Week 8 Putting It All Together

In chapter 13 of Lifesmart, it's about putting it all together. Lifespan development in action! Some takeaways from learning about lifespan development are that lifespan development theory can be applied on an everyday basis. This is in effect for all ages during a lifespan. Lastly, the main thing taken away from chapter 13 is that career choices in lifespan development all differ. "Ther are different expectations and qualifications for specific jobs and career paths." (Lifesmart, pages 305-306)

While reading the book Theories of Childhood by Carol Gahart Mooney, I found myself continuing to learn more about these theorists. Each individual has impacted overall lifespan development. After reading up on the five of them, I have more of a connection with Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. Piaget because he believes in real-world or life experiences, free time, asking open-ending questions and activities. I believe using those within a classroom is beneficial to students. It's hard to find teachers who use real-world experiences during a class. I relate to Vygotsky also because his theories on observing children closely and planning curriculum accordingly and having a challenging curriculum to stretch students competence. This to me is critical because sometimes teachers can assume or just not put in the work to get to know all of their students. I think watching each student closely can benefit the teachers performance teaching and help adjust to how that student is. He also believes in social interaction in which giving students time to work together in partners or groups. I found that beneficial to me in a classroom setting growing up.

Not saying John Dewey, Maria Montessori, and Erik Erikson theories aren't wrong. I just relate and believe more in the other two. What I take away from Dewey is his thought on "It's fun" is not enough. "Dewey believed that when people are engaged in learning something that interested them and is related to their experience, the process of learning is enjoyable." This is very accurate but students must realize that they have to gain knowledge in the subject they struggle in. Go outside the comfort zone. A takeaway from Maria Montessori is her belief on students taking their own competence and responsibility. Students always tend to point their fingers at everyone else besides themselves. Once a student starts to stop pointing their finger at everyone else and start to takes responsibility for him or herself then that student will grow. Finally, Erik Erikson. (Mooney, page 39) This chart gives us a visual to see where a child's strength development is during each stage. The only thing about this chart is that every child is different. Yes, most will be really close in age to make the criteria of the strength development but it may not be fully accurate.

Week 7 Late Adulthood

During adulthood, we decline right? False. We don't always decline in every category. Yes, some decline is inevitable according to chapter 11. (Lifesmart) Mental and physical abilities on average relatively has some decline although some individuals experience only moderate physical and no cognitive loss at all. For older adults, abilities may replace lost capacities.

During physical development in the adult's stages have key aspects such as genetic theories, major modifiers like nutrition, stress, illness, training, etc., changes in sensory abilities, reaction time appears to decline with age, and a strong relationship exists between physical and mental health. All this in which happens during the elder are something we must be aware of. (Lifesmart, pages 260-261)

Cognitive development has an even more serious impact on the elderly. Creativity drops off during this stage in life, but the quality of creative production and potential for creation production do not drop off. Another thing we tend to think of our grandparents in this area, but wisdom. Wisdom is a result of intelligence, personality, life experience, and age. Overall, cognitive development will be impacted.

Finally, social development in late adulthood. During this period in life, we experience a crossover in gender roles. (Lifesmart, pages 271-272) It may seem, odd but statistics prove it over time. Adding that adult men are usually more sexually active rather than women.

Week 6 Joey DiLeo Early and Middle Adulthood

Transition from adolescence to early adulthood is difficult for tons throughout the United States. Early is a period during which many changes are taking place. (Lifesmart, page 208) Personal abilities are starting to come fully together and others decline. That being said, overall physical development is reached. Although lifestyles for each individual has a great impact on physical development whether being beneficial to this development or not beneficial. Diet, physical fitness, and use of alcohol, drugs, and tobacco are the main behavioral focuses during this stage. (Lifesmart, pages 211-213)

During early adulthood comes a major change in cognitive development. In cognitive development early adults learn how intellectual and ethical development. The 3 stages of intellectual and ethical development are dualism, relativism, and commitment. Dualism is right or wrong, relativism is anything can be right or wrong depending on the situation, and commitment is available evidence and their own understanding of their own values and beliefs. (Lifesmart, page 215)

Then comes middle adulthood, which physical changes may affect people. Such as, health concerns including increasing weight and lower basal metabolism rate and unnecessary decline in muscular ability which is because of lack of exercise. (Lifesmart, page 251) These are both very common during this stage in life. More abilities start to go during middle adulthood such as sensory abilities. I believe this is very true, being around people in this stage it is clear that some abilities like vision, hearing, smell, and taste begin to show decline.

Personally, I am in the mist of early adulthood. Reading up on what happens during this stage was beneficial to me. It's gave me a good idea of what is going on with me and what will start to happen soon and later when I get into middle adulthood.

Week 5 Joey DiLeo Adolescence

     In chapter eight, it covers adolescence. So what is adolescence? It can be defined in a variety of ways, in many experts opinions, it is that majority of adolescents are happy and productive members of their families and communities. Although, adolescents go through a lot of stress at this time. They usually fight through it and sometimes don't show that they have stress.

     There are theories that attempt to explain adolescence, the leading two are the fifth stage of the eight in psychosocial stages which is identity versus identity confusion--applies to adolescence and the second being John Hill's biopsychosocial theory which emphasis on the six factors of dependence, autonomy, sexuality, intimacy, achievement, and identity.

     Some key factors that happen during adolescence are physical changes during puberty (timing in each individual is different), maturity of appearance affects whether adolescents are treated appropriately for their age, early maturing is usually a positive experience for boys but can be at times negative for girls, and late puberty or maturing is difficult for boys and girls.

     Cognitive thinking in adolescent years is mostly an improvement. Piaget's highest stage of cognitive development is formal operations which begins during the early adolescence stage. Adolescents focus much attention on themselves and tend to think that everyone is always looking at them or judging them. There personal image of themselves can be harsh due to this.

     Finally, during this stage teens become sexually active. Many teenagers obtain a great deal of information and misleading information about sex from their peers. Listening skills are greatly needed for parents who wish to maintain a good communication with their adolescents. Which can be hard to do for most parents or families during their child's adolescents years.

Six Weeks of Technology

These past six weeks of technology has been very beneficial to me. From a person who was not very good with technology going into this class to a person who has taken away a handful of different technology-based tools and activities, I could use for when I become a teacher.

As a student, the schools I attended had minimal use of technology and to be honest I never really thought technology was that beneficial to students classrooms until I took this class which has clearly changed made me change my mind on technology. Some things I would have never thought I was able to do or make I did just so. I created forums, a blog with I've learned to notice to be very beneficial, a portfolio, videos, and overall learned how to use google drive.

Personally, I always thought students used technology in the wrong way, the used it for non-educational information. As a future teacher, I will enforce and enjoy using technology in my classroom. I know technology will help students grow like this class has made me grow just in six weeks!

Week 4 Joey DiLeo Early and Middle Childhood

In early childhood, as parents and family, we see changes in our young ones. It's very exciting but yet sometimes parents handle the growth of our children different. As parents, we tend to want our child to develop faster and better than others but we can't force this upon the children. As summarized in the reading, statistics show the rate of physical growth slows in early childhood, instead, continues at a steady pace. In other words, pushing children to physically grow faster is counterproductive. While motor skills are getting more refined as the child gets older. Development in cognitive in early childhood is in other words known as Piaget's theory in which we expect them to obtain and control symbols they may see or hear. Finally, early childhoods development in language becomes a powerful tool for adjusting to the environment and world around them.

In middle childhood, changes in development take a big step. Children can accommodate material at a different level. Their thought processes are so much quicker and understanding has grown to a level in which they can have a conversation successfully with children their own age and parents. Although as said thinking and understanding is better, they still have problems understanding subjects in school such as reading, math, etc. During this growth in development, the children tend to want to use their abilities in which they know how to. Using their abilities is a great thing, getting them active in the world helps them but we must realize the world to them is like a whole new world because they are socially active in it.

Incorporating Technology

After learning more about technology in education it's made me realize how important it is. When I was in high school we had zero technology unless we were in a computer class or we had a paper to be done for our writing seminar class. I realize now that that is not enough technology for students to grow.

So now, I have started to substitute teach at my old high school and its good to see some changes. But, I realize that these changes still aren't enough for the students. The only technology they have is that each student has their own google chrome book. But, after asking students what their use for the chrome book is, the school still isn't using technology to benefit the students.

So the challenge for me as a substitute and a future teacher is to incorporate technology into my old high school and impact many students in every way possible. I look forward to impacting my school and making these technology changes to overall better the school.