Life Span Development Syllabus 1
University of Central Missouri
Coun 5310 Development Across the Lifespan
Instructor: Bobby Kizer
Contact:
Course Description: This course is designed to help counselors and other human service professionals develop a working knowledge of the milestones of human growth and development across the lifespan, including infancy, childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, the middle years, and aging. Emphasis will be on demonstrating an applied understanding of the needs and tasks related to stages in social, emotional, cognitive, physical development, as well as development of self-concept. Students will explore the influence of culture on human development.
Conceptual Framework
Belief Statement
The Central educator is a competent, caring, reflective practitioner committed to the premise that all can learn.
Mission
As a cornerstone of the institution for over 130 years, the University of Central Missouri's Teacher Education Program develops teachers and other school professionals who are well grounded in theory, display competence in content knowledge and instructional strategies, and possess the dispositions to ensure success for all learners. The Teacher Education Program prepares individuals as professional educators for an ever-changing, culturally diverse population. Faculty and candidates provide support and service to schools in meeting their present and future challenges by developing communities that learn through research and scholarly activities. Educator preparation is a campus-wide responsibility, a commitment that reflects the honor and worth of serving a vital profession.
Textbooks: Broderick, P.C. & Blewitt, P. (2006). The life span: Human development for helping professionals (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall. Be sure to check out the corresponding website: www.prenhall.com/broderick
Prerequisites: Coun 5510, Coun 5610, Psy 4520 or EdCI 5900 and Advanced Status
Course Objectives:
CACREP 3: Human Growth and Development - Students will demonstrate an understanding of the nature and needs of individuals at all developmental levels, including all of the following:
a. theories of individual and family development and transitions across the life span;
b. theories of learning
c. human behavior including an understanding of developmental crises, disability, exceptional behavior, addictive behavior, psychopathology, and situational and environmental factors that affect both normal and abnormal behavior; and
d. strategies for facilitating optimum development over the life-span.
MoSTEP 1.4.1.1 Human Growth and Development: The student will demonstrate knowledge and understanding of human development and personality and how these domains affect learners and application of this knowledge in his or her work with learners, including all of the following:
a. theories of individual and family development, transitions across the life-span, and the range of human developmental variation;
b. developmental stages of individual growth;
c. theories of learning;
d. factors that affect behavior, including but not limited to, developmental crises, disability, addiction, psychopathology, and environmental factors and strategies to assist learners to develop healthy life and learning styles; and
e. developmental principles in working with learners in a variety of school counseling activities.
Office of Accessibility Statement
This course works in concert with the Office of Accessibility Services and the Office of Equity in meeting ADA requirements. Students with documented disabilities who are seeking academic accommodations should contact the Office of Accessibility Services, Union 220, (V) (TTY) 660-543-4421.
Academic Honesty Policy Statement
Honesty in all endeavors is essential to the function of society. Honesty in the classroom among students and between students and faculty is a matter that should concern everyone in the University Community. Indeed, academic honesty is on of the most important qualities influencing the character and image of an educational institution. As higher education is challenged to improve the quality of its programs, there is great value in emphasizing academic standards and integrity.
It is the University's responsibility to provide an educational process that informs both students and faculty of their rights and responsibilities regarding such important matters as cheating, plagiarism, and professional ethics. Most of what is considered unethical or dishonest behavior can be avoided if faculty and students clearly understand both what constitutes these practices and their consequences. The university community should also be aware of the procedures to be followed should a breach of academic honesty occur. (https://www.ucmo.edu/x2761.xml)
Course Requirements
1. Class Attendance:
Students are expected to attend all lectures, seminars, laboratories, and fieldwork for each registered class and to complete all work assigned by the instructor for the course. Advance arrangements for unavoidable absences should be made with the instructor whenever possible. Neither absence nor notification of absences relieves the student of the responsibility for meeting all course requirements. Make-up of course requirements missed because of extenuating circumstances shall be worked out between the instructor and the student upon the student’s initiative. (See attendance policy in current UCM General Catalog). Attendance will be assessed using the in-class reflections.
2. In-Class Reflections: (5 points each, 75 total)
At the end of each session, students will be given time to complete the in-class reflection questions. These questions will allow the students to reflect on the material that was covered in that class session and corresponding readings. These reflections will be handed in at the end of each session. They will later be returned at least one week prior to exams. Reflections must include the following questions:
1. What do you feel were the three most important things discussed during this class session?
Why?
2. How will what you learned today influence your practice?
3. Reflective Statements: (25 points)
Each student will prepare a reflective statement addressing CACREP standard 3 addressed in this course (Refer to "Course Objectives."). Students pursing a concentration in school counseling will include the associated MoSTEP standard in their reflective statement. A guide for writing reflective statements is available in the documents section on the Counselor Education Program Blackboard site.
4. Notebook: (10 points)
Each student will prepare a notebook for submission at the end of the course. This notebook will document the student's mastery of course objectives as they relate to CACREP and MOSTEP Standards.
5. Black Board Discussion: (10 points each, 70 total)
Part of professional counseling in today’s world is the use of technology to discuss relevant subjects. This is done through various listservs, company e-mail, journal readings, etc. Seven times throughout the semester, the professor will post a discussion topic on Blackboard about a particular developmental issue. Each student will participate in an on-line discussion about the topic. One student each week (to be assigned) will be the primary responder. This response must include references from the textbook as well as at least one journal article and one website. After this response, all students will respond, critique, analyze, expand, and offer further insight. These blackboard discussions will then be reviewed and continued in class.
6. Mid-Term and Final Exams: (50 points each, 100 total)
Exams will consist of multiple choice as well as essay questions. They will assess the student’s knowledge, comprehension, and understanding of the material covered throughout the course. The final exam will be comprehensive.
7. Community Mental Health Awareness Presentation with PowerPoint: (100 points)
As a professional counselor you will be called upon to make community presentations concerning specific life span developmental issues. For this project, students are to present a 30-45 minute PowerPoint Presentation on one of the following topics below. Topics will be chosen on the first day of class. On the day of the presentation, students must submit an accompanying paper.
This paper must be in APA style, including a title page, abstract, body (including literature review) and bibliography (including a minimum of 5 credible citations, primarily use journal articles, not just internet sources). Do not enclose your paper in a folder. Make sure your paper reflects university-level writing skills. You may wish to take advantage of the university’s writing lab to critique the mechanics of your writing.
The body of the paper (and the content of your powerpoint) should include: (1) a review of the issue such as historical information, major theories, prominent psychologists, and current research, (2) how the issue is related to individual/system health, (3) suggestions for counselors. Also include how to cope with an individual who fits in your topic, for example, how does a parent cope with the challenges of having an autistic child?
For all topics: Use the book as a reference. In addition to the chapter listed, see if your topic is mentioned elsewhere. Apply your presentation to the entire lifespan. For example, if presenting on early childhood, be sure to mention how it might impact adulthood.
Grading Scale
Attendance/In-class reflection 75 A 354-395
Reflective Statement 25 B 315-353
Notebook 10 C 275-314
Reflective Statements 15 D 236-274
Blackboard Discussion 70 F 0-235
Midterm Exam 50
Mental Health Project 100
Final Exam 50
Total 395
U Grades: A semester grade of U will be assigned when, for justifiable reasons (procrastination is NOT a justifiable reason), a student does not complete required course assignments. The student must initiate the request for the U grade with a written proposed timeline for completing remaining assignments submitted to the course instructor at least two weeks prior to the final class period. The final grades for students who do not initiate a request for a U grade will be computed incorporating grades recorded for completed assignments and F grades for incomplete assignments. (Please see the UCM 2006-7 Calendar Handbook, pp 32-33).
Presentation Topics
· Chapter 2
o Genetic Disorders- Coping with children who have a Genetic Syndromes
o Infertility- Coping withand overcoming Infertility
o Physical disability- Coping with rearing a child diagnosed with a physical disability
· Chapter 3
o Parts of the brain, brain development, and mental disability-Coping with rearing a child diagnosed with a mental disability
· Chapter 5
o Parenting, styles of parenting, coping with “difficult” children.
· Chapter 6
o Cognitive development-Coping with rearing a child who are either above or below expected grade level
· Chapter 8
o Sex-Role stereotypes, peer pressure, sexism-Coping with the pressure and stereotypes of being male or female
o Gender identity-Coping with a child/adolescent who does not fit the gender stereotype (may include Gender Identity Disorder (transgender)).
· Chapter 9
o Sexual Behavior-Coping with an adolescent’s sexual activity.
o Sexual Orientation- Self-identity (struggle with the awareness that a person is LGBT). Coping with one’s own sexual identity or coping with a child/adolescent who is a gay male, lesbian, or bisexual.
· Chapter 10
o Social Deviance and Risk Taking. Coping with the difficulties of parenting a teenager. Also include how to counsel a teenager who doesn’t want to be in therapy
o Eating Disorders-Coping with a client/adolescent who is diagnosed with an eating disorder
· Chapter 12
o Vocational/Career counseling-Coping with job loss and/or being in a new job and/or being in a job that one does not like.
o Family (biological clock/social pressures)- Coping with looking for in an ideal partner for marriage or a permanent monogamous committed relationship. Coping with raising children in a stepfamily
· Chapter 13
o Divorce-Coping steps to take to save a marriage and/or coping with divorce
· Chapter 14
o Life-Satisfaction/Happiness- Coping with the steps to insure one’s physical and emotional wellbeing in adulthood. Coping with Every Day Stressors
· Chapter 15
o Aging- coping with retirement, coping with loss of energy and increasing illness
o Death/Dying/Bereavement-Coping with the death of a loved one
o Coping with your or your partner’s diagnosis and treatment of physical/mental disease (such as Alzheimer’s or cancer.)