This general survey course is designed to introduce
students to the major areas of
adolescent development including the biological, psychological,
social and emotional
changes that occur during this period. Although
the focus of the course will center on
education, students from other disciplines are encouraged
to attend and will be given
opportunities to apply concepts of adolescent development
to their own fields.
Derek
L. Piper M.A
.
Summer B 2004: Period 4
Office Hours: TWR Period 5 or easily by appointment
Office: 348 Norman Hall (392-0726 ext. 280)
E-mail: dlpiper@ufl.edu
Contents of this site:
Course Outline
Course Requirements (Assignments, point distributions, ect.)
About the Text
Study Aides
Course Readings
Suggested Resources
Breaking News and Notices: Odds, ends, and exam overviews.
Adolescence, 6e. by Laurence Steinberg has been thoroughly updated
to reflect current findings in the field of adolescent development. In
this edition, the author continues to utilize the effective combination
of a friendly writing style, thorough research and a contextual approach
that emphasizes adolescence in contemporary society. The careful organization
ensures maximum teaching flexibility that allows the chapters to work together
or stand alone. Ethnicity and Minority issues are thoroughly discussed
in a way that enables students to see how the adolescent experience is
shaped by class and culture. The strong pedagogical framework helps students
organize and integrate material. Adolescence, 6e is based on solid research
and theory, yet it has a distinctively real world feel that emphasizes
the reality of being an adolescent in society.
Click on the book to view his web site!
.......don't even think about what you could be doing outside!
(The
questions are for discussion purposes only unless otherwise noted!)
Reading #1 PAGES 4 THROUGH 11 ONLY!!!!!!!! Dr. Simpson. "Raising Teens: A Synthesis of Research and a Foundation for Action." Harvard School of Public Health, 2001***This is an Adobe Acrobat pdf file. Pages 4 through 11 may translate into pages 7 to 14 of the print menu. In other words we need the 'Report Summary' only. For the benefit of all of us, please bring a copy to class!
You will not be held accountable for this entire document but be sure to read it over before class! It is quite frustrating to work with students who have not prepared. We will bounce this off of our text. We are not only interested in the 'What to do' but also the 'Why we are doing it'.
1.) What aspects of authoritative parenting are present here? Which of these 'strategies' seem to be the least intuitive?
2.) This document sounds great, but what if my child is a 'wild child'?
Readings #2
You do not need to read all four articles
(unless you would like to do so) but you need to read the article that
corresponds to your last name. Please bring a copy to class.
TopReading #2a Dr. Blum et al. "The Children or Lost Parents of Rockdale County" Frontline, PBS, October 1999Last Name beginning with A through G:
Last Name beginning with H through N:Reading #2b Dr. Tolman “Asking Some Unasked Questions” Frontline, PBS, October 1999
Last Name beginning with O through S:
Reading #2c Dr.Gallagher "Teenagers in Trouble" Frontline, PBS, October 1999
Last Name beginning with T through Z:
Reading #2d Dr.Resnick "Adrift in America" Frontline, PBS, October 1999
1.) What approach does the author take in responding to the documentary? In other words, what is their main theme? Are they careful or forceful in their opinion? Do you think they make a strong arguement? Drawing from our class and your own experience, what could make their argument stronger? What might undermine their arguement?2.) Did the producers of this documentary go too far in any one area? Should they have went deeper into others? In other words, what are the best and worst parts of this documentary?
Click Here for a transcript of the documentary.
Reading #3: ERIC Digests. (Updated June 9th, 2004)
The questions following each reading will be addressed in class and do not need to be responded to for credit
For more information on ERIC Digests see 'Specific Resources'
Once again, we will assign different class members to different articles.
If your last name ends in A through D:
Reading #3a "Helping Middle School Students Make the Transition into High School" (Mizelle, 1999).
If your last name ends in E through J:
Reading #3b "The Transition to Middle School." (Schumacher, 1998)
For Readings 3a and 3b consider the following:
- What were some of the issues that you can remember in regard to these transitions?
- What types of activities (or program elements) seem to be the most thoughtful (or at least less common from your groups experiences during these times?)
- (optional) group comments, insights, issues in need of further discussion, or debatable items.
If your last name ends in K through N:
Reading #3c "Current Literature on Small Schools" (Raywid, 1999)
If your last name ends in O through R:
Reading #3d "Schools within Schools" (McAndrews, 2002)For Readings 3c and 3d consider the following:
- What was the size of the middle and/or high schools you went too?
- ---What were the advantages and disadvantages?
- Briefly list the pearls and promises of small schools or schools-within-schools as described by the authors of the digests.
- (optional) group comments, insights, issues in need of further discussion, or debatable items. (An interesting perspective might come from those who went to private and/or parochial schools).
If your last name ends in S through U:
Reading #3e "Motivation and Middle School Students" (Anderman & Midgley, 1998)
If your last name ends in V through Z:
Reading #3f "K-12 Single-Sex Education: What Does the Research Say? (Pamela, 2000)
Misc.
Reading #3g "Self-Directed Learning" (Abdullah, 2001)
For Readings 3e, 3f, and 3g consider the following:
- How were the approaches suggested in the digest similar/different from your experiences in school? Can you remember any activities/assignments that seemed to 'fit' into what the author suggests? Are the authors leaving something out??
- What are some of the more promising practices suggested by the author (or at least those that are less intuitive)?
- (optional) group comments, insights, issues in need of further discussion, or debatable items.
General:
Home of the World Champion Denver Br...err...former (and once mighty) Denver Broncos!
* I have no idea how this link got here -- it is unfortunately beyond my control.
Education Week is a good resource for current events in the field of education.
Search "Ask Eric" for professional journals and other primary resources.
Student Resources recommended by Dr. Stienberg.
If you are ever interested in my background (LOL....No B.G, you are not being indoctrinated!)
More
Specific Resources:
A site by the Kaiser
Foundation about how parents can address tough issues.
Talkingwithkids.org
ADOL
Adolescence Directory On-Line
- An electronic guide to
information on adolescent issues from violence to mental health.
Society for Research in Adolescence
- A comprehensive site primarily
interested in peer interactions.
- Contains a number of quality
adolescent links such as psychweb, Indiana University, and Facts for Families.
ERIC Digests We use this resource for Reading #3. ERIC Digests are:
Childstats.gov is a site that provides oodles of statistical information about children and their families.
AboutOurKids.org
provides lots of information about kids in general.
- This site devotes a lot of space
to mental illness and parenting.
The
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
- The federal government's
take on a very serious issue. I have a hard copy of their 1999 report.
Monitoring
the Future
- An ongoing study of
American secondary school students, college students, and young adults.
- Each year (since the mid
1970s) they have surveyed over 50,000 people primarily about drug use.
Center
for Disease Control (CDC)
- A huge data base about anything
related to health. They have many reports geared toward adolescents.
The
Secret Life of the Brain: The Teenage Brain
- A special ran last
semester regarding teens and neuroscientce.
"Frontline:
Inside the Teenage Brain"
- Yet another special
ran last semester...we will be viewing this one in class.
Primarily Education Stuff:
The United
States Department of Education
- You never really know from election
to election if they will be around or not.
Afterschool.gov A web site set up by the DOE to provide information for teens. Any opinions?
National
Center of Education Statistics
- Many folks don't even realize
a site like this exists.
- If you are looking for quantitative
information on schools here is your site.
Florida
Department of Education
- Florida has a pretty active and useful
education web site with info from FCAT scores to the SSS.
Job
Opportunities in Florida School Districts
- This site should give you an idea
of what is out there if you are looking into education.
Please e-mail me if you run into
a "dead" link on this page.