Course Descriptions

 Description of Courses

HD489 Reflection on Life Experience

In this class I learned how to reflect on my own life experiences in relation to what I have learned about human development. I did this through two part writing assignments that reflected on our theories and analysis on such topics as development and diversity.

HD341 Communication for Empowerment

In this class I learned how to be a more efficient communicator. This was achieved through great texts, writing assignments, and small group activities, as well as a research paper on the topic of Self-Esteem.

HD499 Writing for Empowerment

In this class I learned to write more effectively. This was achieved through weekly rough drafts that were critiqued and offered feed back from classmates, for a research paper that was presented at the end of the class.

HD300 Early Childhood Themes and Life Cycle Issues

In this class we delved into the psychosocial aspect of development using Erikson's Development Theory. This was accomplished by weekly assignments asking us to reflect on our own journey through development, using either our own accounts or interviewing others.

HD306 Play In Childhood

In this class I learned the importance of play in childhood. This was done through observations, book assignments and written assignments, as well as a small group presentation.

HD361 Social and Political Contexts of Human Development

This class taught me the importance of taking a stand and making changes for the good of others, overcoming self doubt and fear of what others might think, and finding your own voice. This was accomplished through written assignments, text reflections and the creation of a social action project.

HD400 Working With Children in a Diverse World

This class explored the different needs that children from cultures require to be successful in a classroom and atmosphere that may be different from their own culture or country. This was achieved through text reflections, observations, and self exploration.

HD390 Anti-Bias Curriculum: Teaching Our Values to Our Children

This class taught me the importance of Anti-Bias education, and how to implement it into any age group and why I should. This was achieved through observations, self examinations,text reflections,journaling, and a presentation

HD450 Reflective Teaching

This class helped me learn to reflect on my own skills, as a professional who works with children, and to examine how I interact with children and families, as well as how I interact with other professionals who work with children. This was achieved through self-observations,

text reflections, and discussions within the class.

HD426 Working With Children Who Challenge Teachers' Skills

This class was about learning to work with children with challenging behaviors, and how to “look at the whole picture” when trying to analyze what's going on with a child. This was done through text reflections, observations and analysis, as well as a group project and presentation.

HD497 Capstone

This class allowed me to reflect on, and show through writing, the learning I achieved through my classes with Pacific Oaks College. This was done through the creation of an online Portfolio, and self- reflection essays, with an emphasis on using the APA format for all writing.