Standard #1: Learner Development

The teacher understands how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning

and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional,

and physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally appropriate and challenging

learning experiences.

Virtual Child Paper Artifact

This artifact is my virtual child paper. I made it in EDUC 121 in March 2016. I had to

parent a virtual child. It covered from birth until my child went to college. I had to make all the

parenting decisions, like when to send my child to daycare, how I was going to discipline my

child, and how I was going to handle my child’s grades. I learned a lot doing this assignment

about how children develop, like if I worked on the physical skills of my child he got behind in

his cognitive development, and if I worked on his cognitive skills he got behind on his physical

skills. I also learned how to support children from birth through adulthood. I helped my child

learn how to talk and walk. I learned how to help my child through school and kept him from

messing up his grades even when he started hanging out with the wrong crowed. I did not waste

time by continuing to teach what he already knew, and I moved on to new and harder things.

That is why I picked this paper for this standard.

This paper shows how I would treat and teach my students. It shows that I understand

how students grow and develop. It shows that I understand the cognitive development of

children’s development because I had to help develop my child’s math skills. I understand the

development of children’s linguistic development, because I had to teach my child how to talk. I

understand the social development of children, because I had to help my child with social

problems he had throughout his life. I understand a child’s emotional development, because I had
to show my child how to act in different situations. I understand how children’s physical skills

develop because my child got behind in his physical skills and I had to work with him to help

him catch up.

I plan to continue to learn about my student’s development by continuing to learn about

children’s social development. I plan to do this by looking for articles about children’s social

development. I also plan to continue my education by taking classes at a four year college.