Chapter 2 Reflective Journal - Cornelius

Chapter 2: Cognitive, Language, and Literacy Development

Describe:

                While I was reading chapter two, “Cognitive, Language, and Literacy  Development”, I was eager to learn about the different aspects of cognitive development and the different theories behind the process. Piaget was a biologist who also studied psychology in Switzerland in the 1890’s (who and when). I learned that Piaget (who) believed that cognitive development (what) occurred in stages throughout a child’s life and that these stages could not be skipped, but that some students may proceed quicker than others. The four stages are; sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. Piaget performed different research within a classroom or small group setting to see how students reacted to different types of experiments (where).  He noted that second graders and eighth graders in a classroom would go through a science experiment in different ways because they were at different stages in cognitive development (where).  For example, a student in second grade in the concrete operational stage could perform a science experiment but would need to do it on something real life that they can relate to, whereas an eighth grader in the formal operational stage would be able to do more independently and form their own hypothesis (how).

 Lev Semionovich Vygostky is another psychologist that had different opinions that Piaget (who).  He thought that learning led to cognitive development and did not have strict stages in which students pass through.  He believed the three steps of development were; learning actions and sounds have meaning, practicing those internal structure and self-regulation, and using signs and to solve problems without the help of others (what and how). 

Analyze: 

                I think that Piaget and Vygostky were both partially right in how students learn and develop over time.  I appreciate Piaget’s methodical layout and approach to the different stages of cognitive development.  I also agree to some extent that students cannot skip one stage completely and that they have to at least spend some period of time in each stage, although some may proceed very quickly.  In the reading, some critics argue that students were researched and some were actually able to perform out of the development level that Piaget suggested that they should be in.  Piaget’s argument was that they must have been close to that stage already before the research began (page 39).  I agree with Piaget that there are certain stages and that all students must pass through each phase, what I do have a hard time believing is that there are only four strict stages. This is why some second graders had a hard time figuring out what was affecting the frequency of the pendulum, it was out of their developmental capabilities.  I think that students may be in several stages at once, but in different subject areas. For example, a child may be really good at learning to read but may struggle with abstract science ideas.   I also agree with the critics from the textbook that a lot of developmental progress depends on the environment you are in.  This goes along with the nature versus nurture thought. I think that nature has part to do with cognitive development, but the environment a child grows up in also has something to do with it. 

Reflect:

                I learned a great deal of information in this section of information.  I have not taken an educational psychology in my undergraduate studies; therefore most of this information was very new to me.  I did not know the details of the four stages of cognitive development, but I had heard of Piaget before.  I also had never heard of Vygotsky or what his beliefs were about cognitive development.  Vygotsky’s theory of “scaffolding” was new to me as well.  This showed me the importance of reminding student’s different things, giving them certain cues, and breaking down problems or experiments into step by step instruction. 

These two concepts to me both had great aspects.  I feel that children definitely go through different stages of development like Piaget suggested, but I also feel that “scaffolding” as Vygotsky mentioned helps by leading the students little by little to be independent learners helps too.

 This concept is very important to the context of my classroom because I hardly ever stop and really consider “what stage are my students”? This is just as important as considering the learning styles of students.  I am an inclusion teacher so I have several students who have just come out of resource classes into the inclusion classroom.  These students may not be cognitively on the same level as my regular education students and may need more step by step instructions.  Also, my advanced students in these classes may need something more cognitively challenged than the rest of the students. This is why differentiation is so important. 

I can use the information that I learned to be a better teacher by incorporating some of the different strategies that Vygotsky describes, while considering the different cognitive development levels that Piaget describes.  By knowing more detailed information about the formal operational stage I can better understand my seventh graders needs when it comes to ability level, instructions, and expectations.