Wednesday, September 26, 2012

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. 

1 comment:

  1. Careful about bringing in the brain when discussing either Piaget or Vygotsky. It's not strictly what they're describing in their theories.

    I like your big idea description here. Do you think the theorists are absolutely divided between the individual/social?

    I don't quite understand how you're describing the difference between development and learning here. What is it? You say they are a progression of maturation of time, but what does that mean? It is true that learning takes place in all stages. What else might a brain researcher disagree with?

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