Reflection

Congratulations! You have experienced more than 19 years of living in 5 weeks! In the process, you have learned about the myriad and intricate ways that children grow and develop from a baby in the womb to a young man or young woman ready to enter adulthood. Though no one—including yourself—should expect you to be an expert in child development at this stage, you have gained a vital base of knowledge on which to build as you continue toward your degree.

Throughout this course, you have been learning about the varied and dynamic changes that characterize children’s development. You have had the opportunity to think about children’s development from philosophical as well as practical perspectives. And you have observed children on video and seen what a “textbook description” of development looks like in person—for example, the catch in the heart when a baby rolls over and the look of delight on her face at what she can do!

Reflecting on what you have learned will help you evaluate your own progress along the continuum of knowledge that is essential to understanding and fostering healthy child development and working with children and families in a variety of ways.

Learning Objectives

A student will:

• Reflect on what has been learned and experienced in the course, recognize prior misconceptions with regard to child development, explain new insights, and apply new knowledge

Reflection

Based on what you have learned from the course resources and assignments, respond to the following:

• In Week 1, you were asked to consider if one domain—physical, cognitive, or social-emotional—was more important than the others. Review your response. Have your views changed or strengthened? Explain your current thinking on the importance of helping the “whole child” develop.
• Think about assumptions or misconceptions about children’s development that you brought into the course. Summarize information you have learned that dispels those assumptions or misconceptions. Comment on effective ways to share or model what you’ve learned to correct those same misconceptions in others.
• Reflect on something you learned or experienced in the course that surprised or amazed you. It may be an aspect of child development or a personal insight into your own childhood or adolescence. Describe this “ah-ha!” and why it stands out for you.
• In this course, you have been introduced to many topics and aspects of child development. What else do you want to know about child development, generally or about a specific aspect or stage of child development? Explain your interest, how it relates to your professional goals, and at least two ways to go about gaining this knowledge.
• Learning about child development offers a different perspective on children. Think about how you looked at children in your everyday world before this course. In what ways are you more attuned to children today?