Essay 2
Latalvin Bullock
Liberty University
The Gestalt principle, “the whole is greater than the sum or the parts,” can help one understand how preconceived perceptions can be very different from the actual perception. Throughout my pursuit of my education I have taken many classes and there have been many courses that I preconceived to be one way and turned out to be totally different. For example, I took a music appreciation class one time. I love music and I listen to it and sing all the time whether it is with my choir, solo, or with my family. So when I saw that music appreciation was a class that I could take, my preconceived perception is that it would be a very easy class because it was about a subject that I loved. In my mind I thought there would be no way that I wouldn’t get an A in that class. The first detail that I learned from my initial perception of what the class was going to be like that was different was that the class went far beyond just listening to different types of music. We had to really learn the background and foundation of how music was made and all the different concepts of music. The second detail that I learned from my initial perception was that was different is that the class actually involved real work. We had to present presentations and research papers that showed that we understood all of the elements of music. Also, we had to show that we knew about composers and the composition of their musical techniques. The third detail that I learned from that was entirely different than my initial perception is that I actually had to come up with a sample song and present it with an audio and visual presentation. I was used to performing in front others but always singing so...
... middle of paper ...
... mental processes stem from social activities (p. 316). Just as Vygotsky believed I think that the environment and the social interactions that I have had influences how I feel and think about the psychology courses that I am taken. I think that my social interactions have contributed to how I learn concepts of psychology. The third concept of Vygotsky’s that I think has played a role in learning the classes in my major is having the assistance of people who are more competent and knowledgeable help me to learn all the aspects of psychology that I do not understand. Most people learn difficult concepts when they have the help of someone who knows about the subject. I found that this has greatly helped with my zone of proximal development for my courses in my major.
References
Ormrod, J. E. (2012). Human learning (6th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson.
This reading reminded me about how Vygotsky’s theory is mostly based on the interactions and influences help children to learn. I really do believe this theory is very accurate, because students can learn from each other. If a teacher is having trouble explaining a complex topic to a student, another student can explain it in more relatable way. Also, I was fascinated when I read about what cultural tools, were and how they related to Vygotsky’s beliefs. Learning about what cultural tools were, helped me to broaden my understanding of how crucial cultural tools are to student’s learning process. Also, the chapter did a great job of elaborating on how these tools can help to advance and grow in the understanding of student’s thinking process. Another aspect of this reading that interested me was the elaboration on private speech and the Zone of Proximal Development. Each of the definitions displayed help me to advance my own thinking on what it was and how it is used in regards to the education of students. The description of what private speech and how it is basically the inner narration of their thinking process helped me to understand how this aspect can help with students learning. Also, the Zone of Proximal Development helped me to make a connection to both what is and how it relates to private speech as well. The Zone of proximal development plays a crucial role in the
In the article Mind-Sets and Equitable Education, Carol S. Dweck studies the link between mind-sets and beliefs and the influence it has on student success. This article examines how beliefs about how you learn impact the manner in which you learn. It is stated that growth mind-set as opposed to fixed mind-set promotes student success and achievement. Growth mind-set is the idea that intelligence is not something individuals are born with, but is rather a skill that individuals can develop through hard work and perseverance. Fixed mind-set opposes this idea as it views intelligence as an immutable trait individuals are born with. The article mentions that not only personal mind-set impacts an individual’s success but how they perceive the mind-set
While reading this book I found out that under certain circumstances I am a fixed mindset rather than a growth mindset. One, very identifiable, area I have a fixed mindset in, is the math content area. When ever I think about being forced to learn or teach math, I completely shut down. I feel I’ve become this way because for years I’ve heard that I need more work in that area, and that I have a hard time understanding it. So I feel I’ve lost any drive to concur it when I’ve already felt defeated by it. Which after reading this book I have realized this mentality could easily transfer to my students because that is one thing I have learned again and again from this book it is that one fixed mid set can have an immediate impact on the mind set of those people who are interacting with the person.
In article, Are You Stuck with a "Next-Step Mentality?" Donehower says, "You may be reluctant to go outside your areas of strength for fear you 'll get a low grade,". "But if you think one grade in one class will ruin your chances of admission, you 're doing yourself a disservice. Colleges look at a number of factors in addition to grades. Students often perceive requirements of colleges as much more stringent and narrow than they really are." This text proves how people think the world will end if they fail or do not get good grades in a class. Donehower tells us about those students who are stuck in a class have a fear of getting a lower grade. Those students only think about negative things and they do not want to increase their abilities by doing such things. That is what Carroll argues that people do not want to change their thinking because they are afraid. There is another example by Donehower and he says, "I know of many people in their late 20s who are unhappy in their careers and who regret that they didn 't pursue a wider range of interests while in college." We can find those people who will never be happy in their life even if they have everything. They still have regret with themselves and are stuck with their mentality. Those people are kind of psycho because they think a lot and that is why they cannot agree on one opinion. They get
A contemporary of Piaget from the 1930’s, Lev Vygotsky ( a Russian psychologist and philosopher) was generally connected with the social constructivist theory. He underscores the impact of cultural and social settings in learning and supports a discovery model of learning. This kind of model places the educator in a dynamic role while the students' mental capacities naturally develop through multiple paths of discovery (Lev Vytgosky, n.d.).
Gredler, M. (2012). Understanding Vygotsky for the Classroom: Is It Too Late?. Educational Psychology Review, 24(1), 113-131. doi:10.
Vygotsky placed much more emphasis on language that Piaget (book). Vygotsky’s theory focuses on the role of interpersonal processes and the role of the child’s community and culture which provide a framework from which the child’s construction of meaning develops (book). Although Vygotsky stressed that the process must be in in the context of the child’s culture and the tools available within that culture. Vygotsky was always especially interested in cognitive processes which underline understanding which has led to the concept of shared understandings that occur when people communicate with each other. Vygotsky argued that through the use of language formed through social interaction a child can develop as a thinker and a learner (book). As a conscious individual people could not accomplish very much without the aids and tools within their culture such as language (book). Piaget argued that language was strongly influenced by the underlying cognitive structures within the individual child (book). They also disagreed on the egocentric speech of children. When observing children Piaget concluded that half of the mistakes children made was down to egocentric speech which he argued showed that children have not tried to communicate with another or adapted so others can understand them he also argued that young children did not seem to care if anyone else could understand them and
However, both theorists believed that a person goes through a sequential process during their development. They were also both aware that one gains knowledge through experience and not through passive learning. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory was his main focus and it helped him make sense of a person’s cognitive development through the way they interacted with others and emphasised on one’s social interaction (blabla). Vygotsky focused on how learning consisted of gathering knowledge and skills from the social community and the different attractions a person observes (v2); a process known as internationalization. His theory was based on two key concepts, first that knowledge can be developed through the experiences a child lives (v1), and an example would be a child seeing his parents arguing over their beliefs; he’d learn how he should have his own belief and learn how to argue for it....
He would continue his work as a teacher from 1917-1924, when he resigned to accept a job at the local teacher’s college. There, one of Vygotsky’s responsibilities was to teach courses in psychology, which is what sparked his interest in psychology, specifically cognitive development in children. In 1924, Vygotsky met a man by the name of Alexander Luria who worked at Moscow’s Institute of Psychology (MIP). Impressed by Vygotsky’s work, Luria offered him a job working at MIP, which allowed him the opportunity to work and study the cognitive development of children and adults suffering from numerous kinds of neurological disorders.... ...
Lastly, there is a zone of proximity that Vygotsky believes in. This goes along with his group aspect of learning. He believes that one learns better through life interactions. (Woolfolk, 2004) Similarities in Piaget and Vygotsky In the article we were supposed to read for class this week it says “there are seven similarities: 1) a genetic, i.e., developmental, perspective; 2) a dialectical approach; 3) a non-reductionist view; 4) anon-dualistic thesis; 5) an emphasis on action; 6) a primacy of processes over external contents or outcomes; and 7) a focus on the qualitative changes over the quantitative ones.”
applications have great teaching strategies and can be beneficial to children when learning and role playing.
Lev Vygotsky(1896-1934) was a Russian psychologist who created the Social Development Theory/ Sociocultural Theory. Vygotsky believed that children's mental, language, and social development is supported and enhanced through social interaction. Vygotsky also believed that beginning at birth, children seek out adults for social interactions and that development occurs through these interactions. The belief that social development sets a precedent for development(appeals to the nurture side of development). The general idea from this theory is that being aware, consciousness, and cognition are the end results of socialization and social interaction. It stated that, "Sociocultural approaches to learning and development were first systematized and applied by Vygotsky and his collaborators in Russia in the 1920s and 1930s. They are based on the concept that human activities take in cultural contexts, are mediated by language and other symbol systems, and can be best understood when investigated in their historical development(John-Steiner & Mahn, 1996)." At the core of this theory, " Vygotsky focused on the way that a child co-constructs meaning through social interaction, and the role word meaning plays in the development of thinking(Mahn, 1999)."
Lev Vygotsky developed his theory of learning in the 1920’s but it was not until the late 1960’s that his ideas about learning became popular and were used to contribute to “Constructivism” as a method of teaching. (Krause [et al.] 2010 p. p81).
Growing up, everyone has different upbringings and everyone develops in different ways or at different rates. Their social class, social background, and or gender identities play a large role in the way which they perceive the world and in the way that the world perceives them. According to Vgotsky social interactions play a crucial role in the development of cognition. This term refers to the mental processes that are involved in gaining knowledge and comprehension. These processes include thinking, knowing, remembering, judging
Vygotsky believed that children learn through social interaction with adults. He also believed that dialogue with others help a child in promoting cognitive development. Adults, teachers and peers have major impact on the child development of mental processes.