NAME: Rex Jacob F.

Cabales COURSE: PROFED1

SECTION: CED-02-101P DATE: 09/26/23

Synapse Strengtheners

1. Illustration

a. The cephalocaudal trend acknowledges a top-down growth

trend. For example, infants may use their upper limbs before their
lower limbs. The proximodistal trend, on the other hand, acknowledges
growth from the center of the body outwards. For example, infants use
their arms before they can use their fingers effectively.

b. How do I apply my knowledge of both patterns of development in

my future teaching, and the given hint is that the pencils of pre-K,
Kindergarten, and Grade 1 pupils are bigger than those of pupils in the higher Grade levels. And the
question is, does this practice have something to do with proximodistal patterns of development?

- First off, as infants continue to develop and grow, cephalocaudal and proximodistal development will
shape their physical abilities and milestones. Being able to identify and understand these developmental
processes can help me, as a future educator to identify developmental delays, and provide appropriate
interventions to support the child’s healthy growth and development. With this knowledge and
understanding, it can help ensure that infants meet their developmental milestones and grow up
healthy and strong. Understanding cephalocaudal and proximodistal development is important for
parents, caregivers, and educators as it helps them to identify typical growth patterns and milestones in
children. By recognizing these patterns, I, as a future educator, can provide activities and experiences
that support a child’s development, such as tummy time to encourage crawling, or activities that
develop hand-eye coordination.

- Regarding the given hint, I would say yes, that practice does have something to do with proximodistal
pattern of development because the thicker the pencils they use, are easier for them to grip, put their
fingers around, and hold on to, while writing. The fine motor skills in small children are still developing
and something smaller is going to be harder to manipulate. So this is why very young children have
really big pencils and even other thing to hold on to and as they get older, they use the really small ones.
In general, the younger the child, the less developed fine motor skills and therefore the bigger the object
is the easier it is for them to use.
2. Interpretation

a. "Every man is in certain respects like all other men, like some other men, no other men." (Murray,
H.A, and C. Kluckhohn)

- I would say that this quote has something to do with how everyone of us should be given equal respect
and rights like any other man, may that man be poor or rich, famous, pretty or not and whatever their
status are. It also reminds us that we are all equal, no one is far behind, and no one is beyond what
others can do. We may develop in different and gradual time but keep in mind that each of us are will
always undergo changes that will help us develop and become what we are.

b. " Man is an unfinished project. He is always in the process of becoming."

- It seems to me that it can be correlated to that of the Life-span Development, as it states there in the
quotation, man is unfinished project, according to life-span development, development is lifelong which
means it does not end in adulthood. It takes place gradually but it does not stop from developing as
humans it is nature for us to develop throughout our lives, that is why it states there that we are always
in the process of becoming, also known as development.

3. In the light of researches on human development, which of the two approaches is closer to the
truth - traditional or lifespan? Why?

- I would definitely say that the lifespan approach is considerably closer to the truth than the traditional
approach one because according to the following characteristics given by Paul Baltes, it justifies how
closer this approach to the truth since it states that human development is a lifelong process, it does not
end in adulthood, as we grow older, we develop, and that explains it. On the other hand, the traditional
perspective stresses significant change from birth to adolescence, and even little or no change in life,
and decrease in old age. Also, Development occurs across the entire lifespan. Traditional is focused on
conception, infant, toddler, and childhood development because that is instrumental in how society
sees the value of children versus the elderly.
NAME: Rex Jacob F. Cabales COURSE: PROFED1

SECTION: CED-02-101P DATE: 09/26/23

Reflection Paper

As a student with a bundle of possibilities, how should you look at them in terms of
development?

It is quite easy to answer that question but it will take me some time for me to discuss
an in-depth elaboration of that, nevertheless, as a future educator I would look at them the
way my former teachers or current professors look at us, as we are their students, but the way
they look at us, is as a child, they stand as our second parents, so they are always there to guide
us, they knew that we are in the process of developing, which a student will undergo through a
lot of changes, in terms of cognitive, biological, and socioemotional process.

They are also the ones that would witness some changes in us, development. And that
they are finding ways to get their students/children gain knowledge and instill lessons. And as
to that, I would say to be able to provide that kind of flourishing environment to my future
students, it is first and foremost critical to recognize that every child is unique.

To sum this up, I have to understand that no student should be expected to fit to a
particular stringent mould and that each student must be allowed to grow at his or her own
pace and harnessed as an individual especially in the early years. By that it would help my
student to expose theirselves to different intellectual stimulations that eventually build nerve
connection in the child's brain, which in turn develop the child's mind for greater life-long
success.