To understand the major theories of human
development and to think critically about them. When & Where: Fall, 2008
Ref# 63537: Mon/Wed/Fri 12:20 - 1:10 PM in HSS 258
Ref# 63536: Monday 7:00 - 9:45 PM in HSS 118
Ref# 63539: Tuesday 4:00 - 6:46 PM in HSS 259
August 25th - December 5th, plus Final Exam as printed in schedule: _______________________
Office: History and Social Sciences Building, Room 218 Phone: 201-8157
Email: mcguffr@tcc.fl.edu FAX Number: 201-8164 (put "attn. Dr. McGuff" on it)
Webpage: http://faculty.tcc.fl.edu/hss/mcguffr/index.htm
Office hours: MWF 10:00 AM - 12:00 Noon; Mon: 6:00 - 7:00 PM;
T/Th: 12:00-1:00 PM; T: 3:00- 4:00 PM ...and/or call or drop by. I'm actually there a lot more often.
To understand the major theories of human
development and to think critically about them.
To begin to recognize the
effect that our development has on each of our lives, on society at large, and
on our environment.
To appreciate the effects our
various life tasks have on our daily experiences of relating to those around
us.
To build habits of critical
and generative thinking about the human experience.
To build written and spoken critical evaluation skills
while demonstrating mastery of new knowledge about human development.
To build a knowledge base that
will permit further study in the fields of psychology, generally and human development, specifically.
Attendance is required and
will be taken at each class.
You must be pre-certified to take each exam. You are automatically pre-certified if you do not have excessive absences.
Excessive absences (before any exam) can disqualify you from taking that exam.
A zero will be given for any uncertified/missed exam, which will be used in
calculating your final grade. Excessive absences are calculated as follows: MWF Class: More than three; Monday-only or Tuesday-only Class: More than two half-classes.
Coming to class late or leaving early will be considered 1/2 an absence.
If you are absent from class
you are responsible for all work assigned, and all the information provided
during your absence, just as if you had attended.
There will be no make-up of
any unexcused absence that results in a missed test. You must contact me BEFORE
or ANYTIME ON the day of the test if you are to be absent, to be excused, and therefore to be eligible for a make-up.
If you are approved to take a make-up exam it will be given at my office on either Wednesday, October 22nd at 9:30 AM or Wednesday December 3rd at 9:30 AM
It will be appreciated as a courtesy for you to contact me in advance in the event of any absence from lecture classes.
TCC's attendance policy states
that any student who misses more times than a class meets for any one week may
be withdrawn with an AW. I will not automatically drop you due to absences. If
you just stop attending, without dropping, expect to get an "F."
Please come see me first
if you plan to drop the course.
Absences for military service,
jury duty, college sponsored activities that were approved by the college president,
and religious holidays are excusable if the Assistant Vice President
for Instruction at TCC is given prior notification. See me as well and keep me
informed.
CELL - FREE CLASSROOM POLICY:
Be respectful of others and of their opportunity to learn. We will not waste much time on idle chit chat.
Everything we talk about is part of the course. Be prepared to learn from others and to share what you know as well.
Do not come late to class. Do not leave early. Do not leave the room except in an emergency.
When I arrive, class has begun --pay attention; I often announce important things and hand back
papers at the beginning of class. If you have inadvertently arrived late, slip in as quietly
and unobtrusively as possible; take a seat near the door.
Turn off (or leave at home)
all cell phones (see policy above), PDA's, i-pods, CD players, cassette recordings,
radios, etc. Feel free to tape the class in order to assist you in reviewing your notes, but let
me know if you are doing so. You may use a laptop in class only for course related work such
as taking notes; if laptop use becomes distracting to others it will be prohibited.
Do not carry on private
conversations with others around you. Do not "hit on" or try to date
your classmates while in class. You can do that at other times and elsewhere.
Raise your hand and be prepared to
keep it up; I try to call on everyone eventually. Do not hesitate to ask
questions offer comments or share insights; we will all benefit when you do so.
Come prepared and well equipped.
Always have two number two pencils and a pen handy.
Your grade will be a function of your total of
scores on:
Test 1; the Midterm (200 points -Essay test); Test 3; the final exam (200 points -Multiple Choice)
...and any pop quizzes that might or might not be given during the semester.
Class participation is required, and up to 20 additional points are available to those who demonstrate
extra interest, and who contribute meaningfully and most often.
IF YOU MAKE LESS THAN 140 points (a "C") on Test 2/Midterm you MUST complete TWO of the Critical Journal Review (CJR) papers described below.
540 - 600 points = A Test 1 ___________ / 100
480 - 539 points = B Test 2 ___________ / 200 (Essay Test)
420 - 479 points = C Test 3 ___________ / 100
360 - 419 points = D Final ___________ / 200
359.....or below = F Total ___________ / 600
You may also earn up to 30 additional points
toward your final grade by reviewing up to two journal articles on topics in
Human Development. I will provide a copy of an article and you will type a
brief (350 word minimum) summary and critique of the article. YOU MAY NOT DIRECTLY
QUOTE THE ARTICLE you are critiquing (or any other source) at any time.
You must hand the article back in to me, highlighted, along with your critique/summary. I will grade
each paper on a 15 point scale. Thus, each article successfully reviewed will
be worth up to 15 extra points toward your total points (600 maximum).
Plagiarism (the use of someone else's IDEAS OR WORDS without giving proper
credit) is cheating. Plagiarism or any other form of cheating will result in a
zero on the work (and thus, failure of the course), and disciplinary action from the school.
Read the material in advance so you will obtain maximum benefit from class discussion.
Class participation is a requirement of the course!!!
Week 1 -8/25: Reading: Chapter 1
Introduction, course requirements, policies. Why are we in this class?
How is development studied? Philosophy, Science and Theory.
Week 2 -9/2: Reading Chapter 2
(No class on September 1st)
Nature versus Nurture and Nature cum Nurture, key issues for developmental theories.
Developmental periods and critical periods, milestones. Other key concepts.
Week 3 -9/8:
Reading: Chapter 3.
Prenatal development & birth.
"The Miracle of Life."
Week 4 -9/15:
Reading: Chapters 4 & 5
The importance of early (and really early) care.
Infancy -physiological and biological development.
Cognitive Development in Infancy
Week 5 -9/22:
Reading: Chapter 6.
Social and Emotional Development in Infancy
Attachment and Primary Tasks.
MWF Class: ----------------TEST 1 on Friday 9/26------------------
Mon-only Class-----------TEST 1 on Monday 9/22------------------
Tue-only Class-----------TEST 1 on Tuesday 9/23------------------
Week 6 -9/29:
Reading: Chapter 7
The preschooler:
Piagetian theory --a closer look. How does thinking start?
Language development, grammar, deep structure, and the use of symbols and signs.
Growth and motor milestones
Reading: Chapter 8
The family drama:
Developing gender identity, developing ego, developing a social role --did Freud tell us something we forgot?
What is the self and how does "it" form?
The development of personality traits
--from emotional states, conflicts and drives, or predispositions?
Week 7 -10/6:
Reading: Chapter 9
"Boy, you're growin' like a weed!"
Coordination, skills, executive control over motor functions, planning.
How does thinking change in the elementary years?
Reversibility, Time, Conservation, Hierarchical thinking, Logical thinking.
Homework: Does practice make perfect?
Week 8 -10/13:
Reading: Chapter 10
Social skills, social status, social roles in elementary school.
Industry versus Inferiority --what is the source of self esteem?
Mon-only Class: MONDAY 10/13: Test 2/MIDTERM EXAM: (4 Essays)
Tue-only Class: TUESDAY 10/14: Test 2/MIDTERM EXAM: (4 Essays)
MWF Class: FRIDAY, 10/17: Test 2/MIDTERM EXAM: (4 Essays)
Week 9 -10/20:
Reading: Chapter 11: Adolescence:
Puberty: change is happening fast!
Changes in the brain.
Abstract thought: suddenly the world is enormous.
Week 10 -10/27:
Reading: Chapter 12
Freud's theory of psychosexual development: a closer look.
Identity development in adolescence.
Marcia's extension of Erikson's theory.
Sex and Drugs and Rock and Rap --and Drinking and Driving and Dying or Going to Jail.
Mon-only Class-----------TEST 3 on Monday 10/27------------------
Tue-only Class-----------TEST 3 on Tuesday 10/28------------------
MWF Class: --------------TEST 3 on Friday 10/31------------------
Week 11 -11/3:
Reading: Chapters 13 and 14:
Early adulthood tasks: Independence, Intimacy, Going to work, Making babies,
Buying a home, Changing careers --what's next?
Levinson's Seasons introduced
Other ways of describing adult development: Havighurst, LaBouvie-Vief, Perry, Super, etc.
Week 12 -11/10: (No class on Tues., November 11th)
Reading: Chapters 15 & 16
Middle age life tasks. More Erikson & Havighurst, plus Jung, Galinsky, etc.
Week 13 -11/17:
Reading: Chapter 17
Exiting middle age/Transition to being an elder; Erikson, Neugarten, Peck, etc.
Week 15 -12/1:
Reading: 19
LAST DAY FOR ACCEPTING ANY WRITTEN WORK (OJR's/CJR's, etc.): 12/1/08
Death and dying. E. Kubler-Ross' theory
Other views of the end of life
FINAL EXAM ON:
Mon-only Class: Monday December 8th, 8:00 - 10:00 PM
Tues-only Class: Tuesday December 9th 5:30 - 7:30 PM
MWF Class: Friday December 12th 12:30 - 2:30 PM
As an academic community devoted to the life of the mind, this class requires of every student complete intellectual honesty in the preparation and completion of all assigned academic work.
Honor, integrity, honesty and effort benefit everyone. I hereby recognize that my honor as a student of this class is dependent on my integrity, honesty and effort. Therefore, I will not cheat, plagiarize or otherwise misrepresent the work I submit. I shall neither give nor receive unauthorized aid on any piece of work, nor knowingly tolerate any violation of the Honor Code of this class.
I hereby certify that all the
written work I submit in this course shall be my own original writing, that I
will use no idea, fact, information, or phrasing from any source without giving
credit by citing that source in my work, and that I shall strive to make as
plain as possible the sources used in my work.
I hereby certify that the responses I give on tests in this course shall reflect only my own knowledge, study, effort and belief. I will not attempt to copy the work of others, and will not tolerate any attempt of others to copy my work. If I detect that any student in this class is attempting to copy my work or that of others, I will report my belief to my instructor immediately and without fear of the consequences for doing so.
I hereby pledge my honor, integrity, honesty and effort as a
student, as a fellow human being and as a member of the academic community in
this class.
Pledged on this day, ____/____/_____________________________