Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development

I am having a hard time understanding schemes in Piaget's theory of cognitive development so I am omitting them from his theory.  I do believe that the main points are here.  There are assumptions too by Piaget but I am not writing about it since the word scheme dominated.  Keep in mind that the age ranges are averages. 

  

(The man himself.)

1. Sensorimotor Stage (birth to age 2) The book uses the example involving a clown.  When a child sees a colorful clown he will reach and try grabbing it until the clown is put in a box.  Children focus on what they are doing and seeing at the moment in the sensorimotor stage.  Before their first birthday, they make the realization that disappeared objects still exist when children develop object permanence.  Also cause-and-effect relationships are formed by realizing that certain actions cause certain results.  In the latter half of the second year, children reach symbolic thought, the ability to represent and think about external objects and events in one's mind.  

2. Preoperational Stage (age 2 until age 6 or 7) I am confused why the preoperational stage is essentially defined "...children can think about objects and events beyond their immediate view but do not reason in logical, adultlike ways." This is the definition of symbolic thought that occurs in stage one.  Anyways a language explosion occurs as children can think about a wide range of objects and events.  With this explosion new verbal communication develops but it's limited.  Children have preoperational egocentrism, the inability to view other people's perspective and as a result sometimes engage in egocentric speech.  Egocentric speech is verbal communication from a child without knowing another child's perspective and knowledge.

            
Another limit that children have is lack of conservation.  If they were showed picture I above they probably would say that both cups have the same amount of water but in picture II that there is more water in cup C because it's taller.  Conservation is the ability to recognize that if nothing is added or taken away, the amount stays the same regardless of changes in shape or arrangement. 

3. Concrete Operations Stage (age 6 or 7 until age 11 or 12) In the concrete operations stage, adultlike logic appears but is limited to concrete reality. Preoperational egocentrism disappears and children realize other perspectives and opinions.  Conservation is able to be done by children as well as deductive reasoning, the process of drawing a true logical inference from information that is true. 

4. Formal Operations Stage (age 11 or 12 through adulthood) When logical reasoning processes are applied to abstract ideas and concrete ones too then the student has reached the formal operations stage. Abilities important for science and math occur such as formulating and testing multiple hypothesis and separating and controlling variables.  Students now will be able to understand infinity and pi.  Along with the mathematics and science understanding is viewing how the world could become better.  Formal operational egocentrism may occur, the inability to differentiate abstract logic from other perspectives and from practical considerations.  An example of this could be a student hears that the way to end poverty is socialism, lower taxes and capitalism and might think all would work since they can't separate the perspectives. 

Ch. 2 - Cognitive and Linguistic Development - Human Development

Before we venture into questionable theories, there are generalities that normally hold true.



1. The sequence of development is somewhat predictable.  For example before a student becomes proficient in abstract thinking they probably have progressed from thinking logically about concrete objects and observable events.


2. Children develop at difference rates.  I think this is obvious because in school we have seen people who master material quickly and slowly and in between.  However, recognizing ages that students develop in general can be helpful.  At three children can draw triangular and square shapes, at seven or eight they can use repetition as a learning tool and around eleven boys and girls reach puberty. 


3. Development is often marked by spurts and plateaus.  Children may only be able to speak one word sentences for months and have a language explosion at age two.  Also height follows this trend as children in the early elementary school years grow two or three inches a year but in early adolescence they may grow five inches per year.


4. Heredity guides development to some extent.  Our genes influence dispositions such as being shy or outgoing, calm or irritable.  Heredity continues to affect us as we grow through a process called maturation.


5. Environmental factors also make substantial contributions to development.  A large society (such as a state, province or country) normally has three "layers" of environments that affect them.  The most influential is the family, with its practices, relationships between siblings and grandparents, nutrition and medical care and education activities.  Surrounding the family is the layer neighborhood and community, which provides support such as preschools, after-school homework assistance programs, libraries and museums. At even broader level, the state or province in which children live influences them through legislation that governs school policy, tax dollars that flow back to schools, agencies and professional groups offering guidance to teachers and families. Included in all three is culture, the behaviors and beliefs that characterize the long-standing social group.


6. Heredity and environment interact in their effects.
Psychologists have found that heredity and the environment cannot be disentangled, a great verb for it.  A child could have a gene to be tall but if nutrition is inadequate, then the gene loses its affect.  A person could have a shy demeanor but a situation such as becoming more involved in school could cause the temperament to change into more outgoing.

Ch. 1 - Educational Psychology and Teacher Decision Making - Ormrod's Own Psychological Survey

See whether you agree/disagree with these statements.

1. Some children are predominately left-brain thinkers, whereas others are predominately right-brain thinkers.

2. When you compare boys and girls, we find that the two groups are, on average, similar in mathematical and verbal abilities.

3. The best way to learn and remember a new fact is to repeat it over and over.

4. Although students initially have many misconceptions about the world, they quickly revise their thinking once their parents present information that contradicts their existing beliefs.

5. Taking notes during a lecture usually interferes with the learning process more than it helps.

6.  Students often misjudge how much they know about a topic.

7. When a teacher rewards one student for an appropriate behavior, the behavior of other students may also improve.

8. Anxiety sometimes helps students learn and perform more successfully in the classroom.

9. When teachers have children tutor their classmates in academic subject matter, the tutor gains very little from  the process.

10. The way in which teachers assess students' learning influence what and how the students actually learn.



Now let's see what's true and isn't.

1.  Some children are predominately left-brain thinkers, whereas others are predominately right-brain thinkers.  I thought this was true at first.  But actually the left and right parts of the brain work together often even with simple tasks.

2. When you compare boys and girls, we find that the two groups are, on average, similar in mathematical and verbal abilities.  I thought this was true and I am correct.  I thought there was a stereotype that males are better at math and females are better with verbal abilities.  Any difference between boys and girls in these two categories is too small to make a difference.

 3. The best way to learn and remember a new fact is to repeat it over and over.
This primitive way of learning is ineffective. Students learn when they relate information to something already learned.  One effective way is elaboration, when a student takes new information and puts it in context with what was previously learned.  Another effective way to learn is to make an acronym of the beginning letters of a list and make a catchy phrase starting with the letters.  Also associating pictures with words can be helpful.

4. Although students initially have many misconceptions about the world, they quickly revise their thinking once their parents present information that contradicts their existing beliefs.
This is too good to be true.  Actually students hold strong to their misconceptions even with contradictory truth.  One of the biggest challenges of teachers is to help discard their erroneous beliefs.

5. Taking notes during a lecture usually interferes with the learning process more than it helps.
I thought this was obviously false and turns out it is.  Thanks goodness because I've taken a lot of notes in classes.  As I've experienced this helps retain information in memory.  Some people may remember where the words are on the paper and this will trigger the information.  Also a student can refer to important topics from the lecture whereas the the person who didn't take notes may forget them.

6.  Students often misjudge how much they know about a topic.
 This is true and probably decreases as the student sees his performance with many tests.  A student may mindlessly read a chapter or copy definitions and believe he has mastered the material.

7. When a teacher rewards one student for an appropriate behavior, the behavior of other students may also improve.
True.  A student may see how one got a reward and try to do the action as well.  It's good that this action can have a multiple effect.

8. Anxiety sometimes helps students learn and perform more successfully in the classroom.
 There is positive and negative anxiety so the answer is true.  A moderate level of anxiety is productive for easy tasks.  Also a slight amount of anxiety with public speaking sharpens the speaker. 

9.  When teachers have children tutor their classmates in academic subject matter, the tutor gains very little from  the process.
Having to explain information to a student has enhanced my comprehension of subject matter.  Both the tutor and the person being tutored gain in the tutoring process.  

10.  The way in which teachers assess students' learning influence what and how the students actually learn.
This is true.  Students have a higher tendency to study material in the certain way they are going to be assessed.  If the way they are going to assessed is not through multiple forms then learning will become stagnant.  Since students will focus on the material that is going to be on test, teachers need to make sure the information is important.

Explanation

 

I am writing my interpretation of Educational Psychology Developing Learners by Jeanne Ellis Ormrod.  I try to focus on the main parts of the book and explain concepts in a more understandable way.  I have had Educational Psychology with Dr. Corrigan at Marshall University so I will be able to add insights from this great teacher.  Feel free to comment and agree/disagree with me.