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.