The assigned reading of Chapters 1-3 of Educational Psychology by Anita Woolfolk were very interesting and a surprisingly pleasant read. I was initially slightly intimidated by the amount assigned but before I even knew it I was at the end of Chapter 3! Chapter 1 gave a very formal definition of what teaching is, how educational psychology plays a role in teaching, and many research methods used in observing and analyzing classrooms today. I didn’t know how sophisticated and useful of a tool educational psychology is in understanding and improving teaching methods. Chapter 2 was all about Cognitive Development including Piaget’s theory and Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Perspective. Chapter 2 started with mentioning how the cortex of the brain is associated with higher mental functions which include receiving auditory/visual signals, voluntary movements and developing connections (p. 63). It then talks about Piaget’s Theory which is that cognitive development is created via direct experiences with things throughout the world including objects, people, and ideas(p. 82). Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Perspective is also mentioned in Chapter 2, the three main factors of his interpretation on cognitive development include: specific mental schemes are linked to interactions with others, the use of culture is key in cognitive formation, and that the zone of proximal development is where learning takes place (p. 87). At the end of Chapter 2 it talks about the implications of both theories in regards to teaching. Chapter 3 was the most interesting to me because it talked about self, social, and moral development. These were always interesting topics to me because I never understood why kids looked physically different, acted certain ways, or the decisions they made when I was younger. Reading about physical development gave me PTSD of puberty and how awkward I looked and sounded haha! The social development section was also very interesting to read about and compare to how I was growing up. I loved to be the class clown, be friends with everyone, and just be a social person and I never understood why some kids struggled to speak out or be themselves. The moral development section also brought back some memories of growing up in a strict Polish household. I never thought to even steal, hurt, or do anything crazy because I knew what I had waiting for me at home was way more terrifying (in a loving way)! I enjoyed the get to know you assignment because there are some new faces in the class that I haven’t seen yet so I’m very excited to get to meet them and see what they have to say.
Overall I enjoyed this first module very much and look forward to what Module 2 has to offer.
Learning about social concepts was very interesting to me as well. Why is one child more inclined to be the "class clown" while the other child is more inclined to be a "wall flower". Exploring the concepts proposed by professionals can help us answer these questions and it will give us a better grasp at understanding our future classrooms.
ReplyDeleteHaving a flashback in the moral development section and understanding that your experience was different because of the Polish strict guidelines in your environment is a great example of the nature vs. nurture debate. Do you believe you would be the same exact person you are today if you weren't raised in this setting?
Chapter 3 was the most interesting for me as well. Chapter 3 will be very useful as a teacher. We will have a better understanding of what makes each student an individual and how that might effect the way they learn.
ReplyDeleteThese three chapters had some very interesting topics that will help us develop our skills as teachers. I believe that Vygotsky's sociocultural perspective is very noteworthy. Thee three main factors that were discussed all stood out, but I think that the zone of proximal development is very important to touch on. Although, I found many interesting facts in each chapter, I do agree that chapter 3 was the most essential chapter this far.
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