Grandma vs. Research

Prior to completing this journal assignment, please read Modules 1and 2 in your textbook, view the "Endless Questions" video, and review any relevant Instructor Guidance. You may want to look specifically at the interactive media tools demonstrating information on theory which are provided in the Section 1.5 (within Module 1) of the textbook.

In a Journal entry of about 500 words, you will be addressing the role of theory and evidence - both scholarly and personal - and how they can be utilized in the classroom or other professional settings.

Begin by reflecting on the benefits and drawbacks of accepting advice from stories told by previous generations (i.e. "I did that with my kids and they turned out just fine."). For example, you may have heard a grandparent suggest that you put a bit of whiskey on an infant's gums to help with teething. Describe your own thoughts about anecdotal advice such as this and explain why it may be true in some cases, but not in others.

Then, watch the Endless Questions video analyzing child development research and find one additional scholarly source of your choice (see tips and a link to tutorials below) and use it to reflect on and answer the following questions:

1. Why is it important to utilize developmental theory to explain children's development?

a. Identify and briefly describe the key points of one of the major developmental theories and why you feel that theory is applicable to child and/or adolescent development.

2. What makes scholarly research different from anecdotal evidence (personal experience) in explaining child and adolescent development? [Hint: Consider the methodology of the article you are reading.]

3. Finally, demonstrate the value of continued learning with a concluding reflection on why we should incorporate both personal experience and scholarly research or theory to help support any statements made in this class or any other professional setting.