Gold[PSYC W2280] Introduction to Developmental Psychology
Departments: Psychology
Professors: Maria Crisafi, Lois Putnam, and Ann Senghas
Putnam's class is in no way a sleeper class or slacker-friendly, but it has absolutely been one of my favorites in the department.
Every lecture requires your full attention. I was afraid to miss even one because of how vital her explanations are. Her slides themselves can be a little sparse at times but, personally, I think that's just to make sure people are really listening and not just assuming they can download the slides later and learn from them alone. But Putnam makes up for it in a rich, engaging lecturing style that's very aware of how her lessons (and students' understanding) are progressing. She uses illustrative examples and goes at a really great pace, making sure that you get take-away points from everything she covers and that you remember the big picture of the course. And she holds herself accountable to really admirable standards, wasting no time and no energy. If it's superfluous material, you won't find it in lectures or your reading. Even every video clip she plays is worth your attention and a few quick notes.
I can't stress enough that for every ounce of energy that Putnam demands you to put in, she gives you back tenfold in a really rich methodology and curriculum. In that respect, the woman is no less than a force of nature. Her lectures and syllabus are meticulously designed. I don't think I've ever seen a more rigorously maintained and organized Courseworks page in my life, or had a teacher more on top of reminding you of what will be on an exam, when things are due, how much they're weighted, and the like. It sounds insignificant, but when you're juggling as much as you're asked to juggle in the class, it's something that you'll quite consciously appreciate. Even though its an undergrad intro lecture, she is, again, almost obsessed with making sure you get stuff out of being engaged with the material and the class. She makes herself and her TAs extremely available and treats the class really seriously, which is really refreshing.
I came in with the class with a marginal (at best) interest in developmental psychology and now I'm leaving knowing so much and totally convinced that the subject area was worth my time. I have a slightly broken back, too, but it was really worth it. She reminded me how good it feels to walk away from a class feeling revitalized, not defeated by myself and my own slacking and disinterest.
The reading and lecture material is quite a lot. There's a midterm (~30%), a final (~40%), and a bunch of take-home writing assignments (~30%) that are spread out throughout the year, and a few throw away points for regular attendance. Her exams cover a lot of material and you are expected to have a grasp on all of it, but her MC midterm/final questions aren't real brain busters. She doesn't curve those grades (or anything), but the class average is on par with what's expected. And unlike a lot of other classes, the writing assignments are not giveaways to pad your grade. If you're even just a little sloppy, she and her TAs who she's apparently trained in her vigilantic image will be all over it. If you want to get an A on them, you need to demonstrate that you understand the concept inside and out, not just rephrase textbook material. I learned that the hard way on my first few, but actually putting energy into them paid off on exams and in other long-term senses. All of her assignments are really useful and worth your time.
I cannot believe this woman does not have a silver/gold nugget, she should get one just for the effort she puts in to every single class.
I was very skeptical about this course when I came in, not being particularly interested in child development, but she made it interesting, challenging and engaging. I learnt so much from this class that I don't even know where to start.
She can be a little nitpicky, and expects you to put in at least as much effort as she does into preparing for the class, but you really get so much out of it.
Clearly organized, often detailed slides, interesting reading and engaging discussion.
As long as you pay attention in class, and skim the readings you will be fine.
I personally loved this class, and the professor!
Midterm and Final Portfolio, Midterm and Final Exam
This is not the course to take if you want an easy A. Putnam does a good job of showing you the important aspects of each reading (well those she goes over anyway) but then in the exams you are asked super specific (and often weirdly phrased and misleading) questions. She's really kind of over-enthusiastic about the subject. The portfolios you have to hand in twice during the semester are not hard at all...however they do take up some time and are require much more effort than Putnam allots them. I never want to write 10 2-page papers for 10 percent of my grade. Putnam grades the portfolio's generously but she grades the tests harshly and they are basically your grade. The multiple choice don't leave room for error and if you're not willing to sit there and memorize everything and anything then don't go. Also go to lecture because you have "minute-papers" after almost every class which add a few points extra credit. You also have in class essays...which aren't graded but its important to not miss more than one.
Two midterms (which consist of mostly multiple choice and a one long short answer). A final (which consists of only multiple choice - and was based mostly on things she hadn't covered in class but were in supplementary reading). Two portfolios (each portfolio consists of 5-6 two-page papers. 2-3 are based on in class writing assignments, and 2-3 are "response papers" to articles you've found that relate to class material).
I took Putnam's Intro to Developmental two years ago despite the less than stellar CULPA reports she had - what a great decision! Putnam's lectures are always well-organized and incredibly interesting. She's very clear about the material, and the TA's were also knowledgeable (one had taken the course previously, which was really helpful).
Obviously, I really liked this course and it was NOT graded as "nitpickily" as previous reviewers bemoan (READ: I got my first-ever A+ at Columbia in this course). The portfolio? Total cinch. You have to find a few relevant psych articles (they tell you what library database to look in), you summarize them, and if you're worried your summaries are sub-par, take them to a TA and they tell you precisely what will get you a good grade and what you are not. You have to really try to get less than an A on this.
Exams? Just do the reading. It's multiple choice, it's straightforward. If you study, you will get an A.
Bottom line: take this course! It's interesting and it's easy.
The Devil Wears Eileen Fisher!!!
I swear this woman is missing part of her brain. I sat through this class wishing that she would say ONE intelligent thing, but alas, nope! She also taught both lab sections and would change her mind from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning and then ask the Wednesday morning lab to repeat information to Tuesday. This resulted in the such mass confusion that everyone failed their first assignment. The grading rubrics she gave the TAs for the lab were absurd! This is why more than half of the lab students are pass/failing the class.
Not only is she a failure as a teacher but she is a failure as a parent as she tells us in class. Her stories detail all of her children's mishaps with the law and otherwise. I feel so badly for her, but seriously....
DO NOT GO NEAR HER!
2 midterms where you have to memorize every word the textbook. For the lab there are major writing assignments and 2 lab write-ups (about 40 pages each)!
I seriously HATED this class with her. The subject was interesting but she made it so dull, I can't emphasize that enough. I guess she is nice, the few times I did try to approach her, she spoke to me like if I was a 2 year old, which was not appreciated. I did well in her first exam, but couldn't take her lectures so I dropped her course. If you need to take Dev.Psych. wait to take it with Nim Tottenham, she rocks!!
3 very hard exams
I looked forward to getting a bikini wax more than going to her class. She pretty much recited exactly what was in the textbook during her lectures. But honestly, I found the textbook to be more exciting and intellectually stimulating than she was. Also, anyone who has taken a gender class wil probably find her lecture on the differences between boys and girls to be mildly offensive. She takes attendance, so bring your laptop to class and play solitaire.
Her two midterms were ridiculously hard, and require you to memorize every minute detail in the textbook. The second midterm was given one week before the final (she obviously thinks that her class is the only one were taking). If that wasnt bad enough, she posted our midterm grades on the blackboard right before we took the final: 3 students got an A, and 9 students failed. You would think a psych professor would know better. And for the record, I got a B+ in her class (just so you know that Im not a bitter student who got a C). However, I know the majority of the class did not do so well.
On the flip side, her final was really easy. She gave us the essay questions that were going to be on the exam a week earlier, so you really only had to prepare the night before the test.
Avoid this class if you can.
Two really hard midterms (multiple choice), one easy final (essay), and class attendance. She gives a few extra credit assignments throughout the semester.
Professor Crisafi is a really nice woman, but her lectures are a waste of time because everything she says is talked about in the textbook. I wouldn't have gone to class at all if she didn't take attendance and show random videos that were usually mentioned on exams. Read the textbook and use her notes to highlight what's most important, and you will do well on her exams. It's a lot of memorization, but also a lot of common sense... overall, I recommend this as a nice blow off class.
2 exams (I thought the first one was really easy and the second one was way too difficult), 1 final that you hardly needed to prepare for, and some opportunities for extra credit.
Crisafi is so kind and understanding. And her lectures weren't as bad as other reviewers have claimed. crisafi really cares about her students. She will do anything to help you get a good grade--she gave THREE really easy extra credit opportunities. And when we complained about the lab instructor, Jared Katz, not giving us enough time to write out 20 page lab papers, she extended the deadline for everyone. I admit, the lectures weren't absolutely riveting, but if you want to take a class with a professor who actually cares about her students (in a large lecture class, too), then take a class with Crisafi.
Reading through the textbook was strenuous, but taking good notes during class was most important for the midterm and final.
The reviews for professor Putnam are outdated, so I figured I'd write one. Putnam is very good at teaching. It's very clear she takes her job very seriously and does everything in her power to make sure you get everything you possibly can out of the material she presents. That being said, she expects close to perfection from her students. Grading is incredibly difficult and nit-picky. No extra credit is given anymore, so don't rely on that to help your grade. No one in the class had anything positive to say about the writing portfolio, and I cannot stress this enough. She expects a portfolio before the midterm and the final. Both times I printed out my portfolio, it was over 25 pages in length. Including newspaper articles you had to locate yourself and EXTREMELY detailed two page writing assignments. Be prepared to write four pages making sure you covered every little detail she asks for and then be forced to cut every possible ounce of creativity out of the thing in order to size it down to the two pages she limits you to. She counts words and lines to make sure you don't go over the limit by a sentence. Be prepared to get a C on the overall project, and repeat the process again a week before the final is due. If all of this sounds like something you can handle, take the class. Aside from the portfolios, the class is a bit irritating but interesting. If you're a strong writer and don't mind a TON of busy work, the class might be a good fit.
Silly 'minute papers', Midterm Portfolio, Midterm, Final Portfolio, Final. The midterm and final are all multiple choice, but doable if you've read the book. Grading of written work is very strict.
She really is a talented lecturer. She always lays out what she is going to teach and then moves point by point. Putnam will stop lecture for any question or comment (no matter how stupid) every time. The readings are extensive but ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. What she teaches in lecture only makes up about 75% of the questions on the exam. The rest are pulled from the readings (even if she never brought them up once). SO READ. Putnam DOES NOT CURVE so if you're looking for an easy way out of the science requirement, keep looking. If you work, you will do well and come away with in depth knowledge about developmental psychology. My main criticism of the course were the two portfolios you had to turn in. They are graded VERY NITPICKILY (is that a word?) and are way too high school like to be called a college assignment (i.e. Find articles related to class discussion, summarize in your own words, and criticize). They were both really pointless and time consuming. But overall, a class I would definitely recommend for those fitting.
1 midterm, 1 final (both mostly multiple choice--not too bad if you've attended lecture and done the readings), 2 portfolios, readings.
Undoubtedly, Prof. Putnam teaches a great lecture. She is also generally sweet and attentive to her students. Unfortunately, she seems to think that developmental psych really means "make your students feel like they are three years old." This can be helpful, as she builds in lots of review into the lectures, or downright horrible. Case in point, the written assignments. Ten pages long, and due the week before the midterm and final, Putnam describes them as "fun" and "good review." Worth a measly 20 percent of your grade, and subject to the full extent of her anal retentiveness, they are a huge waste of time and worthless. She actually accused us all of plagiarism on the midterm written assignment and made us all rewrite any passages we thought might be questionable. I am now trying to re-rephrase perfectly acceptable passages to fulfill this useless requirement. Is this a plot to make us all sweat? I just wish they offered this material with a different professor...
A considerable amount of reading. Multiple choice exams that are easy if you do the reading. A mind-numbing writing assignment for midterm and final subject to her obssessive rules/requirements.
June 04, 2005
Senghas, Ann 
[PSYC W2280] Introduction to Developmental Psychology
Please keep in mind that this review is more than 5 years old.
Very nice professor, but her tests do pay attention to a lot of details. Her tests are all multiple choice with some short answer. She is very nice about meeting before exams. Though she does not give review sessions or let you have the midterm to study, she will make a great effort to meet with you if you have questions. One time, I met with her at 9pm before an exam to ask questions, and she was really nice about it. She specializes in language development and is studying Nicaraguan sign language, so this topic will probably pop up in class.
Weekly chapter readings. no hw. midterm and final.
May 03, 2005
Senghas, Ann
[PSYC W2280] Introduction to Developmental Psychology
Please keep in mind that this review is more than 5 years old.
Professor Senghas is a nice, smart lady but I got the feeling that she didn't actually know a lot of the material past what she put on her powerpoint slides. Most questions from the class resulted in her spending a few minutes to rephrase the question and then ending with "But I don't know". The previous reviews are also right about class participation - there will be lots of students discussing their cousins and sometimes even themselves, particularly when it comes to them wanting to verify their status as "exceptions" to the general framework we were learning. I learned a fair amount, but much of it was common sense.
2 midterms (very nitpicky multiple choices based on the book), final (same), attendence
HORRIBLE PROFESSOR!! horrible lecturer. So boring. Useless to attend classes. Horrible grader. I was so disappointed with my grade. not professional AT ALL! DONT TAKE THIS CLASS. NOT RECOMMENDED!!
theres like 400 pages in the textbook that you had to memorize word to word in order to do well.. midterm final and an article summary
Prof. Crisafi is definitely intelligent and knows her stuff. I enjoyed the class very much but the lab with Fabiana DesRosier was horrrrribbbbllle. The material is easy to learn.
mini essay, midterm and final. you can do really well if you study for it. Materials must be memorized-which can be time consuming if psy is new to you
She is a nice professor.... she is approachable during class and outside of class. She seemed to truly care about the student's feelings and concerns about the class. The matrial is very exciting... HOWEVER going to lecture can be pointless sometimes....just read the textbook. Also the continual references to her children can be annoying...and takes away from topic
2 exams and a 2 pg paper in the beginning of the semester.
Some of the topic matter was really interesting. However, on the whole, I couldn't stand this class. Too many lectures were devoted to too little, and there seemed to be little connection between topics such as developmental bio and speech and IQ testing. SO SICK of writing little notecards about any questions we had about the lecture, and the writing portfolio is the BIGGEST waste of time. The extra credit opportunity is good, and will actually teach you something. I think that might have been the only benefit I got from this class. All in all, if you want to learn about how children develop, and are uninterested in the bio aspect of it, take Social and Personality Development with Dweck (who is a much more talented lecturer). Seriously think about this class before you take it, because if you get annoyed easily by professors who treat you like children (or who dote on their own children and use them as case studies WAAAAY too often) this class will just drive you nuts.
Writing Portfolio (5 in/5 out class writing assignments and 3 reaction pieces), midterm, final. Extra credit project which is lengthy but worthwhile.
Prof. Putnam herself is very nice. She and the TA's put a lot of effort into the class, posting lecture slides and readings etc etc. The lectures are ok (though the previous comments about Putnam talking to us like we're 10 are pretty accurate). Writing portfolio assignment is lengthy, and lets be honest, the exams make up most of the class. NOTE TO PEOPLE WHO HATE MULTIPLE CHOICE EXAMS: the final is 50% of the grade, the midterm 35%, and they are both almost all, if not all, multiple choice. Oh yeah, and THERES NO CURVE. A lot of the questions are worded rather ambiguously too.
pretty good amount of reading, writing portfolio, midterm, final, lengthy extra credit (but its worth it)
Lois Putnam is the worst professor I have had in the entire psych department, which is my major. It is nearly insulting the way she repeats things over and over, and don't be fooled into thinking you will enjoy this for its "ease"--classes are so boring you will want to cry. Putnam seems like a nice grandmother-type, but when you approach her on your own outside of class she has little time to talk to you at all. however there seems to be no shortage of classtime devoted to listening to lengthy tapes of her son babbling as a baby, which honestly has no educational value if you've ever heard a baby before. This class is ridiculous, and if you would like to actually learn something you didn't already know, take a different class.
in and out of class writing assignments, which are an extreme waste of time. midterm and final, mostly m/c. lots of reading.
I thought this course was fascinating, and Professor Putnam is not only organized and very open and friendly to students, she lectures in an engaging manner and really conveys her enthusiasm for the subject. Well-worth it for anyone interested in the developing mind, and the kinds of factors that shape and affect brain development.
Nothing grueling. Do the readings and you'll be fine. The professor and TAs are very helpful during office hours.
Prof Crisafi is really nice but the class is def not overstimulating. Some of the material is interesting and the prof is really funny at times, but she does talk about her kids too much. The videos shown in class helped to break up the 3 hours but didnt provide much else. Prof Crisafi is a really charasmatic person and a good teacher but the material was too basic and the class atmosphere really lax.
light. some reading and a ridiculously easy "paper". The tests were nitpicky but no complex thought was involved.
BORING! Crisafi is really nice, almost too nice to be teaching college students. Her style is terribly laid back, and she teaches at a snail's pace. For example, we spent hours listening to stories about her children... lovely, but totally uninteresting to anyone but their grandmother. We also had to watch videos of childhood and fetal development- slightly educational but mostly just dull. It got painful at times. I hate to critisize this class because Crisafi was so good to us, but I also hate to sit in class and feel as though I could learn all the material by myself by reading some paperback, popular psych book over a weekend. Oh, but don't be fooled. Just because you're taking it easy in class doesn't mean you'll breeze through the exam. You'll have to study- not a lot, but she often tests on things in the book that she didn't have time to go over in class. All in all, I'd say the professor was good, but the class was flakey.
June 30, 2003
Senghas, Ann
[PSYC W2280] Introduction to Developmental Psychology
Please keep in mind that this review is more than 5 years old.
I had Professor Senghas for Intro, and I expected her Developmental class to be similar (as in, ahem, EASY.) It's not. While it's definitely not advanced physics, her tests are quite nit-picky, and you must remember tons of seemingly silly little details from the book and lectures in order to earn an A. However, it CAN be done, and this is how I did it: Read the book, highlight the important points, and go to class. This is not one of those courses that allows you to skim the text and get the notes from a friend, because Annie is majorly detail-oriented. Other than that, the class is quite pleasant; the material is fun and interesting, and besides the reading, there's no other work.
Three tests - the last one is partially cumulative. Memorize the damn book and you'll be fine (just kidding ... sort of ... )
Professor Crisafi is wonderful. She's always prepared for class, and her three-hour lectures are truly enjoyable! If you're even remotely interested in taking Intro. to Developmental Psychology, I highly recommend her six week Summer Session I course - it's short and sweet!
One easy paper, two semi-easy exams. Go to class and take notes; exam questions are drawn from lecture material.
July 10, 2002
Senghas, Ann
[PSYC W2280] Introduction to Developmental Psychology
Please keep in mind that this review is more than 5 years old.
Professor Senghas is the best!! Although class conversations would sometimes go on a tangent, she always answered anything you asked! She was always willing to meet after class, and was so, so, so accomodating to her students' needs. She even made about 8 possible times we could make up tests for holidays! Her lectures were informative, clear, and well-organized. Only drawback was when she started using powerpoint for everything, so my notes were kind of non-existent for a month. But, it had its pros, because we knew that with the slides, we wouldn't be missing anything for the tests.
Reading--about a chapter a week in a book filled more with glossy pictures of babies than with writing. 3 separate tests, and no final. Only problem: her tests are really, really nit-picky, so you really have to know even the most minute facts. But, even though they're detailed, they're definitely not hard.
At first i thought it seemed interesting, and reasonable.... but pllleeeassee! the only good things this course had going for it was a) Lara Kammrath, the TA who was decidely more brilliant, and interesting than Putnam... and b) the xtra credit opportunity in which you can observe children, do an experiment, and write up a report. too much crappy stuff that is meaningless... most of the info is common sense, and the final was designed to trick you. a pitiful last-ditch ploy to avoid grade inflation when you haven't taught anything meaningful all semester.
not too bad, really... most of the readings can be ignored, and lectures skipped... just get the notes off-line... it is a good idea to go to section, so at least you can get some particip. pts...
If you're coming into this class expecting psychology, be prepared for the unexpected almost the entire first half of the semester is spent dwelling on topics such as prenatal biology, genetic and teratogenic effects, etc. Post mid-term material does get better, but overall the course material alone doesn't quite save this class. Professor Putnam, though knowledgeable, treats the students in her class like elementary school children (except, of course, when it comes to work and grades). 'Take out your crayons or colored pencils' was a common command in her assignments, but luckily the TA's were slightly more lenient. Putnam's organization is also fanatical but a little uneven expect to have a lot of very, very specific assignments assigned via e-mail at the last minute before discussion sections. My only suggestion regarding this class is to be careful about taking it: avoid it at all costs if you're taking it just to fulfill your science req. If you truly are fascinated with developmental psychology, you might be able to look past the course's shortcomings.
Midterm, final. Portfolio for each, which are long wastes of time.
Professor Putnam makes an incredible effort to get to know her students and help them succeed. She even takes pictures of them in discussion section so that she can associate names with faces. Though some students found this elementary and demeaning, I found it impressive that she cared enough. The content of the lectures and readings themselves outweighed my personal opinions of Professor Putnam, even though I liked her - the class is very engaging and interesting. The content covered in tests was fairly straightforward and light, Putnam employs a lot of repetition to help people learn, and it does.
Unbelievable - and not in a pleasant way. Someone said she treated students like they were freshmen in high school - I think I'd go ahead and knock that down to middle school, perhaps even a nice 4th grade-ish level. The class isn't even PSYCHOLOGY until after the midterm, because it's only just before that time that you finally start looking at infants and not ova, embryos, and fetuses. Just avoid the class. If you're thinking about taking it to fulfill the science requirement, take something - anything - else. It isn't worth it, even if it can help the GPA.
Midterm, final, portfolio (collection of annoying short writing assignments throughout the year). Reading would be entirely unnecessary if not for the minimum one-question-per-reading on the midterm & final.
The worst class I have taken at Columbia. The lecture outlines that she hands out at the beginning of every class are a complete joke. They imply that she is organized and coherent, which she certainly is not. She treats her students as if they are freshman in high school, which becomes very tedious after about the first day. Avoid this class if you can, especially if you are taking it to fulfill the science requirement.
Midterm. Final. "Portfolio"--worthless and time consuming
She seems very nice, with anecdotes about her own parenting experiences, her lectures are interesting and her use of the multi-media classroom is very good. Very strict with deadlines.
(Children at Risk:) Individual Project, Group Project, Exam, tons of work, attendance mandatory.
Directory Data
| Dept/Subj | Directory Course | Professor | Year | Semester | Time | Section |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSYC / PSYC | PSYC PSYC W2280: Introduction Developmental Psychology | Lois Putnam | 2009 | Spring | TR / 1:10- 2:25 PM | 1 |