Educational Development Theories

Developmental theory, with Piaget as the most prominent theorist, presents the idea that children actively construct knowledge as they manipulate and explore the world around them. Development is seen to take place in broad stages from birth through to adulthood, with each stage characterized by qualitatively distinct ways of thinking. However, some developmental theorists, in contrast to Piaget, place more emphasis on personal, social and emotional development rather than cognitive development and prefer to delay ‘academic’ experiences until later, for instance after the age of seven years in Steiner’s theory.

The teacher could place two cups that have the same amount of liquid in the cups but because one of the cups is taller than the other the child is going to think the taller glass has more liquid in it. The third stage is the concrete operational stage which occurs during ages seven to eleven. The term concrete operational means the child can reason only about tangible objects presents. So the child can conserve and think logically but only with practical aids. Thinking becomes less egocentric with increased awareness of external events. The fourth and final stage is the formal operational stage which occurs during ages eleven to fifteen. This stage focuses on hypothetical thinking and scientific reasoning. Piaget believed that only children can learn when they are ‘ready’ to learn. He also believed that development couldn 't be ‘sped up.’ Piaget believed that children learned through the resolution of disequilibrium (self discovery, active participation). He believed that teachers should ‘bend’ to children’s needs, provide an appropriate environment, promote self discovery, exploratory learning, self-motivated learning, and set challenges to existing schemes.

There are many different theories of development that help us to understand children’s behaviour, reactions and ways of learning. All equally important as they influence practice. To begin with there is Piaget’s constructivist theories which look at the way in which children seem to be able to make sense of their world as a result of their experiences and how they are active learners. He also suggested that as children develop so does their thinking. Piaget’s work has influenced early years settings into providing more hands on and relevant tasks for children and young people. In other words the children are ‘learning through play’. Teachers are working out the needs of children and plan activities accordingly.

There is a plethora of child development theories that have a degree of influence over current practice. Each of which both have criticism and contrasting theories.

From the day they are born, children are immersed in a social world. Rapid learning takes place and is supported not only by parents, siblings, teachers and friends but also the important values and beliefs within their culture. All of this provides the foundations for cognitive development. As trainee teachers, it is fundamental that we have a deeper understanding of how children learn and how we can support learning. In order to do this we must first look at some of the theories of learning.

Victoria is the first child that I interviewed. She is 10 years old, in the 4th grade and attends Midland Academy. According to Piaget, she is in the concrete operational stage. In this stage, children’s reasoning becomes focused and logical. Task 11 and 12 focused on abstraction of class. In task 11, she knew there were circles in a row, the colors were all in a row, and immediately she knew the big blue circle was

B) our ability to modify our behavior based on the prospect of rewards or punishment.

Compare and contrast Karl Marx’s and Walt Rostow’s theories of stages of social and economic development.

The teachers at Alana school had watched her and they see that there is a problem, but what do they do now, and how can they turn things around for Alana? Should we just push Alana through and hope that things will get better? Alana is 10 years old but not on the developmental level of the other 10-year-olds in her school. Today we will focus on the different factors that could be affecting Alana social development, what strategies could we enforce within her family, teachers, and community that would help with Alana’s social interaction with her peers, and how will Alana’s current socialization effect the way she see adult roles in the university and community. Right now, Alana is slipping through the cracks and need help. As caring caregivers, it is up to us to implement a plan to help

Freud’s Theory : Freud believed that most human behavior is motivated by the unconscious mind.

Education is now becoming a very contentious issue in the developed nations. With the advent of globalization, many nations are now competing with emerging markets jobs and subsequent innovation. In order to maintain competitive advantage relative to other peer nations, America must first focus on education. The manner in which to enhance education has long been debated. Various topics such as antiquated course material, school locations, teacher salary, the viability of standardized tests, and teacher quality have all been discussed. It is my belief however, that the age in which a child begins education is paramount to the overall developing of the child and the facility. Using Paiget's theory, concepts such classroom planning, activities, and classroom design, are all impacted. What is unique with Piaget's theory is that is provides a unique approach that is customizable rather than standardized. As the cultural diversity of the developed nations increases, so too will the need to have a customizable approach to toddler learning.

I would consider myself as developing with practicing child development theories. However, now that I have spent a couple of weeks with students, making the connection to the literature is easier. After reading the student’s paragraph during an assessment, I observed that most students in the class did not know how to write in cursive script. My mentor and I are in the beginning stages of planning a lesson that I could teach on typography; using type as art to include their signatures on the back of their artwork.

Piaget and Vygotsky on how children learn Strategies and ways to deal with educating have been incredibly impacted by the examination of Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. Both have added to the field of education by giving clarifications for kids' psychological education styles and capacities. While Piaget and Vygotsky may vary on how they see intellectual improvement in kids, both offer teachers great proposals on how educate certain material in a formatively suitable way. Piaget suggested that subjective advancement from baby to adult grown-up happens in four all inclusive and successive stages: sensorimotor, pre-process, solid process, and formal process (Woolfolk, A., 2004).

Child development theories explain how children grow and change in their childhood. These theories center around various aspects of child development such as cognitive growth, social and emotional aspects.

Theories of Development: Guidance in Helping Claudia Most theorists believe that an affirmative family dynamic plays a vital role to the way a child is shaped for his or her future. A child who experiences a secure attachment with their parents, will also be successful in seeking out positive experiences in social circles (Benoit, 2004 October). In the same respect, a child who does not get to experience a real attachment, will struggle as they grow (Benoit, 2004 October). Either way, from as early as infancy, the way a child is raised, will shape their behaviors for the rest of their lives (Benoit, 2004 October). So what happens to a child who doesn 't get the chance to bond to a caregiver? Many cognitive and social issues arise, and the child struggles not only within themselves, but also within their societal group.