EDUC 2130-Lesson 3:

Cognitive Development

Overview Viewpoint:

Lesson three of EDUC 2130 focuses on the theories of Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. Jean Piaget theory focused on intellectual development while Lev Vygots theory focused on social constructivism. Both theorist provided educators with important views on cognitive development in the child. For this lesson we had to read a article that focused on the Piaget and Vygotsky. The article gave us information what they thought about education what they believed the different types or ways of learning that goes on in the classroom.

• What are some of the implications of Piaget for teachers? In other words, how could you, as a teacher, use some of Piaget's ideas and theories? 

I think using visual props if very important. As a teacher I feel like I can use Piaget's ideas and lesson in a lot of my lessons. With a lot of the stuff I teach I want my lesson to be hands on. I feel like that is sometimes how some learn better. I want my students to see many different stand points of things. I would love to take them on field trips to places so that they can see things that I may not be able to physically show them in class. I want to also create fun games for my students which I think that would also help because its also a prop in a way.  

• What are some of the criticisms directed towards Piaget and his theory? 

Some of the criticisms that was direct toward Piaget was that is theory may not have been accurate. A criticism levelled by the likes of Vygotsky, chastises Piaget for his inattention to culturally specific influences on cognitive development. The children Piaget studied grew up in Geneva, a Western culture where children attend school and are trained in certain forms of thinking. Yet Piaget largely ignored this influence and attributed each child's intellectual growth to the individual's cognitive reaction to the environment. His work was kind of biased and only to a certain group of students. Another theory would be that some say that Piaget failed to explain how children understand abstract words. 

• What is the "Zone of Proximal Development? 

The Zone of Proximal Development is notion that a child's learning is shaped by their social influence. Lev Vygotsky views interaction with peers as an effective way of developing skills and strategies. He suggests that teachers use cooperative learning exercises where less competent children develop with help from more skillful peers within the zone of proximal development. He described it as "the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance, or in collaboration with more capable peers".  

• What are some criticisms of Vygotsky's theory? 

One criticism was that Vygotsky's theory ignores the role of the individual and in contrast emphasizes the social or collective.The theory does not acknowledge that therein lay a possibility for anyone to rise above social norms based on their ability to generate personal understandings. Another criticism was that Vygotsky’s theory viewed social groups as being a whole and equal, with the potential to extract the same meaning from engagement. However, collaboration and participation differ for every individual and thus, inequalities exist for each person. 

• What are some of the implications of Vygotsky for teachers? In other words, how could you, as a teacher, use some of Vygotsky's ideas and theories? 

I would use Vygotsky's theory and ideas in a way that would help my students learn in the way they need to understand it. Every student is different which means teachers need to learn and get to know their students so that they can figure out which way is the best way for them. So during the first week of school we could play games that will help us get to know each other and these games would be in different forms. One will be a hearing and listening game and another might be a creative game just so I can figure out the ways that they learn. I also will have to make sure that all my students are involved in the things they do. A belief of Vygotsky is that effective learning requires the active involvement of the learner so that is why I would make sure that they all participate.

• Summary 

  I believe that both Piaget and Vygotsky provided educators with important views on cognitive development in the child. I believe that I can learn ideas from both that will help my students with their ability to learn. Piaget proposed that children progress through the stages of cognitive development through maturation, discovery methods, and some social transmissions through assimilation and accommodation. Vygotsky's theory stressed the importance of culture and language on one's cognitive development. Both being very important.  

• Research Question 

  why is learning the stages of development important? 

• Research Analysis 

  Child development refers to the changes that occur as a child grows and develops in relation to being physically healthy, mentally alert, emotionally sound, socially competent and ready to learn. The first five years of a child's life are fundamentally important. They are the foundation that shapes children's future health, happiness, growth, development and learning achievement at school, in the family and community, and in life in general. Understanding the stages of child development helps teachers know what to expect and how to best support the child as she or he grows and develops.  

  Children do not all develop at the same rate, but they do tend to follow stages.  A teacher needs to understand what a child at a certain age should developmentally be able to do.  A big mistake teachers often make is to try to teach students something they are not developmentally ready for.  The biggest example of this is algebra in 7th or 8th grade.  Many adolescents are not really capable of the abstract thinking that algebra requires, so they won't do well no matter what. All teachers are required to study child psychology, which includes child development.  The reason for this is that we need to understand the ways in which children's attitudes and abilities develop so that we may have a better chance of understanding the children and how to teach them. 

• Research Summary 

  The stages of child development is very important for anyone who is going to school for education. Learning child development helps us understand the student better. It helps us know how to each them or figure out a solution for them when they are having a problem with something. Without an awareness of how humans unfold developmentally, we are more inclined to live passively, not consciously, not deliberately, and to feel a greater sense of being a victim of life, rather than a creator of what we believe in, value, or desire for our lives.

http://www.davidayeats.com/The-Importance-of-Understanding-Developmental-Stages-.html