Lev Vygotsky, A Russian Developmental Psychologist

Lev Vygotsky, a Russian developmental psychologist, was born in Orsha, Belarus on November 17, 1896. His primary education was provided at home by his mother and he then entered public school for his secondary education and graduated at seventeen followed by attendance at the University of Moscow. He originally chose medicine as his course of study, but switched to law. During this time he also studied humanities and psychology at Shanyavsky University.3 Upon graduating from college in 1917 he began to teach literature and philosophy as well as pursue his interest in the fine arts. 1 Soon after Vygotsky graduated, the Russian Revolution occurred and Marxism took its hold on the region.4 Vygotsky was heavily influenced by the Marxist cause†¦show more content†¦This refers to the influence having more knowledge and ability with respect to concepts and skills. †¢ Zone of Proximal Development – simply stated this is the expanse between the ability to independently solve a problem and perform the associated task and the need to do so with guidance. Because of inherent limitations of learning without an external influence, this â€Å"zone† represents the learner’s potential. The key is to challenge the learner’s ability with guidance, and gradually reduce the assistance as it becomes apparent that learning occurs. †¢ Authentic Activities – the need to mimic real life situations and activities with learning. Vygotsky’s theory is considered to be a component of the Constructivism philosophy of education which states that humans learn from experience.7,8 With this philosophy learning is considered to be an active process in which the learner â€Å"builds† knowledge based on personal experiences and social interactions.8 Several references emphasized the fact that Constructivism is not a pedagogy theory, and that the learner constructs knowledge through the exposure to a variety of pedagogical approaches.8 This philosophy was also influenced by: †¢ Jean Piaget who postulated learning occurs in four stages: 1) assimilation and accommodation with one’s environment; 2) interaction with physical environment that produces object classification;Show MoreRelatedLev Vygotsky Essay Outline835 Words   |  4 PagesLev Vygotsky was known as the creator of an original branch of psychology in the Soviet union. He is also known for writing many books on psychology. In the first part of my paper I will begin telling you how young Vygotsky got into psychology for the first time.Second, I will talk about his theories and thesis that changed the psychological world forever. Somehow our society has formed a one-sided view of the human personality, and for some reason everyone understood giftedness and talent onlyRead MoreVygotsky And Vygotsky Theories Of Learning1257 Words   |  6 PagesTheories of learning In this essay, I will compare and contrast jean Piaget and lev Vygotsky theories of learning. First, I will discuss Piaget followed by Vygotsky then I will compare and contrast both theorists. Jean Piaget was a Swiss developmental psychologist and philosopher, he is known for his contribution to a theory of cognitive development. Piaget became interested in the reasons why children gave the wrong answers to questions that required logical thinking. He believed that these incorrectRead MoreHoarding!752 Words   |  4 PagesIQ An intelligence quotient, or IQ, is a score derived from one of several standardized tests designed to assess intelligence. The abbreviation IQ comes from the German term Intelligenz-Quotient, originally coined by psychologist William Stern. When modern IQ tests are devised, the mean (average) score within an age group is set to 100 and the standard deviation (SD) almost always to 15, although this was not always so historically. Thus, the intention is that approximately 95% of the populationRead MoreWgu Fht Task 11675 Words   |  7 Pagesthat are commonly known in the field of cognitive development are Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. These two theorists agree on the several concepts of cognitive development but differ on others, the most commonly agreed difference among all theorists involved in cognitive development is the simple yet complex question of how cognitive development occurs. Jean Piaget, born 1896 and died 1980, was a Swiss psychologist; his focused was on the way an individual child acts upon an object in their environmentRead MoreDevelopment Of A Child And Adult1552 Words   |  7 PagesHowever, everyone takes in educational concepts differently and all adults and children have different speeds in which they develop. This concept leads to a few proposed theories which were studied by Lev Vygotsky and Jean Piaget in the early 20th century, possibly changing the way educators and psychologists viewed the development of a child and adult although their work did not receive light until recently. Between these educators, there are theories which are effective and some that are not, arisingRead MoreLev Vygotsky And The Zone Of Proximal Development1522 Words   |  7 PagesLev Vygotsky and the Zone of Proximal Development Under normal circumstances, a child will physically develop without outside assistance. While there can be variations by way of culture, class, and ability, it is difficult to contest that human nature is the driving force behind the bodily changes that take place from birth until adulthood. In contrast, when it comes to determining the ways in which a child thinks and learns, there are numerous theories on what primarily influences cognitive growthRead MoreAnalysis Of Eriksons Theory On Early Childhood Education1212 Words   |  5 Pagesthe earliest and the most indispensable virtue inherent in the state of being alive. If life is to be sustained hope must remain, even where confidence is wounded, trust impaired. - Erik Erikson Erik Erikson (1902-1994) was a Germon born developmental psychologist and psychoanalyst known for his theory on psychosocial development of human lie. He is most famous for devising the phrase â€Å"identity crisis.† Erikson was a Harvard professor although he never earned a bachelor’s degree. Erik EriksonRead MoreSociocultural Learning Affects the Development of Children Essay1491 Words   |  6 Pagesof Children Lev Vygotsky believed that children learn from their own experience. As a teacher I have grown to learn that Vygotsky’s findings are true in so many ways. Just from watching the children in my classroom I see that the Zone of Proximal Development and Scaffolding play a huge part in the development of a child. Lev Vygotsky has had increasing influence on the practices of early childhood professionals. (Morrison, 2009). The work of the Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky provided theRead MoreVygotsky And Piaget s Theory Of Cognitive Development Innate Or Learned?1241 Words   |  5 PagesComparing Vygotsky and Piaget Jayne Enneking Northcentral University Comparing Vygotsky and Piaget Which comes first, the chicken or the egg? Is cognitive development innate or learned? These are two age old questions that have been discusssed extensively. The purpose of this paper is to offer insight into the answer of the latter by briefly comparing and contrasting Lev Vygotsky and Jean Piaget’s cognitive developmental theories. Both psychologists’ theories will be outlined, as will the similaritiesRead MoreEssay Sociocultural Theory: Lev Vygotsky1112 Words   |  5 PagesLev Vygotsky was a Russian psychologist, born November 17, 1896, who had a wide range of interests that included the cognitive and language development of children. Vygotsky’s theories are somewhat incomplete due to his death at the young age of 38 from tuberculosis. Vygotsky faced many struggles in life that he was able to overcome, such as being a young Jewish boy who grew up in a time where the Russian District limited the number of Jews who were allowed to be educated at a Universit y level

New Zealand Native Plants By Miguel Derraik - 914 Words

Year 9 Research Task 2 – New Zealand Native Plants By Miguel Derraik 1. PLANT GROUPS There are five main plant groups (although this division is not always consistent): Thallophytes - aquatic organisms whose body is not separated into stem and leaves, have no vascular bundles and reproduce asexually 1, e.g. Neptune’s necklace (Hormosira banksii) (Figure 1) and the bull kelp (Durvillaea antarctica). Figure 1: Neptune’s necklace (Hormosira banksii) Bryophytes - is a group consisting of three divisions: hornworts, liverworts and mosses. Bryophytes do not have water conducting vessels and they need aquatic and terrestrial environments to complete their life cycle 2, e.g. the moss Beeveria and Sphagnum (Figure 2) 5. Figure 2: The moss Sphagnum Pteridophytes - The Pteridophyte is a flowerless and seedless group of plants, with well developed vascular bundles, and true plant body parts. These are known as ferns, such as the silver fern (Cyathea dealbata) (Figure 3) 1. Figure 3: Silver fern (Cyathea dealbata) Gymnosperms - a group of flowering vascular plants with ovules and seeds exposed, so that seeds are not produced in fruit and are not protected 2,3. New Zealand has many important gymnosperms such as rimu (Dacrydium cupressinum) , totara (Podocarpus totara), matai (Prumnopitys ferruginea), kauri (Agathis australis) (Figure 4) and the very tall (up to 60 m) kahikatea (Dacrycarpus dacrydioides) 4. Figure 4: A large kauri tree (Agathis australis) Angiosperms - a group of

Qualities of a Good Teacher free essay sample

Teachers play a central role in the education of students. For promotion of learning teachers have to display a sense of responsibility and must be in possession of qualities of leadership that are essential for motivation of students. It falls upon the teachers to create a friendly environment in the institution free of coercion. They must teach through cooperation, facilitation, love and caring attitude and not by exercising authority, domination and giving punishments. They must try to raise the self-esteem of students. Good teachers create trust, confidence, interest, enthusiasm and hope and not fear, frustration and disappointment. They be kind and forgiving instead of being revengeful. Teachers must encourage and entertain questions as well as ask questions to stimulate minds and promote formal and informal discussions for enhancing critical thinking and achievement of in-depth understanding. They need to frequently evaluate student’s performance both formally and informally and give them prompt feedback in the form of encouragement, praise, appreciation and reward for correct performance and guidance for rectifying mistakes both meant for improvement of their performance and creation of a desire for learning. They should teach by interaction with students rather than depending on lectures alone. In this process they should identify the variety of talents that different students may possess for different desirable functions and should give them support for whatever potential they have. They should reinforce creativity and originality in students. Teachers should encourage students to help, teach and test themselves and each other as well as the weaker and the junior students. They should organize group-learning projects, contests, competitions, debates, cultural activities, entertainment and field visits to create interest in learning. Teachers must remain humble and ready to say â€Å"I don’t know† and be prepared to admit their mistakes and take a lesson from them and from the mistakes of others. They must not laugh, ridicule, humiliate, embarrass or insult any student over commission of mistakes. If promptly and politely corrected mistakes teach memorable lessons for better performance. Apart from accepting blame they should make a habit to say â€Å"we† and not â€Å"I†. They should be prepared to speak less and listen more. They should be magnanimous enough to share their credit with others and accept alone the blame for failings of students. They must share with students before making all decisions that affect students and must make an effort to share their joys and sorrows. Equally teachers should share their interests with students that will promote friendship. Teachers should have a sense of humor and be capable of creating humor. They should use different methods to break monotony and boredom i. e. by use of variety of learning resources and teaching methods, relevant jokes, quizzes, questioning and involving the inattentive, creating surprises, mysteries and suspense, referring to relevant events in day-to-day life etc. They should teach by example and act as role models instead of giving sermons. What they do has far greater power to teach than what they say. They must be able to do themselves what they expect from the students to do and be able not to do what they expect from students to abstain from. In fact teachers should put themselves in the shoes of students before asking them to do or not to do anything. They should be sensitive to the needs and feelings of students. They should speak the language of the students when needed and should relate to their level of mental and physical abilities. According to William Glasser’s Choice Theory, teachers must promote the basic needs of students to convince them that they are the well wishers of students and in return students will listen to them. These basic needs are the requirements of survival, love and affection, freedom, leisure, entertainment and empowerment. This means that in addition to academic issues teachers must take keen interest and help students in their social and economic matters and participate in their extracurricular activities. Teachers should delegate more and more to students and refrain from doing every thing themselves. In this way, apart from empowering students, they also give them a chance to learn by doing. Instead of passing knowledge to students they should be made to create knowledge to give them a sense of ownership of what they learn. Good teachers must resolve disputes through the policy of give and take and make all the effort to defuse tension and ensure cohesion and friendship among students. They should set a side time for listening to problems of students. They should honor their pledges, be consistent in their responses, dependable and reliable. They should be flexible and not rigid to meet the changing circumstances and diversity of situations. They should always be ready for the unexpected and must exercise utmost patience and tolerance in dealing with students. Great teachers never lose temper and refrain from acting when upset. In difficult situations they should happily get the input of colleagues, parents and all the well-wishers of students. Teachers must treat all students equal, serve them selflessly with devotion and expect no returns from students. Teachers are regarded as spiritual fathers and mothers to students who are expected to act as guides and mentors. They must show courtesy, love, compassion and respect to their students that is bound to generate a similar response. Teachers must take part in continuing education to update their own knowledge, skills and attitudes, come prepared to classes and should strive to develop learning resources for students. Lastly they must ensure their integrity, punctuality and physical and mental cleanliness at all costs. Teachers possessing these qualities will be highly respected and loved by the students and will create an ideal environment for learning in educational institutions. The developing nations must be ready to pay any price for such teachers who will groom their children into knowledgeable, skillful, productive and enlightened personalities of character.

The Concept of Justice free essay sample

This paper examines a dialogue between Socrates and Antigone about the concept of justice. This paper is a creative dialogue between Antigone and Socrates about the ramifications of going against the rulings of the King in order to see justice served. The paper includes the discussion of the actual act that has led to Antigones condemnation, the concept of a higher form of justice and an evaluation of whether the punishment fits the crime. In the end, Socrates left Antigone at the gates of the republic, knowing that he would never see her again she would die for her crimes against the State. But Socrates was inspired by her words and felt that should he ever suffer a similar fate for somehow challenging the State, he would not back down, nor run away, from his duty to virtue, to free speech, and the highest laws of Justice, regardless of the fate that might await him. We will write a custom essay sample on The Concept of Justice or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page