After reading this chapter, article,and listening to the lecture I believe that all are very informative. Both Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky pioneered their theories of cognitive development through explanations of cognitive stages and the relationship between individuals and society. Piaget's theory is too inflexible because even as children develop and learn in stages, not all children develop at the same rate as their peers. AS for his theory on Limitations of Preoperational Stage, Egocentrism: inability to extend thoughts beyond the self; cannot take the perspective of others, Centration: focus attention on only one characteristic. Ex: color vs. shape. I am not sure that I agree with either. Working with pre-school children age 2 to 5, I have seen children be able to extend thoughts beyond the self and they do try to think about the perception of others. These children can also focus on more than one characteristic at a time. Vygotsky illustrated the important role that adults play in a child's education. He teachers us that part of a teachers job is to encourage and support parents, letting them know that they are their children first teacher as well as that they are an intricate part of their child's classroom; parental involvement is significant in a child's education and in assisting their child to be successful through out high school. Vygotsky’s Zone of proximal development- a range between what a child can accomplish independently vs. with assistance of a more experienced individual and Scaffolding- the process by which a more experienced individual provides support at less and less intrusive levels. Is of great interest to me as a pre-school teacher in how I can best help all the children in my class.
In the “How People Learn Article” I so believe that this is true “The committee sees the influence of research on these mediating arenas as weak. The research base on learning and teaching has not been consolidated in a way that gives consistent, clear messages in formats that are useful for practice. As a result, the various mediating arenas that influence practice are often not aligned either with research findings or with each other”. After reading through the entire article I was surprised by the information in it. There are several really good ideas, but this one might just be a new beginning to education for our children, “Use the principles of learning for understanding articulated in How People Learn as a lens through which to evaluate existing education practices (K-12 and teacher training programs) and policies.” What a concept “The teaching of meta-cognitive skills should be integrated into the curriculum in a variety of subject areas.” I have always thought children should be taught how to learn and not what to learn.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Blog 10 In response to Andrew
You are right about what the book said it is the personal judgment of worthiness to being successful. The book discussed how a person's self-esteem can affect academic performance. Having a low self-esteem can influence how motivated a student is to learn. Easily motivated students, who will take on a tough task generally, have higher self-esteems. I also liked what you said about Encouraging students and being positive to them can help them grow academically. Maybe one day a student of yours is having a bad day, and just taking a few minutes to speak with them can completely turn their day around. Remembering to give that smile, word of encouragement, or tell a personal story to show that you understand what they are dealing with. I would want someone like you to be my child’s teacher.
Blog 9 Self-Concept and Identity Cathy Morgan
I believe that Erickson theory of psychosocial development is a great place to start talking about self-concept and identity. As he points out if the student did not gain trust over mistrust, autonomy over shame and doubt, initiative over guilt industry over inferiority or missed even one of more of the positive side of the developments they are going to have a much harder time with identity over confusion. I also believe that the early temperament plays a part in the student understanding of their self-concept and identity. If your self-concept is not good it is easy for your self-esteem to be very low. I think that your self-esteem and the way others make you feel is a big part of your self-concept. When a student is told over and over again that they are good in school by both teachers and parents, then the student will have a much better self-concept than one who is told you can’t do that, you are no good at this or that. As parents and teacher it is our responsibility to learn bout how we can help our child have good self-concepts and self-esteem. Both these concepts start from birth and continue to change as the child becomes older. I so agree with the text when it reads Positive reinforcement or praise is not enough when students are still failing in areas of importance to them pg 363. Teaching student how to improve their skills is one way we can help them with their self-esteem. I like Marcia’s theory of identity development in the fact that he hypothesized that when adolescents are searching for a viable identity, they 1 experience a process of exploration, and 2 commit to a comfortable and stable self If adolescents fail to explore or commit, they can experience identity problems. PP slide10
I so agree with this part of the power point Modern studies reflect little difference in white and African American children’s self perceptions when: They are succeeding in school and Are held in high regard by parents and peers, Adoption of a bicultural perspective is common. I think that adolescent’s is the hardest time in a person’s life. Trying to figure out, who I am, is very hard for all young people ages 10 to 18. When we talk about ethnic differences I feel that the white society culture is not included in the talk. In the text and every where we hear about African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, just to name a few, but what about students who have been here for many generations and do not even know their ethnic heritage. Do they not have problems with their identity and self-concept? I believe that I am one of the small group of people out there that believes that a child/student is a child/ student no matter what, their skin color, where there ancestors came from, their language is. As a teacher of pre-school students it is my job to teach all of them, promoting a good sense of self-concept and self-esteem in each one of these individual students.
I so agree with this part of the power point Modern studies reflect little difference in white and African American children’s self perceptions when: They are succeeding in school and Are held in high regard by parents and peers, Adoption of a bicultural perspective is common. I think that adolescent’s is the hardest time in a person’s life. Trying to figure out, who I am, is very hard for all young people ages 10 to 18. When we talk about ethnic differences I feel that the white society culture is not included in the talk. In the text and every where we hear about African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, just to name a few, but what about students who have been here for many generations and do not even know their ethnic heritage. Do they not have problems with their identity and self-concept? I believe that I am one of the small group of people out there that believes that a child/student is a child/ student no matter what, their skin color, where there ancestors came from, their language is. As a teacher of pre-school students it is my job to teach all of them, promoting a good sense of self-concept and self-esteem in each one of these individual students.
Blog #10 week 3
In response to Sandra Lara's post. I watched the link that you suggested in your blog. It clearly is showing that this toy is for girls. I agree that the media is influential about gender roles. In this comercial it is suggesting that girls learn to be a house keeper at a young age. The media also can portray both genders to be sly and unethical people. Just watching any reality television show on any channel every night, will show men and women cheating on spouses, cursing, and pretending like they are the only ones that exist. Many young children and young adults are watching these things and grow up thinking that is how everyone lives their life.
Blog # 9 week 3
This weeks reading, chapter 6, covered the idea of self-esteem. Self-esteem is the evaluation of our traits, abilities, and characteristics. It is how an individual percieves themself comparing to other people. As the book put it, it is the personal judgment of worthiness to being successful. The book discussed how a person's self-esteem can affect academic performance. Having a low self-esteem can influence how motivated a student is to learn. Easily motivated students, who will take on a tough task generally have higher self-esteems.
I can remember back to my high school days when I would see how self-esteem affects students everyday. As future educators we need to be as helpful as we can. Encouraging students and being positive to them can help them grow academically. Maybe one day a student of yours is having a bad day, and just taking a few minutes to speak with them can completely turn their day around. I am looking forward to becoming a high school teacher, I feel like I can relate to the students, and have a positive outlook that will be beneficial to my students.
I can remember back to my high school days when I would see how self-esteem affects students everyday. As future educators we need to be as helpful as we can. Encouraging students and being positive to them can help them grow academically. Maybe one day a student of yours is having a bad day, and just taking a few minutes to speak with them can completely turn their day around. I am looking forward to becoming a high school teacher, I feel like I can relate to the students, and have a positive outlook that will be beneficial to my students.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Blog 10, Week 3
Sandra I agree with you that gender role is a big part of a student's development. The commercial you linked was a classic patriarchal society interpretation of gender roles. As a side note, I thought it would have been funny if they stuck a boy in there for a second to be PC. Although progress has been made, student's are still taught the stereotypical gender education. By this I mean that girls should focus the efforts on language arts and boys should focus on math and science. So long as society holds to this belief, a girl who excels at math will be an anomaly. Therefore it is up to every educator to show students that gendered subject no longer exist. If not, this belief will likely progress into the next generation.
Blog # 9
The issues of identity and how it can play a huge role on a students academic success is sometimes forgotten. I have never deeply thought about what issues might arise for students who do not have a good self esteem. It amazed me to see how as a child gets older the less they might think of themselves. For example, in the book on page 359 it had a little piece about developmental Changes in Self-Representation in Childhood and adolescence. As the child got older the more negative comments they would make about themselves and their way of thinking changed dramatically
In another part of the book it briefly talked about emotional and behavior disorders. I have personally experience working with children who were in an ED classroom at the junior high level. I was an instructional assistant in that classroom for a year. During this time I was able to see the challenges that they had in school not only academically but socially as well. I believe that identity played a huge role in their behavior. I remember one student who was in that class who was constantly talked negatively about himself, expressing how he was not good enough, and how his dad was going to be mad at him if he did not do well. This also shows you the effect a parent can have on a child and how they view themselves.
From the lecture one of the most interesting parts of it was looking at the gender role. On the slide it mentioned mass media. I believe that mass media has a huge impact on gender roles today. For example, if you pay attention to toy commercials you will see what types of toys are geared towards boys and which ones are for boys. These commercials show that boys should be out there getting dirty and playing with truck and girls should be inside playing house.
Here is a link to a commercial that is currently being run so lets see if you can see who it is geared for and what they are implying as far as gender roles. I am interested to hear what all of you think.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVgHrV9H-8k
In another part of the book it briefly talked about emotional and behavior disorders. I have personally experience working with children who were in an ED classroom at the junior high level. I was an instructional assistant in that classroom for a year. During this time I was able to see the challenges that they had in school not only academically but socially as well. I believe that identity played a huge role in their behavior. I remember one student who was in that class who was constantly talked negatively about himself, expressing how he was not good enough, and how his dad was going to be mad at him if he did not do well. This also shows you the effect a parent can have on a child and how they view themselves.
From the lecture one of the most interesting parts of it was looking at the gender role. On the slide it mentioned mass media. I believe that mass media has a huge impact on gender roles today. For example, if you pay attention to toy commercials you will see what types of toys are geared towards boys and which ones are for boys. These commercials show that boys should be out there getting dirty and playing with truck and girls should be inside playing house.
Here is a link to a commercial that is currently being run so lets see if you can see who it is geared for and what they are implying as far as gender roles. I am interested to hear what all of you think.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVgHrV9H-8k
Blog 9, Week 3
Erikson's stages of Psychosocial Development are more profound then I thought. I took Psychology 101, so I knew of this theory, however, I did not think much of it. My, I guess you could call it an epiphany, on this theory happened just prior to writing this blog. Besides going for a Sec. Ed.: History degree, I am also going for an Anthropology degree. As such, I think about education in a little different light than the average education major. My two major paths allow me to not only look at how our society works, but I also have the opportunity to look at societies from around the world and throughout time as well. While I was trying to decide what to write I thought about a study I had read about. The point of the research was to find out whether adolescents from all societies go through a period of rebelling or whether it was a culture attribute. The study focused on Tongan girls in their teenage years and found that they did not go through a time of unrest. This though made me reexamine Erikson's theory more closely.
After looking at Erikson's stages of Psychosocial Development more closely I found that it contains psychosocial developments that are universal and cultural; however, I will only focus on two stages that are universal.
The two universal developments that I shall focus on are: Trust vs. Mistrust and Initiative vs. Guilt. Trust vs. Mistrust is universal because no matter what society, parent child relationship form an important part of the society. Often it is between mother and child, however, this is not always the case. In smaller societies, if the parent are not present, some other individual is usually there to fill that role (i.e. the mother's brother assuming a father role in matriarchal societies). Also going along with this is the fact that all known present societies have some form of a lullaby. These examples show the importance of Trust vs. Mistrust (parent child relationship) universally.
Initiative vs. Guilt or, am I a good boy/girl or a bad boy/girl, is interesting because this concept exists in all the societies I know of. One of the ways a society can mold this is the use of monsters as enforcers of rules. The thought that if a child misbehaves (chooses to be a bad boy/girl) they will be taken away/ eaten by a monster allows adults to control the actions of children when they are not present. Around 3-5, monster stories are told all over the world, so Erikson was correct about this stage happening around these ages.
The reason I discussed the above is because the information can be useful for educators. This knowledge can help educators show students that they are not all that different from each other even if they are culturally different. Children psychosocially develop differently in different cultures, however, the similarities are more present than the differences.
After looking at Erikson's stages of Psychosocial Development more closely I found that it contains psychosocial developments that are universal and cultural; however, I will only focus on two stages that are universal.
The two universal developments that I shall focus on are: Trust vs. Mistrust and Initiative vs. Guilt. Trust vs. Mistrust is universal because no matter what society, parent child relationship form an important part of the society. Often it is between mother and child, however, this is not always the case. In smaller societies, if the parent are not present, some other individual is usually there to fill that role (i.e. the mother's brother assuming a father role in matriarchal societies). Also going along with this is the fact that all known present societies have some form of a lullaby. These examples show the importance of Trust vs. Mistrust (parent child relationship) universally.
Initiative vs. Guilt or, am I a good boy/girl or a bad boy/girl, is interesting because this concept exists in all the societies I know of. One of the ways a society can mold this is the use of monsters as enforcers of rules. The thought that if a child misbehaves (chooses to be a bad boy/girl) they will be taken away/ eaten by a monster allows adults to control the actions of children when they are not present. Around 3-5, monster stories are told all over the world, so Erikson was correct about this stage happening around these ages.
The reason I discussed the above is because the information can be useful for educators. This knowledge can help educators show students that they are not all that different from each other even if they are culturally different. Children psychosocially develop differently in different cultures, however, the similarities are more present than the differences.
Monday, June 15, 2009
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