First Section Flashcards
Development
Changes in humans between conception and birth. Doesn’t refer to all changes, but the ones that appear in orderly ways and remain for a reasonably long time
-personal, social, physical ,cognitive
Which of these types of development: physical, personal, cognitive, and social is probably least affected by environmental factors?
Physical because maturation and physical changes occur naturally and are genetically programmed, where the other changes are effected by the environment
Cognitive Development
Gradual, orderly changes by which mental processes become more sophisticated and complex: thinking, reasoning, decision making
Maturation
Genetically programmed naturally occurring changes over time that are relatively unaffected by the environment
Three principles of development
- People develop at different rates
- Development is relatively orderly
- Development takes place gradually
Development and functions of the Cerebral Cortex
Last part of the brain to develop, so more susceptible to environmental influences. Maturation:
- physical motor movement
- senses like vision & hearing
- frontal lobe that controls higher-order thinking processes
What part of the cortex develops last and what are its functions?
Frontal lobe that controls higher-order thinking processes
Discuss lateralization and potential implications for teaching and learning
Specialization of two hemispheres of brain cortex. Goes back and forth working together, one side is just more effective at the task
-Young children have more plasicity, and are more adaptable and flexible because they aren’t as specialized yet
Define and explain functions of neurons and synapses
Neurons are nerve cells that store & transfer information. Synapses are the tiny spaces between neurons & messages are sent across these gaps
What is brain-based education and what might be some implications for teaching and learning?
- Neuroscience research on how the brain works
- Can help with learning disabilities because goes from an understanding on how the brain works to understanding of cognitive practices
Lateralization
The specialization of the two hemispheres of the brain cortex. Work together, one side is just more effective at certain tasks
-left side of brain right side of body
Myelination
Process where neural fibers are coated with a fatty glial covering called myelin that makes message transfer more efficient and faster. (lube)
Synapses
Tiny space between neurons, chemical messages are sent across these gaps. Kids have more than adults.
Neurons
Nerve cells that store & transfer information
When do neurons begin to form?
4 weeks after conception
What is cell migration?
Cells moving through the gleal “highway” & neurons have an idea of where they’re migrating to
What determines brain wiring?
Genes, a genetic blueprint
What is pruning and why does it occur?
- If connections between neurons are used they are strengthened, if not they are lost. “use it or lose it”
- Inappropriate connections are pruned
Which factors that influence thinking are thought by Piaget to be genetic or inherited tendencies?
- Organization: combining, arranging, recombining, rearranging behaviors & thoughts into coherent systems and schemes (mental filing cabinets, way of organizing to make sense of environment)
- Adaptation: adjusting to environment (learning)
a. assimilation: fitting new info into existing schemes (kid calls racoon a kitty)
b. accommodation: alter existing schemes/creating new ones in response to new info
Equilibration
Search for mental balance between cognitive schemes and information from the environment
- if we apply a scheme to a situation and it works then equilibration exists
- status quo, normal
Disequilibration
Out of balance state that occurs when person realizes their current ways of thinking aren’t working to solve a problem or understand a situation
-motivates us to keep searching for a solution through assimilating and accommodation, so our thinking changes
Piaget 4 stages of development
- Sensorimotor: 0-2 yrs: learns through reflexes, senses, movement
- object permenence: objects do not cease to exist when they are out of sight
- goal-directed actions: deliberate actions toward a goal - Preoperational:2-7: ability to use symbols
- semiotic function: ability to use symbols, language, pictures, signs or gestures to represent actions or objects mentally
- doesn’t understand past, present, future
- reversible thinking: thinking backward, from end to beginning (hard for preoperational stage)
- conservation: principle that some characteristics of an object remain the same despite changes in appearance (paper in pieces)
- egocentric: assuming that others experience the world the way you do, seen as immature - Concrete Operational: 7-11 years, understands conservation & organizes things into categories & series
- understands past, present, future
- can reverse thinking to undo actions
- “hands-on” thinking
- compensation: principle that changes in one dimension can be offset by changes in another (glass)
- classification: grouping objects into categories
- decentering: focusing on more than one aspect at a time
- seriation: arranging objects in sequential order according to one aspect, such as size, weight, or volume - Formal Operational: 12-, can see multipe perspectives,
- hypothetico-deductive reasoning: problem solving
Object Permenece
Objects do not cease to exist when they are out of sight
Sensorimotor Stage
- first stage, 0-2 years
- learns through reflexes, senses, movemement
- object permenence: objects do not cease to exist when they are out of sight
- goal directed acitons: deliberate actions toward a goal
Preoperational Stage
- 2nd stage, 2-7 yrs
- ability to use symbols
- semiotic function: ability to use symbols, language, pictures, signs or gestures to represent actions or objects mentally
- doesn’t understand past, present, future
- reversible thinking: thinking backward, from end to beginning (hard for this stage)
- conservation: principle that some characteristics of an object remain the same despite changes in appearance (pieces of paper)
- egocentric: assuming that others experience the world the way you do, seen as immature
Concrete Operational Stage
- 3rd stage, 7-11 years
- understands past, present, & future
- can reverse thinking and undo actions
- “hands-on” thinking
- compensation: principle that changes in one dimension can be offset by changes in another (glass)
- classification: grouping objects into categories
- seriation: arranging objects in sequenced order according to one aspect, such as size, weight, or volume
Compensation
Principle that changes in one dimension can be offset by changes in another (glass)
-Concrete Operational Stage
Seriation
Arranging objects in sequential order according to one aspect, such as size, weight, or volume
-Concrete operational stage
Formal Operational Stage
4th stage, 12-
-hypothetico-deductive reasoning: problem solving
Decentering
- focusing on more than one aspect at a time
- Concrete operational stage
Limitations to Piagets theory
- No environmental factors considered
- defines stages with certainty
Vygotkys theory of development
Sociocultural Theory: emphasizes role of cooperative dialogues between children and more knowledgeable members of society
-Children learn the culture of their community through these interactions
Cultural tools
The real tools (laptops, scales) and symbol systems (numbers, language) that allow people in society to communicate, think, solve problems, etc.
Collective monologue
Form of speech in which children in a group talk but do not really communicate or interact
- Piaget termed
- self directed talk egocentric talk
- indication that kids can’t see the world through the eyes of others
Private Speech
- Children’s self-talk, which guides their action and thinking
- Eventually, these interactions are internalized as silent inner speech, child learns to regulate behavior using language tools: self-regulation
- Vgotsky saw as positive
Zone of Proximal Development
Phase at which a child can master a task if given appropriate help and support, area between current level and level they can achieve with help of others
-provide scaffolding and assistance
Three themes of Yvgotsky
- role/importance of culture
- cognitive deveopment is dependent on social interaction & co-construction of meaning through shared experiences
- cultures dictate what we have to learn and the sort of skills we need to develop - central role of language
- Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
Role of culture in Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development
- learn language
- social interaction & co-construction of meaning through shared expereinces
- use of cultural tools and symbols
- what we have to learn and the sort of skills to develop (fishing village vs. nyc)
- biological & cultural development do not occur in isolation, but rather are interconnected
