Chapter Two Reflection

Chapter Two Reflection

Description

This chapter focused on Cognitive development as researched and described by Piaget, Vygotscky and Bronfenbrenner. These discoveries have been used to understand and reform developmentally, appropriate instruction.

Analysis

Understanding how a child develops is critical to understanding how a child learns. "Two central issues have been debated for decades among developmental psychologists: the degree to which development is affected by experience and whether development proceeds in stages" (Slavin, 2015, p.29). Psychologist Piaget explored mental abilities and how they changed over time. His beliefs were that children's knowledge progressed in four different stages but that their knowledge was developed through action. "Piaget believed that all children are born with an innate tendency to interact with and make sense of their environments. Young children demonstrate patterns of behavior or thinking, called schemes, that older children and adults also use in dealing with objects in the world " (Slavin, 2015, p.31). This is how we learn and act upon things within our environment. 

"Assimilation occurs when they incorporate new objects into the scheme. Accommodation occurs when a new object does not fit the existing scheme" (Slavin, 2015, p.32). When learning does not fit into a person's schemes, disequilibrium develops. In order to create equilibrium, one must create new schemes. "According to Piaget, learning depends on this process. When equilibrium is upset, children have the opportunity to grow and develop"(Slavin, 2015, p.32). Piaget's theory of development represents constructivism, a view of cognitive development as a process in which children actively build systems of meaning and understandings of reality through their experiences and interactions" (Slavin, 2015, p.32). Piaget developed four stages of development; Sensorimotor (birth to 2 years), Preoperational (2-7 years), Concrete operational (7-11 years), and Formal operational (11 years to adulthood).  These stages were believed to be fixed and new concepts that they were not developmentally ready for would not be understood. Research has since found that children can learn simple forms of tasks before their developmental stage occurs. "The result of this research has been a recognition that children are more competent than Piaget originally thought, especially when their practical knowledge is being assessed " (Slavin, 2015, p.37).Piaget's findings and theory have played an important role in conducting developmentally, appropriate education. 

     Another psychologist, Lev Semionovich Vygotsky, differed in his theory on developmental learning. Where Piaget believed that development precedes learning, Vygotsky believed that learning precedes development. "Vygotsky believed that learning takes place most effectively when children are working within their zone of proximal development. Tasks within the zone of proximal development are those that a child cannot yet accomplish alone but could accomplish with the assistance of more competent peers or adults" (Slavin, 2015, p.39). Vygotsky believed in mediation, where older children and adults can help them learn more complex skills. He also believed in social learning using scaffolding and cooperative learning. "Scaffolding means providing a child with a great deal of support during the early stages of learning and then diminishing support and having the child take on increasing responsibility as soon as she or he is able " (Slavin, 2015, p.40).

Cooperative learning is when children work together to learn.

     Psychologist Bronfenbrenner used his findings to show how development can be influenced. "Bronfenbrenner created a bioecological model to describe how family, school, community and cultural factors impact a child's development" (Slavin, 2015, p.47). He believed that a child's development occurred based on the influences socially and institutionally.

His findings focused on language and literacy development."Oral language development is heavily influenced by the amount and quality of talking parents do with their children" (Slavin, 2015, p.44). Children who are read to and have complex language skills tend to read with more ease and at an earlier age. Children's learning of literacy increases at a rapid rate in the elementary and secondary grades. To develop a strong literacy foundation, vocabulary instruction should be a focus in every school day.   

Reflection

This week's reading and discussions hit home with me. My entire early childhood training was at Auburn University where we learned to teach from a constructivist point of view. It was 

en-grained in me how important it was for students to manipulate their surroundings and construct their own learning. When I first began teaching kindergarten, this thought process was concrete for me and I used this type of teaching solely. As years went by, more and more constraints and expectations were placed upon teachers to teach "programs" rather than just the standards and skills. As I complete my 25th year of teaching, I am almost embarrassed to admit how far I have come from my early teachings and beliefs. This "cookie cutter" type of teaching goes against my belief system and I have fought to figure out ways to adapt what I have to do to what is best for the student's developmental rate of learning. Within my classroom, I work hard to provide centers that allow for students to construct their own meaning and challenge themselves as they are ready. I strive to provide multiple types of cooperative learning so that students can learn from each other and hear the material spoken in their own language and understanding. What I struggle with most is that I'm not able to intertwine the subjects as themes anymore like I once did. I understand the importance of having the concepts and skills that need to be taught intertwined throughout every subject area. Our hands are tied so much as to how and when we have to teach certain standards that the flexibility I once had is not there. I am encouraged however, with Vygotsky's findings. It is comforting for me to know that students can learn things earlier than once expected. I often feel that I am forced to push them way too soon. Knowing this helps me to focus on breaking the tasks down at a simpler level and then use scaffolding to help them retain this knowledge and be successful. 

     I agree with Bronfrenbrenner's findings. Students who are communicated with and read to from the beginning learn at a more rapid pace. I have seen this over and over again throughout the years. When someone asks me why my personal children are so smart, such good readers, and have such an advanced vocabulary, I tell them that the only thing I can take credit for is that I was adamant when they were younger about reading to them and talking to them. I began this as soon as they were born. This is not to brag but to just impress upon them the importance in doing so. With today's technology, I fear that more and more parents will rely on television, Ipads, computers and phones to teach and entertain their children. 

     Knowing that the world of public education is like a pendulum, I hope that the trends in the next few years of teaching will tend to focus on more of the developmentally appropriate types of teaching that this chapter focused on. 

References

Slavin, R. E. (2015). Educational psychology: Theory and practice (11th ed.). Boston, MA:
            Pearson Education.