Write a journal
FS 1513 Observation Project Details
Time Involved
Students enrolled in FS 1513 are expected to complete at least 15 hours of observations related to human development. This work will involve creating a journal entry for each of their observational sessions. There should be entries for at least 15 hours of observations by the end of the semester.
Observations: Who and Where
Part of the purpose of this project is to observe differences in development across the life span. So, observations should involve people from different age ranges over the course of the semester. Some entries should focus on development observed during childhood (i.e., observing children from infancy through grade-school..
Observations should take place in naturalistic settings. Naturalistic means that people should be observed in place where they would normally be present (i.e., not in a lab). Ideally, this would mean that they are able to behave as they normally would. The goal, however, is to have enough time to observe a person so that they can demonstrate what they have developed. This means that you will need to be able to watch them behaving naturally for the duration of your observation (i.e., at least 1 hour). Observations that are less than 1 hour will not be counted as complete .
Formatting
Journal entries using the appropriate templates should be completed for each observation session. The templates (available on the course website and below) should contain all of the identifying information. Journal entries that do not use the template will not be graded.
First, each journal entry must contain documentary information. This should cover (1) who did the observations and who was observed, (2) where and when did the observations happen, (3) what were the people being observed generally like, (4) what was the setting like, and (5) keep track of the hours that are being represented in the entry as well as the number of cumulative hours completed so far.
Second, each entry should contain a coherent summary of what was observed that tells a story about what was seen and/or heard. Anecdotal notes need to be written in full sentences that help a person to understand what was observed, how things happened, and provide objectively detailed examples of a person’s development.
Third, each entry should apply the information presented in FS 1513 to explain what they observed. At least 2 – 3 developmental traits, or abilities, present in the anecdotal notes should be identified and explained using any theories that may apply. The theories that are used should directly address what was observed. Further, there should be more than just one theory present in your journal entry (i.e., theories is plural for a reason). It is important to use the appropriate terms accurately from the theories that you select to explain the behavior. Additionally, all of the information that you need to explain the observed abilities and behaviors should be present in the anecdotal notes.
Fourth, journal entries should contain a reflection of what you learned. Part of learning involves checking to see if information is valid; thus, the first thing that needs to be identified is any assumptions that are being made. Assumptions are anything that might bias what was observed or interpreted. There will be assumptions for every journal entry, unless the observer is a perfect person who knows absolutely everything and can see, or hear, everything.
Next, reactions should demonstrate critical thinking and insight about the information. Critical thinking should involve identifying what the information from the observation and interpretation means beyond what was discussed in a textbook or during class. If learning is happening, then it should mean something for daily life. The goal here is to communicate what this all means for personal and professional interactions and expectations.
What Is Turned In:
Entries should be organized into three sets for submission. Each set of journal entries is worth 100 points, should represent at least 5 hours of observations, and focus on development in specific domains. There can be differences in the ages represented in the journal entries, but of the journal entries that are submitted as a set should focus on the appropriate developmental domain(s) .
The first set of entries (Submission I) should focus on physical development. All of the anecdotes that are provided should illustrate the individual’s physical development.
The second set of journal entries (Submission II) should focus on cognitive development and development of language skills. So, some of the entries should contain information that illustrates cognitive development and others should contain examples of development of language skills. Ideally, there would be two of each. However, there might be some overlap between cognitive and language development. Additionally, the theories that are used to explain the observed information should all focus on development in these domains. These entries should all focus on using theories such as Piaget’s, information processing, Vygotsky’s, and behaviorism.
The third set of journal entries (Submission III) should focus on psychosocial development. Entries submitted in this set should focus on development of emotions, social behaviors, personality, relationships, and similar issues. These observations should be accompanied by theories that directly address the topics that are identified.
Detail Summary
1. Observe for indications of development
a. Documenting information about (see template for more details)
i. Who
ii. Where
iii. When
iv. How long
b. For 15 hours across the semester
c. In each submission there should be 5 hours of observations
d. Entries should use hourly increments (i.e., nothing less than 60 minutes will count, all time will be rounded down to the hour)
e. In different settings such as time in a Child Care Center, a senior citizens' center, a social services agency (i.e., Friends of the Family, Association for Retarded Citizens), parks, or social settings.
f. Across different age ranges
2. Complete journal entries for each observation session
3. Submit 3 sets of journal entries using the appropriate templates
General Comments
Please pay attention to the directions. This is a project designed to encourage critical thinking, not creativity. Doing the project the way that you want to, or the way it fits best with your life, may result in a grade that you would not prefer. The expectations and requirements were designed to allow for quicker feedback and to help people be successful. Since everyone enrolled in this deserves the same treatment, when one accommodation or exception is made for one person then everyone should receive it as well. The large number of people enrolled in this course, though, makes this very difficult to do well. If there is a substantial reason why an exception is needed, then please talk to the teacher as early as possible. Exceptions will not be made after the work is turned in.
FAQ
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· Can observe where I work? |
Yes, as long as you are not supposed to working. (This is not a great idea.) |
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· Can I observe children that I take care of? |
Yes, but is better if you are not familiar with the people that you are observing. (This is really not a great idea) |
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· Can I use some of these observation hours for another class? |
It depends on what your other instructor says. It is fine for this class, as long as you meet all of the requirements (i.e., for time, ages, and topics). |
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· Do I have to only observe in a classroom setting? |
No, naturalistic means anywhere that you find people interacting |
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· Do I only have to observe one age group at a time? |
No, the ages of the people that are being observed can be different. |
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· Do I only have to observe people in groups? |
No, but for some aspects of development, such as language development, it is really helpful |
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· Can I submit less than 5 hours and still get a decent grade? |
No. If there is less than 5 hours than information is automatically considered to be missing for everything. This is because 1 hour is missing? |
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· What if one of my observations is less than 1 hour? |
The observation will not be counted. It needs to be at least 60 minutes long. |
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· What if I only observed for 45 minutes? |
Forty-five (45) minutes is less than sixty (60) minutes; so, you can observe, but it will not be counted towards the total. |
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· What if I observe for 1 hour and 30 minutes and 2 hours and 30 minutes times in one week? It’d be a total of 4 hours, right? |
No. It would only be 3 hours. There would still be 2 hours missing from the total 5 required. |
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· What if I get all of my hours done early? |
It is fine to have all the hours done early, but there needs to be at least 3 submissions. So, you can save some of the observations to use for later submissions |
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· Say I observe for 5 hours on one day, can I only turn in one journal entry? |
Yes, but you need to realize that it will be the only thing that is graded. This means that the entire 100 points rests on 1 entry. Any mistakes have a greater impact on your grade. |
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· Ideally speaking, about how many entries should be submitted each time? |
At least 2 – 3 entries per submission would probably be the safest and best. The reason is that observations could be 1 – 3 hours long, which usually fits into people’s schedules better, and there are more samples of your work so that anything that is missing or not perfect has a smaller impact on the grade. |
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· About how long should each entry be? |
To do this well, entries will usually end up being about 1 ½ to 2 pages total. Brevity and clarity are the keys. Grading is easier and there is less to write when things are clearly and directly stated and use terms that are appropriate for the theory is being used. |
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· Do there need to be citations in the journal entry? |
Yes. If you are citing information that you did not think of on your own, then you should give credit to the person that did. It is fine to cite your textbook for this project. If is not a direct quotation the in-text citation for the textbook would look like “(Sigelman & Rider, 2015)”. If a direct quotation is being used then there needs to quotation marks and the page number where the words were found. The in-text citation would then look like “(Sigelman & Rider, 2015, p. ___)” and you would but the page number in the blank space. |
FS 1513 Journal Entry Grading Rubric (100 Points) Documentation Name, Place, & Date 0 1 2 3 All are missing Several are missing All are present but there are problems All are present and there are no problems Time: Session Beginning & Ending 0 1 2 3 All are missing Several are missing All are present but there are problems All are present and there are no problems Cumulative Hours 0 2 4 6 All are missing Several are missing All are present but there are problems All are present and there are no problems Subject Information: Age Range & Gender 0 2 4 6 All are missing Several are missing All are present but there are problems All are present and there are no problems Anecdotal Notes (Summary of the events you observed, or what happened) Descriptive Details: Information is observable and contains examples 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Notes are missing Notes are present but are vague, lack detail, and/or solely present information that cannot be readily observed Notes contain 3 - 4 pieces of information that cannot be observed (i.e., emotional states, thoughts, attention, etc.) Notes contain 1 - 2 pieces of information that cannot be observed (i.e., emotional states, thoughts, attention, etc.) Notes provide observable information Notes provide observable information and coherent examples Notes concisely provide observable information and coherent examples Notes concisely provide observable information and coherent, in-depth, examples Focus: Do the notes select a specific event to provide evidence of an individual’s development? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Notes are missing Something is present in each entry Notes are written in bullet format and/or sentence fragments There multiple events are summarized, but none seem to be the main focus of the anecdote Several specific events are present in each entry, but all of them are used as the central focus Several specific events are present in each entry, but 1 -2 of them are the central focus One specific event is present in each entry, but observations are not focused on it A specific event is used to organize observations Objective: Do the records avoid making value statements? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Notes are missing All statements contain subjective/judgmental terms Most statements are subjective/judgmental Several statements are subjective/judgmental Some statements are subjective/judgmental Few statements are subjective/judgmental Most statements are written objectively Notes are written objectively, no judgmental statements Interpretation/Application (What is illustrated, or demonstrated by these events) Topic Being Discussed: Are traits and/or abilities clearly identified and considered? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Missing No traits, or abilities, are identified Several traits, abilities, or aspects of the context are identified but none are discussed The context is discussed, but what the trait, or ability, is unclear or unaddressed Only one trait, or ability, is identified consider in the analyses Two traits, or abilities, are identified consider in the analyses Three or more traits, or abilities, are identified consider in the analyses Theories: Do journal entries demonstrate familiarity with theories appropriate for the traits and/or abilities 0 2 3 4 5 6 7 Missing No theory is identified One relevant theory is identified but its concepts are not used Two relevant theories are identified but their concepts are not used Three relevant theories are identified but their concepts are not used At least relevant one theory is identified and its concepts used in the analyses Two relevant theories are identified and both of their concepts are used Three relevant or more theories are identified and all of their concepts are used Reaction/Learning (What you learned) Critical thinking: Does the response demonstrate independent thought and engagement with course material? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Missing Does not present evidence of critical thinking about observed behaviors Only relies on personal experience Presents limited critical thinking on a few topics Only presents information from the book Provides evidence of critical thinking that solely relies on the book or notes Provides evidence of critical thinking that goes a beyond the book or notes Provides evidence of critical thinking that goes beyond the book or notes on most topics Reflections: Does the information demonstrate learning and integration? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Missing Something is present but does not demonstrate reflective thought Reflections do not explain how information is personally applicable OR demonstrate learning Reflections are at a surface level but demonstrate familiarity with information Reflections demonstrate how information can be integrated in student’s life Reflections build on the application and interpretation of information and demonstrates how it integrates into the student’s life Reflections build on the application and interpretation of information and demonstrates how it integrates into the student’s personal and professional life General Qualities Relevant: Is all of the information related to the developmental domain and theory? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 The work is not related to the developmental domain There is not enough information to evaluate relevancy Almost everything is not clearly related to development in the domain The majority of everything is not clearly related to development in the domain The majority of everything is clearly related to development in the domain Almost everything is clearly related to development in the domain Everything is clearly related to development in the domain Support: Do the anecdotal records provide a foundation for the Interpretation/Application and Reaction/Learning sections? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Observation notes do not support the statements being made Observation notes could only support one of the statements being made, but are not mentioned Observation notes could only support a few of the statements being made, but are not mentioned Observation notes generally could support the statements being made but are not expressly mentioned Observation notes support the statements being made but are not expressly mentioned Observation notes support the majority of the statements being made and are expressly mentioned Observation notes support almost all of the statements being made and are expressly mentioned Observation notes support all of the statements being made and are expressly mentioned Accuracy: Is the information, other than the observation record, correct? 0 7 8 Minus 1 point per for each incorrect piece of information All the information is accurate Writing 0 9 Minus 1 point per each type of spelling or grammatical error after the first instance 10 Writing uses proper organization and/or sentence structure AND has 1 very minor spelling or grammatical error Completion of Hours -100 No hours completed -80 4 hours missing; Only 1 hour completed -60 3 hours missing; Only 2 hours completed -40 2 hours missing; Only 3 hours completed -20 1 hour missing; Only 4 hours completed 0 All 5 hours completed
FS 1513 Submission I Journal Entry Template Name Type your name here Age range Indicate the approximate ages here Place Indicate where you observed here Subject’s gender Click here to enter text. Date Click here to enter a date. Session Time Click here to enter text. Click here to enter text. General Comments Beginning End Provide brief description of the setting Hours Indicate the HOURS reported for THIS OBSERVATION Indicate the TOTAL hours for the SEMESTER you have OBSERVED This Session Cumulative Anything less than 1 hour will not be counted Domain Physical Development ALL observations should be related to physical development and related theories/concepts Anecdotal Notes (Summary of the events you observed, or what happened) Click here to enter text. This part should: Provide information that is easy to understand (coherent) Provide information enough detail to illustrate development within the indicated domain Focus on a specific event or behavior Be written objectively (i.e., avoid judgments and subjective interpretations) Application: What is illustrated, or demonstrated, by these events based on topic presented in class and/or the book? Click here to enter text. This part should: Identify at least 2 – 3 developmental traits and/or abilities that were observed Identify and use at least 2 – 3 theories to explain what was observed Accurately interpret the developmental traits and/or abilities using the selected theories/concepts Be fully supported by observation notes above. Reaction/Learning (What you learned) Click here to enter text. Responses should: Demonstrate awareness of the assumptions that you are making as you observe and interpret the information Demonstrate critical thinking about what you observed and the theories that you applied Provide some insight about the behaviors that were observed Indicate how what was learned can be applied in your personal and (hopefully) professional life.
FS 1513 Submission II Journal Entry Template Name Type your name here Age range Indicate the approximate ages here Place Indicate where you observed here Subject’s gender Click here to enter text. Date Click here to enter a date. Session Time Click here to enter text. Click here to enter text. General Comments Beginning End Provide brief description of the setting Hours Indicate the HOURS reported for THIS OBSERVATION Indicate the TOTAL hours for the SEMESTER you have OBSERVED This Session Cumulative Anything less than 1 hour will not be counted Domain Cognitive & Language Development ALL observations should be related to cognitive & language development and related theories/concepts Anecdotal Notes (Summary of the events you observed, or what happened) Click here to enter text. This part should: Provide information that is easy to understand (coherent) Provide information enough detail to illustrate development within the indicated domain Focus on a specific event or behavior Be written objectively (i.e., avoid judgments and subjective interpretations) Application: What is illustrated, or demonstrated, by these events based on topic presented in class and/or the book? Click here to enter text. This part should: Identify at least 2 – 3 developmental traits and/or abilities that were observed Identify and use at least 2 – 3 theories to explain what was observed Accurately interpret the developmental traits and/or abilities using the selected theories Be fully supported by observation notes above. Reaction/Learning (What you learned) Click here to enter text. Responses should: Demonstrate awareness of the assumptions that you are making as you observe and interpret the information Demonstrate critical thinking about what you observed and the theories that you applied Provide some insight about the behaviors that were observed Indicate how what was learned can be applied in your personal and (hopefully) professional life.
FS 1513 Submission III Journal Entry Template Name Type your name here Age range Indicate the approximate ages here Place Indicate where you observed here Subject’s gender Click here to enter text. Date Click here to enter a date. Session Time Click here to enter text. Click here to enter text. General Comments Beginning End Provide brief description of the setting Hours Indicate the HOURS reported for THIS OBSERVATION Indicate the TOTAL hours for the SEMESTER you have OBSERVED This Session Cumulative Anything less than 1 hour will not be counted Domain Psychosocial Development ALL observations should be related to psychological, emotional, and/or social development and related theories/concepts Anecdotal Notes (Summary of the events you observed, or what happened) Click here to enter text. This part should: Provide information that is easy to understand (coherent) Provide information enough detail to illustrate development within the indicated domain Focus on a specific event or behavior Be written objectively (i.e., avoid judgments and subjective interpretations) Application: What is illustrated, or demonstrated, by these events based on topic presented in class and/or the book? Click here to enter text. This part should: Identify at least 2 – 3 developmental traits and/or abilities that were observed Identify and use at least 2 – 3 theories to explain what was observed Accurately interpret the developmental traits and/or abilities using the selected theories Be fully supported by observation notes above. Reaction/Learning (What you learned) Click here to enter text. Responses should: Demonstrate awareness of the assumptions that you are making as you observe and interpret the information Demonstrate critical thinking about what you observed and the theories that you applied Provide some insight about the behaviors that were observed Indicate how what was learned can be applied in your personal and (hopefully) professional life.