I believe in creating meaningful assignments that will resonate with my students growth and understanding of the socialization process. Each key assignment is scaffolded in a way to help create a vast understanding of socialization, and to help students better serve the children and families they work with.
Socialization Report: Students who plan to work in the community with people from many different economic, social, racial, and ethnic groups need to understand the effects of differing life experiences on attitudes and values. The Socialization Report provides a means of demonstrating the process of socialization in a way that makes it meaningful. It is useful in helping students to assess their own values and attitudes and the effect of the primary socialization agencies on development. In addition, it allows the student to contrast personal experiences with those of others and thereby better understand the diversity of attitudes and values that exist within a community.
This assignment is not intended to be a therapy session. You are free to bring into your Socialization Report any material that you believe is relevant to your development. You should not, however, feel an obligation to share any information that you feel is too personal or painful.
Family Policies Assignment: In this assignment, you will delve into the intricacies of family policies and practices within our program context. As educators, it is imperative to understand and address the diverse needs of families whose children are enrolled in our program. This assignment aims to explore various policies and practices that contribute to fostering a supportive environment for families and enhancing their engagement in their children's learning journey.
Exploring Ethnic Theorists: The objective of this assignment is to encourage students to delve into the works and contributions of ethnic (Non-White) child development theorists who have significantly impacted our understanding of the developmental processes in children belonging to diverse ethnic backgrounds. By researching the theories and perspectives of these theorists, students will gain insights into the cultural, social, and psychological factors that influence child development.
This assignment will allow students to contribute to course material by creating content on highlighting the significant work of ethnic theorists. Your highlights will be added to lecture material for this course, and will be available for students the following semester. I will cite you as the author for any and all material I take from you. Thank you in advance for your contribution to this course.
Parent Interview: In this assignment, you will have the opportunity to engage with parents to learn about their parenting styles as it relates to their culture and their views on socialization. The purpose of this assignment is to gain insights into family perspectives, experiences, and expectations regarding their child's education. Students will interview one male parent and one female parent to gain differing background information. After interviewing both parents, students will compare and contrast their findings, including parenting styles, and methods of socialization.
Case Study Assignment: In this assignment, you will delve into the microsystem influences shaping the life of Robert, a fictional character. Drawing upon ecological systems theory, you will identify and analyze both the positive and negative influences within Robert's immediate environment. By understanding these microsystem dynamics, you will gain insights into how various factors impact an individual's development and well-being.