Lev Vygotsky

Assumptions: 
1)  learning occurs according to a developmental trajectory 2)  cognitive skills are structured by language 3)  concerned with the importance of social relations in culture

learning --> situated and collaborative 
Language leads to thinking and learning, and those then lead to knowing.


Zone of Proximal Development: 
- Teacher becomes aware of the level of knowledge of a certain student. And then sets a task just above what the student can do on their own. This causes the student to put in more effort than they would if the task was set at a level of their exact knowledge. 
- As a teacher you have to provide the student with guidance and assistance along the way to achieving the task


Scaffolding:
- direct teaching, providing required information - answering student questions - guided practice

Formative Assessment: (aka Assessment for Learning)

- collection of learning to judge where the student is at

- as a teacher, this allows us to be able to find the right Zone of Proximal Development for each student specifically

Important !! 

- dialog between a student and teacher, this communication leads to rational organization 

Jean Piaget

Cognitive Process
Schema: concept map to organize information
Assimilation: new information that fits into our already structured schema
Accommodation: new information that does not fit into our schema (rearrangement is needed)

Piaget's Stages

1. Sensorimotor (babies-two years)
   - motor skills 
   - hunger, emotion
2. Preoperational (two-seven years)
   - beginning of language use
   - understands the world
   - egocentrism ("I")
3. Concrete Operational (seven-eleven years)
   - reasoning through problems
   - mental operations that are reversible
4. Formal Operational (eleven-fifteen years, through Adulthood)
   - abstract reasoning
   - hypothetical deductive reasoning, problem solving
   - new forms of egocentrism, adolescent egocentrism   

Concerns

• some children develop these stages slower or faster 
• stages aren't necessarily so distinct - there is blending between stages that can occur
• training and cultural experiences can impact cognitive development 

We have to take these concerns into consideration when dealing with children of all ages. Everyone develops and ages differently and we have to be respectful of their individuality. As a teacher you must be aware of where the children are, in terms of their development, and react in ways that will help them grow and continue to develop at a steady rate. 

Why Be A Teacher?

     I really enjoy being around children and being able to interact with them. It is always a new experience with them no matter what you are doing. I developed my love for kids through babysitting and having a little brother. Learning how they react to different situations is very interesting to me. 

     I've always had a good relationship with my teachers throughout my education and I value the time and effort they put in to help me and my fellow classmates succeed. I first thought about being a teacher a few months before high school graduation. I realized that without those memorable teachers I wouldn't enjoy school as much as I do now. I wanted to be a apart of children's education to be able to provide them with the same great experience that I myself have received.  

--My Graduation--
Notre Dame Class Of 2010

     I am committed to becoming a elementary school teacher. I chose this age group because they are always wanting to learn new things. They are so energetic and willing to participate in activities that as a teacher it would be easy to get them involved in the learning rather than just preach and lecture them. I believe that teaching these children would bring new learning curves and experiences every day, and I think that because you teach a new set of kids each year that the job of being a teacher would never seem repetitive and boring. I also think that being able to teach children at a young age allows you to watch them grow and keeps you young. 


   This song by Waylon Jennings is from my childhood. This blog entry got me thinking about what I thought I wanted to be when i was little, and what I'm doing now. It is funny to look back and think about what we wanted to be when we are little, whether it was a Doctor, the President, a Princess, etc. I realized that a teacher had never crossed my mind as something I would want to one day be. 

Exercise and Learning

http://www.cbc.ca/thenational/indepthanalysis/story/2009/10/06/national-braingains.html

     In class we watched this video clip about how exercise can help promote learning. This got me thinking about ways in which past teachers in the school years leading up to post-secondary and even profs which I now have in college have used exercise in our day to day classroom learning in order to get us more focused and ready to learn.

     Throughout elementary school and middle school things like recess and gym class allowed a break from learning and a chance to run around after being seated for a few hours. This activity allowed students to return back to class with a refreshed mind and ready to learn again.

     Even things we have done in this education psychology class engage us in conversations and allow us to relate more with fellow students. Simple things like rearranging our desks into groups, this gives us a break from the lecture and allows us to bounce ideas off of each other. This exercise broadens our perspectives on several topics and lets us experience a different type of learning.

     When I have my own classroom I will try and incorporate active learning into my lessons to keep my students fully involved and interested in what I am teaching. Even things like going outside for a period to do some reading on a sunny day can make the learning environment more enjoyable for me and my students.