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Child Psychology: A Contemporary Viewpoint, First Canadian Edition

E. Mavis Hetherington, University of Virginia
Ross D. Parke, University of California
Mark Schmuckler, University of Toronto at Scarborough

Schools, Technology, and Television

Application Questions


1		Erik Erikson identified eight stages of human psychosocial development, with each stage presenting a tension or crisis between opposing extremes that the individual needs to resolve on the road to maturity. The fourth stage, labelled industry versus inferiority, characterizes development between 5 1/2 years and twelve years of age. During this time period, children direct their energy toward mastering knowledge and intellectual skills. Teachers have a special responsibility during this period to nurture children towards accomplishments. The danger during this period is the development of a sense of inferiority - of being incompetent and unproductive. Can you recall being embarrassed in the elementary grades by not feeling competent in an academic subject? Which subject? How did you resolve it? Did your teacher and your classmates help or hinder the process?



2		Erik Erikson's fifth stage of identity versus identity confusion characterizes the adolescent years. At this time, individuals are faced with finding out who they are and where they are going in life. Adolescents are confronted by many new roles and expectations, especially in relation to work, schooling, and romantic relationships. If the adolescent explores different possible paths in a healthy manner, then a positive identity will be achieved. If the adolescent does not fully explore the varied roles of adulthood, identity confusion takes over. Describe issues that you have had with teachers as you asserted your own, unique identity. In retrospect, how would you react differently today with adults who held authority over you about negotiating your emerging identity?



3		Today, technology is increasingly being used in schools to support children's learning; for example, even elementary schoolchildren use the WWW for research purposes. Reflect on your experiences with technology during dayschool - what technology did you and your teachers use? Think broadly - for example, even a calculator is a form of technology! To what extent should technology be incorporated in the classroom? What are the advantages and disadvantages of such incorporation? For example, should children be asked to memorize multiplication tables when they can always compute the answer with a calculator? Discuss.



4		Teachers of kindergarten estimate that about one in three children are not prepared for the challenges of the classroom. What intellectual tasks do teachers expect children to be able to accomplish in the first year of school? What types of personal, social and emotional characteristics are valued in school? As a parent, how do you know that your child is "ready for school"?



5		Consider the following case scenario. Joel Delaney is a 10-year-old boy in Grade 5 who recently transferred to your school system from a small rural school. His past school records indicate that he is intellectually gifted and thinks like a much older child. Of late, his school records also note that he is becoming a handful in the classroom - he is disruptive at times, shouts out the answers to the teacher's questions without waiting for his turn, and is generally complaining about school, the teacher, and the "other dumb kids". In a few minutes, you (the school psychologist) are scheduled to meet with Mr. Brown (the Grade 5 teacher), Mr. and Mrs. Delaney (the parents), and Mrs. Jones (the school principal). What do you recommend about Joel's placement in Grade 5? Why? What issues are likely to arise during this meeting? Please comment.

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