1. From a social development standpoint, how might we explain Laura's preoccupation with her appearance? In particular, consider this statement by Laura: "I don't want people to think I'm a geek!" Include information from Erikson's theory and social development in general in your response.
According to Erikson, Laura would be in the "Identity vs. Role Confusion" stage. Adolescents are often concerned with their appearance and how they are perceived by others. They are often worried they are always being judged or watched. They believe they are being critiqued by an "imaginary audience." Because adolescents are in between childhood and adulthood, they often question what their role should be and how they fit into the adult world. Laura is unsure of her identity and is constantly worried about the approval of others. She is experiencing "role confusion."
2. In suggesting that Laura join the debating class, Ms. Watkins is hoping to pique an interest in classroom subject matter by capitalizing on Laura's desire to be the center of attention. What two other strategies might the school faculty use to motivate students who seem to be more interested in social matters than in academic pursuits?
If students are more interested in the social aspect of school rather than academic pursuits, teachers should try to incorporate social activity into academic exercises. For students who need social interaction, teachers should involve them in group work during class. They will be able to interact with other students while getting their class work finished. Teachers can also encourage students who need extra social interaction to get involved with differerent school clubs and extra curricular activities. Schools have sports teams, service clubs, academic clubs, etc. By getting involved in these acitivties students will be able to be involved in social interaction and may also be encouraged to focus on their school work.
3. From the perspective of Kohlberg's theory, in which stage of moral development is Laura? Justify your response. How might Mr. Marcalescu help Laura to advance her moral reasoning?
In Kohlberg's perspective, Laura is the "Good boy/Good girl" stage, or stage 3. Laura seems to be extremely worried about how other perceive her. She wants to please those around her, especially popular peers. She does not want to be thought of as a "geek" and when she is called in front of the class unsure of what she is supposed to do, she tries to seem as confident as possible. Mr. Marcalescu could help Laura advance her moral reasoning by relating to Laura of his own experiences in High School and college. He could explain to her how he once felt the pressure to please those around him, especially his peers, and how he later realized how conforming to others standards doesn't matter. This may help Laura to think on her own rather than worry so much about what is going on around her. Mr. Marcalescu could also explain the benefits of obeying laws and how laws maintain order in society. This may help Laura realize that it is important to keep school rules, obey national laws etc, as it keeps everything running smoothly.
4. In what ways might a debating class contribute to students' cognitive, linguistic, social, and moral development?
A debate class is a great arena for students to jumpstart cognitive, linguistic, social and moral development. Cognitively, students are being pushed to think independetly by those they are debating against. They have to draw on prior knowledge, push their brain to think critically about the topic they are debating about, etc. It allows them to develop skills which will enable them to think critcally about other topics in the future. Linguistically, students are able to develop because they are practicing the art of persuasion. In debate students have to learn how to use syntax, vocabularly, and the methods of pathos, ethos, etc, to make the audience belive their argument over their oppenents. It allows students to practice how to effectively communicate with those around them in a clear and pleasing manner. Socially, a debate class almost forces students to communicate effectively about controversial topics. It teaches students how to aruge in hopefully an uncontentious manner. It also allows students to be in a semi-atmosphere of "play" while discussing an academic topic. They are mimicking a real-life situation which will help them be sucessful in the future. Morally, it allows students to see different viewpoints on different controversial matters. It could help students to move into different levels of moral reasoning as they think about the arguments and reasoning of others.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Case Study Analysis - Chapter 2
1. From the perspective of Piaget's theory, in which stage of cognitive development is Laura? Justify your response.
Laura is in the formal operations stage. Through analyzing Laura's debate with Mr. Marculescu, we can see how Laura can comprehend abstract thoughts, such as how to solve the problem of pollution. Laura can think of how to solve this problem and how the world can change. However, Laura exhibits formal operational egocentrism, meaning that although Laura can develop a solution to the idea of pollution. Laura cannot separate who own ideas from practical considerations. Some of her ideas on curing the problem of pollution can simply not be practically asked of people (i.e. people are not going to walk their trash to the landfill).
2. How is Laura's reasoning affected by her knowledge base--that is, by what she does and doesn't know about pollution?
Laura focuses on one main problem of pollution and that is how car exhaust can cause air pollution. Laura obviously knows some facts about how cars can hurt the environment. Her main argument is that people should cease to drive cars as to eliminate damage to the atmosphere. However, Laura seems to feel land fills are not also a serious problem of pollution. She discusses how people will still walk their trash to land fills, but the problem of pollution will be solved because the use of gasoline will be eliminated. Laura's reasoning reveals her knowledge base.
3. By posing a series of questions, Mr. Marculescu continually challenges Laura to reconsider her thinking about the pollution problem. What are potential benefits of this strategy? Use terminology from Piaget's and Vygotsky's theories in your response.
Interation with others and the use of language is important to both Vygotsky and Piaget. Piaget believes when children and adolescents cannot apply a concept into a current scheme, they must either assimilate (adjust a current scheme) or accomodate (create a new scheme) to deal with the new concept. Mr. Marculescu is helping Laura to assimilate her current scheme of thinking about pollution by questioning her reasoning. This is making Laura aware of new viewpoints (whether or not she accepts them).
Vygotsky believes strongly in the mentoring of young and adolescent children by adults. The situation occurring between Mr. Marculescu and Laura is a perfect example of a cognitive apprenticeship. In a cognitive apprenticeship, someone who is older and more expriences explains how they think and reason about a certain topic in order to help a younger and less experienced individual learn how to reason on his or her own. Through his questioning, Mr. Marculescu is giving Laura cues as to how she should properly think about pollution.
4. How does this scenario represent Piaget's and Vygotsky's conceptions of play?
As I said before, both Piaget and Vygotsky believe very strongly in the benefits of social interaction. Piaget believes young children and adolescents learn as they socially interact with others. As Laura is interacting with Mr. Marculescu, she is engaging different parts of her brain that she ay not have used on her own. Through interacting with Mr. Marculescu, Laura is thinking about pollution and associating them with her interactions with Mr. Marculescu. By having some sort of connection, Laura will be able to better remember what she is learning.
Vygotsky believes strongly in the concept of "play." Vygotsky argues that play helps a person develop cognitively. When children play, they often imitate real world situations. Laura and Mr. Marculescu are simulating a debate, which often happens in the business and work atmostphere. Mr. Marculescu is helping model a real world situation which will help Laura understand how to appropriately argue in the future.
Laura is in the formal operations stage. Through analyzing Laura's debate with Mr. Marculescu, we can see how Laura can comprehend abstract thoughts, such as how to solve the problem of pollution. Laura can think of how to solve this problem and how the world can change. However, Laura exhibits formal operational egocentrism, meaning that although Laura can develop a solution to the idea of pollution. Laura cannot separate who own ideas from practical considerations. Some of her ideas on curing the problem of pollution can simply not be practically asked of people (i.e. people are not going to walk their trash to the landfill).
2. How is Laura's reasoning affected by her knowledge base--that is, by what she does and doesn't know about pollution?
Laura focuses on one main problem of pollution and that is how car exhaust can cause air pollution. Laura obviously knows some facts about how cars can hurt the environment. Her main argument is that people should cease to drive cars as to eliminate damage to the atmosphere. However, Laura seems to feel land fills are not also a serious problem of pollution. She discusses how people will still walk their trash to land fills, but the problem of pollution will be solved because the use of gasoline will be eliminated. Laura's reasoning reveals her knowledge base.
3. By posing a series of questions, Mr. Marculescu continually challenges Laura to reconsider her thinking about the pollution problem. What are potential benefits of this strategy? Use terminology from Piaget's and Vygotsky's theories in your response.
Interation with others and the use of language is important to both Vygotsky and Piaget. Piaget believes when children and adolescents cannot apply a concept into a current scheme, they must either assimilate (adjust a current scheme) or accomodate (create a new scheme) to deal with the new concept. Mr. Marculescu is helping Laura to assimilate her current scheme of thinking about pollution by questioning her reasoning. This is making Laura aware of new viewpoints (whether or not she accepts them).
Vygotsky believes strongly in the mentoring of young and adolescent children by adults. The situation occurring between Mr. Marculescu and Laura is a perfect example of a cognitive apprenticeship. In a cognitive apprenticeship, someone who is older and more expriences explains how they think and reason about a certain topic in order to help a younger and less experienced individual learn how to reason on his or her own. Through his questioning, Mr. Marculescu is giving Laura cues as to how she should properly think about pollution.
4. How does this scenario represent Piaget's and Vygotsky's conceptions of play?
As I said before, both Piaget and Vygotsky believe very strongly in the benefits of social interaction. Piaget believes young children and adolescents learn as they socially interact with others. As Laura is interacting with Mr. Marculescu, she is engaging different parts of her brain that she ay not have used on her own. Through interacting with Mr. Marculescu, Laura is thinking about pollution and associating them with her interactions with Mr. Marculescu. By having some sort of connection, Laura will be able to better remember what she is learning.
Vygotsky believes strongly in the concept of "play." Vygotsky argues that play helps a person develop cognitively. When children play, they often imitate real world situations. Laura and Mr. Marculescu are simulating a debate, which often happens in the business and work atmostphere. Mr. Marculescu is helping model a real world situation which will help Laura understand how to appropriately argue in the future.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Contract Review #1
What I am doing well...
Something I feel I am doing well with is 1) staying up with the rythm of the course and 2) reviewing the information that I have learned in class. I feel as though I have been able to complete all of the needed assignments and I have felt very comfortable with the information I have learned in class. I am grateful for all of the different angles you have taken with each topic because it has helped me grately in remembering all I have learned.
What am I not doing well...
Something I need to be better at is planning ahead for big assignments. We have the multiple intelligences project and the visits we need to make to a secondary classroom which I have not planned to start yet. I would like to be more on top of these two things.
Am I making progress on my goals...
I feel as though in some aspects I am making progress on my goals. I feel good about all of the assignments I have completed thus far, but as I said before I need to continue to go over what lies ahead in the class so I can be prepared for big assignments. This is something I still need to work on.
Things I need to change in order to meet my goals...
1) I need to be more diligent in looking ahead at my calendar.
2) I need to plan out specific time to complete big projects.
Something I feel I am doing well with is 1) staying up with the rythm of the course and 2) reviewing the information that I have learned in class. I feel as though I have been able to complete all of the needed assignments and I have felt very comfortable with the information I have learned in class. I am grateful for all of the different angles you have taken with each topic because it has helped me grately in remembering all I have learned.
What am I not doing well...
Something I need to be better at is planning ahead for big assignments. We have the multiple intelligences project and the visits we need to make to a secondary classroom which I have not planned to start yet. I would like to be more on top of these two things.
Am I making progress on my goals...
I feel as though in some aspects I am making progress on my goals. I feel good about all of the assignments I have completed thus far, but as I said before I need to continue to go over what lies ahead in the class so I can be prepared for big assignments. This is something I still need to work on.
Things I need to change in order to meet my goals...
1) I need to be more diligent in looking ahead at my calendar.
2) I need to plan out specific time to complete big projects.
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