Blog Post 2

The boy in the video displayed characteristics of the concrete operational stage. The girl was in the formal stage. The boy could listen and understand, but only as far as what made sense about what he knew about the world. He refused to believe the hypothetical rule that a feather could break glass. The girl, however,  could think abstractly. She could understand that, though in real life, a feather wouldn’t break anything, in this situation, it hypothetically could.

Each of these children needs different kinds of teaching. The boy needs concrete instruction. It is important to use physical and clear examples. For the girl, more abstract and metaphorical language and questions could be used. These techniques must differ in order for the students to learn. While disequilibrium is good, teaching way above the students’ levels could frustrate them in a way that is unhealthy.

Blog Post 1

 This chapter talks about Piaget and his ideas. In his thought, individuals go through stages: sensory motor, pre operational, concrete operational, and formal. It works from simply sensing, to understanding, to thinking abstractly. I have one question: Would Piaget believe that there are defining moments when a person moves from one phase to the next?

According to Piaget, there is a profound difference between development and learning. Piaget’s model is divided into stages. Learning is lateral movement within a given stage. It can always happen and can be encouraged or prompted. Development, on the other hand, is movement into new stages. This, according to Piaget, only happens with time and biological maturation.

According to Piaget, critical thinking would not promote development. Only time and maturation can aid development. Critical thinking could, however, promote learning.

I would use Piaget’s model in my classroom because I think it is important to know the level of development of my students and teach accordingly. It also takes pressure off of the teacher and allows the student to grow at his own pace.

There is a growing push towards technology. I think that this would interest Piaget. It is an example of where students learn and move within their stages very quickly. I wonder what he would think  about how technology tries  to make the abstract concrete.

Blog Post 2

This child was in the concrete operational stage. He displays a logical method of thinking. He doesn't follow the rule of the feather breaking the glass because he knows this is not possible. He says that the feather is too light to break the glass, which is true. To teach the younger boy, you could think of ways to teach them in a logical way that make sense to them. Telling them that a feather will break a glass will not resinate with him because he knows this is not true. He understands that a hammer will break the glass because it is heavy. For the older student, her way of thinking is much different. She follows the rules that are on the cards. She says that the glass will break when it is hit by the feather because that's the rule. You have to use different techniques because these children are in different stages of development. With the younger child, you have to use direct ways to help them learn so that they understand the connections they are suppose to be making. the older students will be able to make these connections on their own.

Module 7 Post 2

The first child is in the concrete operational stage, because while thinking logically, he did not pay attention to the rules that stated that the feather broke the glass.  He could not grasp the rules, and was only thinking from what he knew to be true, which was, the glass could not break from a feather. The second child was in the formal operational stage because she was able to understand the rules, no matter how illogical they were.  While teaching each child, one would need to use a more direct way of teaching, using logical examples and directions.  The second child, would be more able to make connections on more eccentric and illogical connections made.

Blog Post 1

This chapter discussed some of the different theories of cognitive development. Piaget's theory and Vygotsky's theory were both discussed. Piaget's theory was about how all children's thinking is a result of biological maturation, active exploration of the physical environment, social experiences, and equilibrium. These are summed up as nature, nurture, and self-regulation. Within this theory, Piaget talks about his stage model. The four stages are sensorimotor, pre-operational, concrete operational, and formal operational. Vygotsky's theory was similar to Piaget's because of the aspect of heredity and environment. However, he put a higher emphasis on social interactions in terms of problem solving skills, self-regulation, and memory. He also created the Zone of Proximal Development which discusses children's actual development level vs. their level of potential development. Vygotsky puts a great deal of emphasis on social interaction being a key to cognitive development.

One question I had about the chapter was how do we re-create equilibrium with students if we have already created disequilibrium? Wouldn't they continue to think that the wrong way is the correct way?

 According to a Piaget, the difference between development and learning is that a child's stage of development is what prepares them for learning. He thinks that the stage in which they are developmentally dictates what they are able to learn. A brain researcher might say that children learn form what they already know.

Piaget would say that critical thinking does not push development because you can't push development. You have to be ready biologically to be able to learn. Piaget says that children's thinking is dependent upon the stage in which they are in, not by critical thinking.

Module 7

After reading this chapter, I found that the big ideas were centered around Piaget's basic tenets.  First, he says that biological maturation says there is a biological want to learn.  This is necessary in order to progress with learning and development.  Next, is the active exploration of the physical environment.  This means that the child is exploring the environment and socially interacting with the environment around them.  They organize their experiences into schemes, initially, and then later in life, mentally organize encountered information into categories.  Next, is social interaction.  It is important for learners to interact and collaborate with peers in order to broaden his/her understanding and to gain ideas from others, as well as, question his/her own ideas.  Lastly, is equilibrium, where one has reached an understanding of a topic.

Another big idea was Vygotsky's Theory.  Similarly to Piaget's theory, Vygotsky agrees that social interaction is essential for learning to occur.  He also agrees that there is a balance between hereditary factors and environmental factors.  However, he focuses on cultural factors more than Piaget.

One question I had concerning this chapter is, I'm not really clear on how knowledge evolves through the four stages.  In class today, we discussed how it is a biological process.  Is there no way that one could speed up the process through more extensive thinking?

Another question I have, is in Piaget's basic tenets, does one reach equilibrium once in one's life, or is it something that one encounters time after time of learning a new topic?

According to Piaget, the difference between development and learning is that development is a biological process, and learning is a "nurturing" process.

According to Piaget, critical thinking would not push development, because development is a biological process, not one that can be pushed along by extensive thinking.

Post 2

The  little boy in the video was in the concrete operational stage. The older girl was in the formal operational stage. The first child could not think abstractly and listen to the rules that were given to him. The teacher told the boy that the feather would break the glass, and the little boy knew it was not possible no matter how she said it to him. The older child understood the question asked, and knew how to answer the question correctly, that the feather would break the glass. 

Post 1

Piaget believes that every student learns and develops over time and there are not that many different things that teachers can do to help students learn faster or better. In this chapter, Piaget's theories on cognitive development were discussed. According to Piaget, we go through multiple stages in our lives. These stages are sensorimotor (infancy-2 years), pre-operational (2-7 years), concrete operational (7-11 years), and formal operational (11 years-adulthood).  In the sensorimotor stage, the main aspect is the idea of object permanence, the awareness that objects continue to exist when they can't be seen.  In the pre-operational stage, children are egocentric, meaning they think about the world from their own point of view.  In the concrete operational stage, they can can start solving abstract problems without needing concrete representation.  In the formal operational stage, children are now able to think abstractly without limitations.

I was wondering if a child could exceed out of their specific group? Could a child that should be in the pre-operational stage get out of that stage early and begin the concrete operational stage?

The difference between development and learning according to Piaget is that development comes before learning, because a person must be developmentally ready to learn. People have to reach a certain developmental age before they can move on to learning more complex things. A brain researcher would disagree with this idea. Toddlers have the power learn multiple languages because they have such a new and open mind and can adapt to speaking different languages. So that says children can learn easier than adults. 

I would probably teach my students and children by Vygotsky’s theory. He bases his theory on a child’s achievements in life. He doesn’t hold children into certain category based upon their ages.    

Module 7 post 2

The first little boy in the clip was in the concrete operational stage, while the second child was in the formal operational stage. The first child could not think abstractly and listen to the rules that were given. The researcher told the boy that the feather would break the glass, and the little boy knew it was not possible no matter how she stated it. The older child understood the question asked, and knew how to answer the question correctly, that the feather would break the glass. The little boy would understand more direct examples to make connections, while the older girl can understand “outside the box” thinking and can challenge her to be more abstract.

Piaget - Post 2

I would say that the first child in the video is in the concrete operational stage. This is because he knows that a hammer can break glass and that a feather would not break glass. Because of his knowledge he states a logical answer and ignores the rules that were given to him because they are too abstract for him to understand. The second child in the video would be in the formal operational stage. This is because she can understand the abstract rule that a feather can break the glass.
To teach the first child who is in the concrete operational stage, you would want to incorporate visual aids and connections to things he already knows. To teach the second child you would only have to explain the information even if it is abstract and she would be able to remember and use that information.

Module 7 Post 1

Module 7 explains how constructivism could be individual, or in a social setting. The two different types of construction differ from an individual person learning from experience, rather than a group of people sharing their cultures and experiences. Piagets studies surrounded the use of individual constructivism while Vygotsky focused on social and cultural interactions effecting learning. Also, Piaget’s four stages of knowledge was important in this module, these include sensorimotor, pre-operational, concrete operational, and formal operational. These describe the different stages that children’s brains are working. Piaget believed that is a continuous progression from each stage to the next. Vygotsky described how the culture impacts cognitive development by his, Zone of Proximal Development is the childs development of what their potential could be.

Piaget has children going through sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational phases. Learning and development are a progression of maturation of time. Learning is takes place in each of the phases continuously. A brain researcher may describe learning with neurons connecting and pruning and not put their development into stages.

Piaget says that development is a biological maturation and critical thinking would not change that. 

Piaget - Post 1

This module talked about individual (Piaget) and social (Vygotskey) constructivism and cognitive development. Piaget mainly believed in individual constructivism. This is where a student constructs knowledge by his or herself using previous knowledge he or she has gained through experience.On the other hand, Vygotskey mostly believed in social constructivism. Social constructivism is when students construct knowledge in a social context (social interactions). Piaget's theory discusses cognitive development and the stages one goes through in his or her life. Piaget says that infants start out in the sensorimotor stage. This is where they construct knowledge through their senses and their experiences they have through this. Next is the pre-operational stage. This is where children think one way. They are egocentric. These kids cannot think of what other people's feelings or thoughts are. They think only of themselves. After this would be the operational stage. The operational stage is where kids can think logically and concretely. Lastly is the formal operational stage. This is where students can think more abstractly about information.

According to Piaget, development is moving from one stage of thought to another and also a biological process. Learning is then moving within the stages through exploration and experience, changing one's schemas, and constructing knowledge based on experience. Brain researchers would probably not agree with Piaget's theory. This is because brain researchers believe that younger children can learn better than adults. They would not agree with the stages that are in Piaget's theory.


A teacher would most likely have students work in groups based off of Vygotskey's theory. This is because Vygotskey believed in social constructivism where the students would learn better in a social context where they are interacting with their peers.

Piaget Blog Post 2

The first child in the video is in the concrete operational stage of development. He was unable to think abstractly about the rules that were being told to him. When the adult told him that the feather would break the glass, the child knew that it was not possible, even if the rule said otherwise. The second child is in the formal operational stage. She was about to think about the abstract situation that was being presented to her. She knew that even thought it might not physically be possible, the rule said that the feather would break the glass, so she followed the rule. For the younger child, the teacher should try to avoid using examples that are abstract. The child will understand literal examples much easier. The older child should be challenged and given examples that are abstract and force her to think critically about different situations.

Piaget Blog Post 1

This chapter is about constructivism and cognitive development. It focuses on the theories of two famous psychologists, Piaget and Vygotsky. Piaget was considered an individual constructivist, and proposed that children's development and thinking was the result of four main factors. These factors are biological maturation, active exploration of the environment, social experiences, and equilibrium.

Piaget really emphasizes the fact that development happens as a result of biological maturation. The main difference between development an learning according to him is that development precedes learning. A person has to be biologically and developmentally ready to learn. Critical thinking and other factors can not push development. Development has to happen naturally when the child is ready. There is nothing that a teacher or anyone else can do to force a child to develop.

Module 7- Post 1

Do the majority of teachers prefer using Vygotsky’s or Piaget’s theory more in the classroom?

This chapter focused mainly on cognitive development and its relation to learning and constructivism. Piaget and Vygotsky’s theories of constructivism were discussed. Piaget believed that knowledge develops from an interaction of nature and nurture. He focuses more on the actual individual. In his theory he developed four stages of development: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. Learning is always happening throughout. The children’s cognitive process comes from their maturation, environment, equilibration, and social experiences. Vygotsky focused on social constructivism . Vygotsky focused more on social interactions rather that the child.  He also did the Zone of Proximal Development, which shows what children can do with and without the getting help from someone else. Students are at different stages at different times. They are not all in one stage at the same time, it depends on the person. Development comes before learning. A person has to be developed enough in order to understand how things work or why. Development is the phase that a child has to go through, according to Piaget. These are sensorimotor, pre operational, concrete operational and formal operational. Learning happens throughout these phases. Learning happens when they are processing their environment in order to learn, or gain knowledge. Critical thinking would not push development because in order to learn you need to have developed. I would most likely apply Piaget’s theory.  When  children are getting help from someone older, like an older sibling, they are more likely to listen and want to learn. Piaget says that we need to know what stage a child is in before we can teach them in the ways they need to be taught.

Blog Post 2 Module 7

You need different techniques for each child becayse they are in different stages of cognitive development. The little boy shows centration, so he is not able to focus on two things at one time. An effective teaching method would be sorting. not just sorting by something like colors, but sorting more than just that like colors, size, shape. I think that this would help the child with his centration. For the girl, she would need to be taught using reasoning skills technique. She can already think two dimensional, so now she needs to move onto more advanced techniques like her reasoning skills. She knew the feather broke the window because thats what the rule said, but now she needs to be able to tell the reasons why this happened. She knows the answer and now she just need to be able to move from concrete operational to formal operational stage. The techniques need to be different because the students are each at different stages. If the boy was to be taught in the way the girl should, he would most likely not understand what is being taught because he has not yet mastered the stage before this one. Piaget says they can only learn if they are developmentally ready. The stages affect what the child can process and actually learn. 

Module 7 Post 2

The first child appears to be in the concrete operational phase. He knows the glass will break if he hits it with a hammer, and he knows it will break if Don hits it with a hammer too. He is able to understand things from another's perspective. Another way this is proven is when he is told a feather will break glass, he says no for both when he would do it and when Don would do it. He also sorted the objects into their appropriate characteristics- ability to break glass. He knew the hammer would be able to break the glass and was also able to deduce that a feather would not break glass. The second child is in formal operations. She is able to think abstractly. If she is told that a feather will break glass, then the glass will break when the feather hits it because this is the condition of the feather. Techniques to teach these children must be different because they think differently. The young child is not as far along in his development and teachers must understand that they do not always understand abstract concepts. In formal operations, teachers are able to teach their students using abstract examples and can understand other people's perspectives. They're at different places in their development and this must be acknowledged in teaching.

Module 7 Post 1

Module 7 has to do with the theory of constructivism. Constructivism is said to be either an individual process or a social process, respectively known as individual constructivism or social constructivism. Piaget was primarly concerned with individual constructivism in how individuals built knowledge for themselves while Vygotsky was focused on the social constructivism and how culture brings about cognitive changes. Piaget believes that knowledge evolves in phases; sensorimotor, pre-operational, concrete operational and formal operational. Children explore using their senses and motor skills, then time propels them onto the pre-operational phase where they are more egocentric and focus on certain aspects of certain things, i.e. color of objects rather than shape. From pre-operational, they are pushed on to concrete operational where logic holds a bigger place in their minds. Now they're able to think in two-way streets, rather than just focus on themselves and what they are thinking. They can represent other people's minds. In formal operations, we can now solve many problems everyday life presents us. Vygotsky presented the Zone of Proximal Development which compares what children can do without the help of others and what they are capable of doing with guidance. Teachers need to be aware that students reach different stages of knowledge at different times and should be cautious when teaching.

Development and learning differ from phase to phase. Development is the phases Piaget says a child goes through: sensorimotor, pre-operational, concrete operational, and formal operational. The only thing propelling children through these stages are time and their biological maturation. Learning takes place within these phases. Everything they are experiencing within their certain developmental phases. Learning is using and processing the environment around them to construct new knowledge.

Critical thinking cannot push development, according to Piaget. The only thing that can bring about development is biological maturation through time.

Piaget blog post 2

     The first child appears to be in the concrete operational stage because he does not understand the abstract concept of a feather breaking glass. The way he does think about the feather breaking the glass though is logical. In his experience a feather has never been able to break glass so in his mind this hypothetical situation is no different. The second child is in the formal operational stage because she can comprehend the abstract idea of a feather breaking glass and say that in that world if someone hits glass with a feather, it will break. To teach the first child visual aid is still important because he thinks logically using concrete materials. The second child would only need to understand the implications of an abstract idea to be able to put it into use.

Piaget blog post 1

     This module focused on different ways of looking at the constructivist theory of learning which characterizes learning as building and constructing on what an individual already knows. There are two different theorists who place this constructing in either a social or an individual environment. Piaget thinks that most learning happens on an individual basis and a person learns by taking new information and assigning it to a schema, or a set of previous knowledge centered around a theme. On the other hand Vygotsky looks at learning as a social endeavor focusing on how peers with more knowledge can help peers with less knowledge by sharing what they know and helping the less knowledgeable peer build knowledge themselves.
     Piaget claims that development requires biological maturation as well as moving form one stage of cognitive development to the next. These stages of cognitive development are sensorimotor, pre-operational, concrete operational, and formal operational. Each stage is characterized by higher levels of thinking, from being egocentric and only understanding one's own perspective to being capable of abstract thought. According to Piaget learning happens within these stages and when the students develop more they move to a higher stage of development and continue their learning process in that next stage. This is somewhat similar to brain research in that development happens when new connections are made or when new stages of cognitive development have been acquired. Also learning happens when connections are myelinated or when connections are made within the stage of development that helps the individual create meaning to understand the material.
     A teacher would be more likely to have students work in groups based on Vygotsky's theory because Vygotsky based most of his research on how learning is social. When children work in groups the more competent students can share their knowledge with the less competent students so the less competent students can construct knowledge of their own. These more competent peers act as scaffolds to temporarily support the less competent peers until they understand the material themselves.