Education 245, or “Human Behavior and Social Institutions,” is a mid-level sociology-based course offered at Longwood University. Throughout the course, child development and its impact on a child’s future were heavily emphasized. There was also a great amount of influence on how a child’s environment can shape their growth and development. My highlight of this course is my Three Ages Presentation. In this project, I interviewed three children, ages 6, 10, and 14, and analyzed their development through a series of questions. I aimed to understand how their physical, cognitive, and socio-cultural development was influenced by their environment and if they were progressing normally for their age. My discoveries can be seen in the link to the PowerPoint presentation below.

This class taught me a lot about child development. To be honest, I had paid very little attention to child development in the past. However, I got a few bits and pieces from the psychology courses I took in high school. This course truly opened my eyes to how children grow and develop and how their thought processes may be different from my own. This knowledge has inspired me to interact more with children to see if I can gauge their development. Also, I see this providing a great benefit to my social work career, as many social workers engage with children on a daily basis.