Child Development

Portfolio

To compose your final portfolio, you will select 3 of the 6 observations you turned in and provide for each a written commentary applying what you have learned in class to what you saw in real life. You should choose 1 central theme to discuss but also identify at least 2 other topics in child development that are happening in this scenario. This means that you will give background of that specific area in child development. What is typically happening at that specific age, what research has to say about this specific behavior. Thus, you might reconstruct an incident that happened between two children and discuss not only what you actually saw happen but also, what you believe to be going on according to what we know about Child Psychology. Support your assertions with material from the text, other readings, and class lectures. You should have 3 different topics for your observations. Please identify what each of your topics are. One of your observations must include a commentary on a Cognitive Theory (Piaget or Vygotsky). I will list some possible topics you can discuss. Please be sure to identify your topic. Each observations must be of a different topic.
Due Tuesday November 12 - Cognitive Portfolio
Remaning 2 Portfolios due November 18.
45 points possible

Topics

1. *Cognitive Development - Piaget, Vygotsky (language)
2. Attachment - Parents, caregivers, staff, objects
3. Gender - development of gender roles
4. Aggression - between peers, with staff, with family
5. Temperament - Noticing children who are shy, quiet, outgoing, and the responses they receive from other children.
6. Play - How it is used as a way to interact, deal with issues as well as different types of play.
7. Peer Interaction - How peers respond to one another.
8. Emotional Regulation - How this is dealt with.
9. Intelligence - Differences between students, how they react, nature vs. nurture, concerns.

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Observation Portfolio (Example using provided observation)

Cognitive Development - Vygotsky (topic)

December 12, 2003:

B. a 4 year-old female is playing at the table with a puzzle. It is a cardboard puzzle with a picture of Angelina Ballerina on it. She states that "this is a new puzzle in the classroom". She dumps the puzzle and begins putting the pieces back. I hear her say… "I need a straight piece, here is a straight piece, where does it go? This puzzle is hard!" She looks up at me and asks me if I can help her. She then states "she can't figure out where this one goes". I take the piece from her and say "hum, let's see this piece has a pink piece of Angelina's dress on it and here is the picture of Angelina. Look it goes here." B. smiles and picks up another piece. Here is another straight piece where does it go? I ask her what colors or pictures are on the piece she says a tree. I ask her if there are any trees in the picture? She says yes, right here. I say do you think the piece you have would fit there? She says yes and becomes excited. She takes the piece and puts it on the puzzle.

This observation is an example of Vygotsky's Theory of Sociocultural Development. Vygotsky's theory is based on the idea that knowledge is socially transmitted from a more knowledgeable person to a less knowledgeable person through language ie. from myself to B. I use guided participation to help B., a younger unskilled person, understand how to figure out where the puzzle piece belongs using clues in her environment such as color, objects and general shape of the puzzle piece. This is considered guided participation because she is learning how to think by our interaction. As B. and I work through this puzzle we are working in her zone of proximal development. This zone is very important as it allows B. to do work that she would be unable to complete without my help. Before I joined her B. had been unable to put the puzzle together. I am very cautious to provide the appropriate scaffolding for her. This is information that will arouse her interest and is within her capabilities. I have to be careful not to have expectations beyond her abilities as well as not to supply information that would be beneath her and therefore boring.

B. herself exhibits many of the concepts of this sociocultural theory. As she is working on her puzzle she is talking to herself saying…"I need a straight piece, here is a straight piece, where does it go? This puzzle is hard!" She looks up at me and asks me if I can help her. She then states "she can't figure out where this one goes" Vygotsky terms this private speech. It is what less knowledgeable people do to help guide their thoughts. He sees this as very important in childhood as it provides them with the opportunity to think in ways that then allow them to act. B. talks as she does the puzzle guiding her thoughts.
Other signs of development are apparent in B. as she works. She makes use of her fine motor skills as she maneuvers the pieces in the puzzle. She shows signs of positive self-esteem when she becomes happy for being able to fit a piece in the puzzle and again when completing it. We also see Erikson's theory of psychosocial development, stage 3 initiative vs. guilt. B. uses initiative to try this new activity and does not experience guilt.

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Grading for your portfolio will be based on the folllowing criteria:

1. Your understanding of child development and how the material applies to actual behaviors. (Depth - connecting behaviors to the correct developmental concept - and explaining this concept 6 points)
2. How well you cover the observation (breadth). Did you comment on everything possible in that observation, as it relates to child development? (6 points)
3. An ability to write clear and coherent observations. (Accuracy 3 points)