Assignment:
Discussion 1
Gender Development
Gender roles are the combination of attitudes, behaviors, and personality characteristics that a culture considers appropriate for an individual's anatomical sex. Psychologists have proposed a number of theories to explain gender typing (LeFrancois, 2012).
For this discussion, you will choose and analyze two of the four scenarios in the videos below, and explain how each scenario relates to the theories that explain gender typing.
a. Boy Meets Girl
b. Free to Be, You and Me - Ladies First
c. Free to Be You and Me - Princess Atalantis
d. Free to Be You and Me - William Wants a Doll
What do you think influenced the children in each video? Next, explain how your own gender identity may have been influenced by gender stereotypes. Finally, what are some strategies you can use in an early childhood educational setting to avoid gender stereotyping?
Guided Response: Review several of your classmates' posts. Respond to at least two of your classmates by providing additional ways that teachers or caregivers can minimize stereotypical differences in the classroom. Compare your classmates' analyses of the videos to your own, and point out any differences or similarities that you find.
Discussion 2
Brain Development
Brain-based education suggests that physical exercise is important for brain development. Research has shown that in addition to physical exercise, other activities focus on stimulating the social development and intellectual development of young children.
Gerry, who is still incapable of jumping with both feet, may not be invited to join in a game of jump rope. This is an example of how a child's individual characteristics (motor skills in this case) can affect context (social environment) and influence development (LeFrancois, 2012).
Reflect back on your own development as a child, or on the development of a child you know, and provide an example of how individual characteristics affected development. Using the text and other scholarly resources, provide some suggested activities or strategies that would provide the necessary support to enhance the affected development. For example, Gerry's teacher notices she is being excluded from the game of jump rope and intervenes by showing Gerry how to twirl the rope. Gerry is now included socially, despite her delayed motor development.
Guided Response: Review your classmates' posts and respond to at least two classmates. Analyze their suggestions and compare their personal experiences with your own. Discuss the outcome of your experiences, and whether their suggestions have worked or failed for you in the past. Suggest additional activities and/or strategies that they might find helpful.
Self-Evaluation
Reflect on your coursework so far. What have you learned so far that you think will be the most helpful in your future career? In what ways can you see yourself using that newly discovered knowledge? Which assignment challenged you the most? In what way did the assignment challenge you? What assignments did you find the most interesting and engaging? Why? At this point, do you feel prepared to utilize the information you have gained thus far? Why or why not?