CHLD 113: Philosophy Statement Student Learning Outcome This assignment is designed to assess the following student learning outcome (SLO): Compare and contrast various theoretical frameworks that relate to the study of human development. Developing Your Personal Philosophy The Philosophy Statement assignment provides an opportunity to review the theoretical perspectives discussed throughout this semester. In a 3-5 page paper (excluding title page, abstract, and references) you will argue which theories you believe best explain how children think, learn, grow, and develop. A philosophy is a set of beliefs about how children develop and learn. This is an individualized statement that is based on core values and beliefs. These are related to your beliefs about the nature and purpose of life, your role and calling in life, and your relationship and responsibilities to others. A philosophy is more than an opinion; it is based on theoretical frameworks, as well as empirical data. Understanding and applying this information is valuable, but ultimately you have to decide what you personally believe and why you believe that. Moment by moment, day by day, what you believe impacts what you will teach and how you will teach it. Review : Review the five theoretical perspectives discussed throughout the text. Re-read chapter two, then review the concepts in other chapters that discuss development in terms of the theories. For example, Berger (the author) comes back to Piaget and Vygotsky in the chapters on cognitive development (especially in chapters 9 and 12), and comes back to Erikson (and sometimes Freud) in the chapters on psychosocial development. She reviews theories when she discusses language learning (chapter 6), infant development (chapter 7), and gender roles (chapter 10). The theories are woven throughout the text. Also review the lecture and PowerPoint slides posted in the Chapter 2 learning unit folder. In addition, the “Additional Resources” section of chapter two lists numerous videos and websites that will help you better understand the theories Reflect and Select : Spend time thinking and talking about the various theories and brainstorm points you want to make in your philosophy statement. Write an outline or web to help you organize your ideas before you start writing your actual essay. You do not need to use every part of every theory in your paper. Some students are eclectic and use some aspect of each theory. Some students select several theories and focus on specific aspects of those theories. For this assignment you are required to use a minimum of three theories (can be parts of a theory – such as social learning from behaviorism, information processing from cognitive, and Freud from psychoanalytic). The possibilities are endless within the five major theories, but here are some aspects of the theories that previous students have incorporated into their philosophy statements: Psychoanalytic Theory Freud’s concepts (unco.