Developmental Psychology | Fall 2025 BE+GOA Pilot
Understand the Journey of Human Growth: Why do we think, learn, and behave the way we do? In just a few years, humans transform from infants to individuals capable of complex thought, communication, and moral reasoning. Through engaging readings, observations, case studies, and hands-on activities, this course will introduce you to the fascinating study of human development, focusing on significant physical, emotional, cognitive, and social changes from birth through adolescence. You’ll explore key questions like heredity vs. environment, stability vs. change, and continuity vs. discrete stages of development.
Why Take This Course?
If you’re captivated by how people learn, grow, and evolve, this course offers an in-depth look at how we become who we are. Perfect for aspiring educators, psychologists, or anyone intrigued by human behavior, you’ll gain valuable insights into language acquisition, learning, and personality development from both Western and non-Western perspectives.
Synchronous meeting requirements:
- Virtual class sessions will take place every other week and this time will be used for short presentations, Q&A and discussions.
- There will be 1 in-person/F2F session scheduled for a field learning experience and/or meeting with local guest experts. Possible field learning sites include: Bay Area Discovery Museum, Children’s Creativity Museum, UC Berkeley Child Development Center
UC Approved: 
(History / Social Science)
About the GOA Instructor
Natalie Broderick – Global Online Academy
Natalie is a clinical psychologist who has spent her career in schools – public, private, and international – as a teacher, counselor, psychologist, and administrator. She is passionate in encouraging students to become self-directed learners and is excited to work with GOA in implementing competency-based coursework. She recently returned to the US after 15 years in Asia and lives in the quintessential New England town of Foxboro, MA. She teaches several psychology courses, coaches various course teams, and supports course design. When not working remotely with GOA, you can find her spending time with family, playing with her two cats, or traveling far and wide.
About the BlendEd Local Enrichment Guide
Charlotte Gjedsted – BlendEd Consortium
Charlotte Gjedsted is the Dean of Technology at Lick-Wilmerding High School with 12 years of experience working in independent schools. Charlotte has worked in independent schools in the Bay Area, Seattle, and Los Angeles with students in grades K-12. She came into education after taking a Psychology course in high school, and has since pursued her BA in Psychology, MA in Curriculum and Instruction, and an Ed.D in Educational Psychology.
When she is not working or learning, Charlotte enjoys reading fiction, taking yoga classes, walking around San Francisco, and crafting.
As, the Local Enrichment Guide (LEG) for this course, Charlotte will facilitate both virtual and local in-person sessions designed to complement and enhance student learning in Developmental Psychology.
Student Testimonials
