Educational Psychology 302,Session 3,The Human Brain: Medial View,The Neuron,The Synapse,What we know about human development . . .,Predictable by “milestones” Development rates vary widely from child to child Characterized by spurts and plateaus Affected by both heredity and the environment,Jean Piaget,Piagets Assumptions . . .About how children learn,Children are naturally curious Children learn through experience (schemes) Children need to interact with their environment Equilibrium/disequilibrium/Equillibration Assimilate/Accommodate,Learning How a Phone Works,Assimilation?,Assimilation?,Sensorimotor Stagebirth until 2 years,Scheme development Object permanence Cause and effect,Language Egocentrism Confusion between physical and psychological events (animism, realism) Lack of conservation Centration Transformation incomprehensibility,Preoperational Stage 2 to 6-7 years,Preoperational Stage (cont.) 2 to 6-7 years,Irreversibility Single classification Transductive reasoning,Concrete Operations Stage6-7 to 11-12 years,Perspectival independence Conservation (H20) Decentration Ability to reason through transformations Reversibility Multiple classification Deductive reasoning,Concrete Operations Stage (cont) 6-7 to 11-12 years,Lack of ability to comprehend abstract, hypothetical or contrary to fact ideas Democracy, human rights, “If ever I kill myself from despair I wont choose a Friday, because Friday is a bad day and would bring me ill luck” (Copeland, 1979).,Formal Operations Stage11-12 to adulthood,Ability to deal with hypothetical and abstract ideas Set and test hypotheses Manipulate variables Combinatorial thought Alternative realities,Formal Operations Reasoning,Problem 1: An 8-ounce jar of popcorn holds 1,200 kernels. How many kernels can a 14-ounce jar hold? Problem 2: Imagine that you have five beakers containing five different chemicals (Referred to as chemicals A, B, C, D, and E respectively). In how many different ways can two or more of these chemicals be combined? Show your work.,Formal Operations Reasoning (cont.),Problem 3: If some of the candy pieces are in the shape of candy canes, and if some of the pieces of candy have red and white stripes, then do some of candy canes have red and white stripes?,Formal Operations Reasoning (cont.),Problem 4: If all trees are flowers, and all flowers are weeds, then: Are all weeds flowers? Are some weeds trees? Are all trees weeds? Problem 5: If some slums are marsts, and if some marsts are borfs, then: Are some slurms borfs? Are some borfs marsts?,Piagets ModelImplications for Teaching,Children are active and motivated learners Knowledge is constructed Assimilation and accommodation Importance of interaction with physical objects,Capitalize on students natural curiosity Emphasize relationships among concepts and ideas Link new learning to prior knowledge Give students many hands on activities,Assumption,Implication,Piaget (Cont.),Importance of social interaction Equilibration Neurological maturation Four qualitatively different stages,Encourage students to share opinions and beliefs Provide experiences that contradict students existing beliefs Realize the capacity of students to understand Gear classroom tasks to students developmental levels,Assumption,Implication,Lev Vygotsky 1896-1934,Vygotsky,Social theory of learning Actual vs. prospective level of development (independent vs. assisted) Zone of Proximal Development (dynamic) To promote development: Scaffolding, apprenticeships, modeling, exploration, reflection, self-talk,Information Processing Theory,Focus consistency Elaboration Utilizing the knowledge base (larger and more integrated) Metacognition (self-awarensss; limitations, effectiveness),Key Messages of Development Theory,Variations in development Social interaction Constructivism,