Discussion: Looking Back and Looking Forward In Week 1 of the course, you selected two topics that you hoped to explore further during the course. Language and cognitive development are broad fields with many theoretical perspectives, research areas, and applications. Did any new avenues of learning or professional interest open for you during the course? Reflect on these, as well as past and current research you explored during the course.  Research does not exist for its own sake; it exists to inform practice and provide the foundation for application. Whatever your role or future role in developmental psychology—whether in education, direct service provision, policy, programming, or other area—you will need to ground your work empirically and apply scholarship to its practice. For this Discussion, you consider how you could use specific knowledge from the course related to language and cognition to advance social change related to some aspect of your life.  To prepare: · Consider how the topics you explored throughout the course might influence your future as a psychology professional. How can you use the knowledge gained in this course to advance social change within your immediate context of work, leisure, family, or broader society? With these thoughts in mind: By Day 4 Post an explanation of two topics from the course you would like to continue exploring professionally. Then, explain how you could use this knowledge to advance social change within your profession, community, or society. Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources. Use proper APA format and citations. Resources for this week; Barney, J. (12016). They’ll have to rewrite the textbooks. The university of Virginia Retrieved from https://news.virginia.edu/content/researchers-find-textbook-altering-link-between-brain-immune-system Callahan, D., Wilson, E, Birdsall, I., Estabrook-Fishinghawk, B., Carson, G., Ford, S…..Yob, I. (2012). Expanding our understandingof social change: A report from the definition task force of the HLC special emphasis project. Minneapolis, Mn: Walden University.& Company. Pinker, S. (1997). Standard equipment. In how the mind works. (pp 3-58). New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company. Social Change working group. (2015). Review of social change at walden university. Retrieved from https://www.waldenu.edu/-/media/Walden/files/about-walden/walden-social-change-review-2015-2016.pdf?la=en For more than 45 years, Walden University has provided a diverse community of career professionals with the opportunity to transform themselves as scholar-practitioners so that they can apply what they’ve learned to effect positive social change. Walden is focused on inspiring and celebrating the remarkable achievements of our community members who continue to make a difference by addressing challenges where they live, in their professions, and in the world around them. Walden’s five-year social change p ...

1. Discussion: Looking Back and Looking Forward
In Week 1 of the course, you selected two topics that you hoped
to explore further during the course. Language and cognitive
development are broad fields with many theoretical
perspectives, research areas, and applications. Did any new
avenues of learning or professional interest open for you during
the course? Reflect on these, as well as past and current
research you explored during the course.
Research does not exist for its own sake; it exists to inform
practice and provide the foundation for application. Whatever
your role or future role in developmental psychology—whether
in education, direct service provision, policy, programming, or
other area—you will need to ground your work empirically and
apply scholarship to its practice. For this Discussion, you
consider how you could use specific knowledge from the course
related to language and cognition to advance social change
related to some aspect of your life.
To prepare:
· Consider how the topics you explored throughout the course
might influence your future as a psychology professional. How
can you use the knowledge gained in this course to advance
social change within your immediate context of work, leisure,
family, or broader society?
With these thoughts in mind:
By Day 4
Post

2. an explanation of two topics from the course you would like to
continue exploring professionally. Then, explain how you could
use this knowledge to advance social change within your
profession, community, or society.
Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific
references to the Learning Resources. Use proper APA format
and citations.
Resources for this week; Barney, J. (12016). They’ll have to
rewrite the textbooks. The university of Virginia Retrieved from
https://news.virginia.edu/content/researchers-find-textbook-
altering-link-between-brain-immune-system
Callahan, D., Wilson, E, Birdsall, I., Estabrook-Fishinghawk,
B., Carson, G., Ford, S…..Yob, I. (2012). Expanding our
understandingof social change: A report from the definition task
force of the HLC special emphasis project. Minneapolis, Mn:
Walden University.& Company.
Pinker, S. (1997). Standard equipment. In how the mind works.
(pp 3-58). New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company.
Social Change working group. (2015). Review of social change
at walden university. Retrieved from
https://www.waldenu.edu/-/media/Walden/files/about-
walden/walden-social-change-review-2015-2016.pdf?la=en
For more than 45 years, Walden University has provided a
diverse community of career professionals with the opportunity
to transform themselves as scholar-practitioners so that they can
apply what they’ve learned to effect positive social change.
Walden is focused on inspiring and celebrating the remarkable
achievements of our community members who continue to make
a difference by addressing challenges where they live, in their

3. professions, and in the world around them.
Walden’s five-year social change plan is one that will shape our
thinking about the future and our vision for social change
within the university. Read more about the university’s efforts
to become a leader in connecting our virtual presence with both
local and global actions to make a difference in the
Walden 2020: A Vision for Social Change
2017 Report.
For Walden, social change is not just something we talk about—
social change is
who we are
. Walden students, alumni, faculty, and staff are creating and
contributing to real change and having an
impact on a global scale
.
As a Certified B Corporation®, Walden is proud to join a
growing, global movement of other Certified B Corps that look
beyond profits to benefit the communities we serve and, most
importantly, future generations. Our
B Corp
™ certification directly aligns with our mission to drive
positive social change through our graduates of our degree
programs. Our students and alumni embrace this responsibility,
using their education to make the world a better place.
Learn more about the social change initiatives guiding our
institution.
Scholarly Change
A Curriculum Designed to Foster the Application of Knowledge
to Positive Social Change

4. A core commitment that Walden makes as we develop and
improve our curriculum is ensuring that our students can apply
new skills, expand their networks, gain deeper knowledge, and
consider a variety of perspectives in order to better address
practical problems at an individual level as well as within their
organizations, communities, and society at large.
Working collaboratively, college leadership, faculty members,
and curricula developers continually evaluate Walden’s
programs to assess the effectiveness of our curriculum in
helping our students effect positive social change. In our annual
Review of Social Change at Walden University
(
summary
), we document some of the more important changes to our
curriculum that support social change initiatives.
Other Resources That Help Inform Perspectives on Social
Change
Through
ScholarWorks
, Walden makes the scholarly and creative output of the Walden
University community publicly available, in order to generate,
conserve, and transform knowledge by making connections
among and between ideas to improve human and social
conditions. Browse our collection of social change publications
that exemplify Walden’s mission by exploring issues that
impact communities.
The
Journal of Social Change
, sponsored by Walden University, welcomes manuscripts from
the Walden community and the public that focus on
interdisciplinary research in social change that seeks to improve
the human condition and moves people, groups, organizations,

5. cultures, and society toward a more positive future.
Walden commissioned the
Social Change Impact Report
to discover the current state of social change around the world,
assess the impact of social change, and learn more about the
individuals who are creating and applying ideas. The report also
identifies individual beliefs about social change, the issues that
those surveyed care about, the motivations behind their
engagement, the actions they are taking to further social change,
and the tools they use. Discover what kind of social change
agent you are by taking
Walden’s quiz based on this research
.
Applied Change
Walden’s annual
Global Days of Service
is an opportunity for the Walden community to make an impact
in neighborhoods around the world and advance the university’s
mission of positive social change. Members of the Walden
community generously donate their time and expertise to serve
their neighbors in need, as they experience firsthand the impact
they can make in the lives of others. Students, alumni, faculty,
and staff contribute to community projects serving schools, food
banks, community centers, and much more.
The annual
Scholars of Change
video contest allows our students and graduates to share their
stories demonstrating how a Walden degree is helping them
make a positive difference in their lives and the lives of those in
their communities. The winners’ inspirational videos underscore
our social change mission and show how the Walden community
is helping to advance the greater good.

6. Designed to expand learning beyond the classroom, Walden’s
study abroad and international public service programs
allow students to gain a better understanding of their own
culture while being immersed in another, resulting in a greater
tolerance for difference, better understanding of the role
stereotyping plays, and a deepened appreciation for one’s own
academic and career goals. Students generally volunteer 20–30
hours on public service trips.
Inspiring Change
Throughout students’ journeys at Walden, they are provided
various opportunities to hear directly from distinguished
scholars, journalists, social scientists, and change-makers who
share with students their diverse global views.
See the list of speakers from 2007 to present
.
Walden’s
alumni magazine
and Spotlight on Walden, the university’s blog, both feature
stories and insights from our community of change agents. Get
to know the Walden community and see how we are making a
difference. Share your story at
[email protected]
.
It is a core belief at Walden that educational institutions like
ours have an important role to play in supporting positive social
change. To help students reach their fullest potential, so they
can be prepared to make a difference in the world around them,
Walden regularly commits millions of dollars in
social change scholarships and grants
.

7. Social Entrepreneurship Programs at Walden
Become the entrepreneurial professional you’ve always wanted
to be. As part of our core mission of social change, Walden now
offers masters-level program specializations and certificates to
help you advance your passion for making an impact in your
profession and community.