Chapter 3 covers the journey of human development from birth through adolescence. We'll explore physical growth, shaped by factors like sex, hormones, and cultural nuances. The impact of family dynamics, peer cultures, and even teachers on social development is covered, alongside strategies for fostering empathy and combating challenges like bullying and abuse. We'll then delve into the internal world of identity and self-concept, navigating theories like Erikson's and Marcia's, while acknowledging the complex influences of race, ethnicity, and social norms. Finally, we'll look at the evolution of moral reasoning, from understanding intentions to building prosocial behavior, drawing insights from diverse perspectives like Kohlberg, Gilligan, and Haidt.

This week, we'll be looking at the definition of cognitive development, common debates and principles, how brain anatomy impacts cognitive development, and a comparison and contrast of Jean Piaget's and Lev Vygotsky's theories.

In this lesson, we'll review how educational psychology impacts the field of K-12 education. We'll also go over some common terms when dealing with research.

In Chapter 1, Part 1, we review modern classrooms, the importance of teacher efficacy, and how we evaluate educators.

Welcome! I'm Kate Durden, and I am your instructor for this course! I'm so excited to get this semester started!

A couple of things to get us started. First, please look through the 🏁 Start Here Module before class tomorrow.

Next, each week, I will post a podcast that you can listen to to prep for the class.

You can listen through popular podcasting apps and also listen to them in Canvas through this announcement or from each module. We're going to begin with a short introduction to the course, then I'll post this week's chapter lectures later on today (Monday, January 8).

I'll see you all tomorrow, and I'm looking forward to a great semester!