In first semester, we focus on intersections between developmental theory and approaches to education. We will read about the psychological approaches of Watson, Piaget, Vygotsky , Gardner and others. Writings on educational philosophy and practice include works by John Dewey and Frank Smith. We end first semester with a first look at concepts of learning and teaching in other cultures. Carrying this topic into second semester, we also consider specific issues such as: gender and ethnicity in the classroom, the politics of language, alternative approaches to literacy, the multicultural curriculum, the role of arts in the curriculum, and issues in school reform.

This is a service learning seminar in which fieldwork is an integral part of work for the course and, in most cases, the center of the student's conference project. Fieldwork placements (involving 4-5 hours a week) are

available in the Early Childhood Center, local and NYC elementary schools, and after school programs such as America Reads and the High Bridge Community Center.