Lev Vygotzky was a child psychologist, developmental psychologist and developer of an education system around his theories and ideology. Vygotzky's idea was where Bruner derived his ideas from; he was one of his followers. Like Bruner, Vygotzky believed that a child has great potential if pushed to his/her limits and taught by a capable instructor.
Vygotzky's teaching strategies excluded standardized testing and included children as teachers of their peers. He believed that a child should be pushed and that those that are excelling should be used to help those that are lacking behind. He also believed that it is the teacher's responsibility to assess their students' progress and capabilities. Another one of his strategies was that encouragement should be offered to a student "in such a ways that he/she can practice their skill" ("Lev Vygotsky"). The fourth tactic is to promote and supervise the child's personal language. The fifth strategy is to set education in a meaningful framework. And, lastly, the sixth strategy is to "transform the classroom with Vygotskian ideas" ("Lev Vygotsky").
"Lev Vygotsky." Wikipedia. 2009. Wikmedia Foundation
Although Jerome Bruner is different than Jean Piaget, he also has three "modes of representation" ("Jerome Bruner"): enactive, which is action-based; iconic, which is image-based; and symbolic, which is language-based. However, different from Piaget, he does not keep these modes in defined stages; instead he believes them to be overlapping and loosely chronological. And, starkly different from Piaget, Bruner also believes that anyone at any age can learn many things as long as it is taught to him/her in an age-appropriate manner. Therefore, his main focus is on learning and ones capabilities, and not on what a person can or cannot do at a specific, given timeframe.
Those three modes are in the area of learning and categorizing, but he also believes that there are two primary modes of thought: narrative and paradigmatic. Narrative thought processes are in the form of story-telling, some times similar to a soap opera; and paradigmatic thought is structured and logical.
His overarching theory is that people categorize everything. His understanding is that people interpret everything around them in terms of similarities and differences. Similar to Bloom's Taxonomy, Bruner believes that the brain is simply a system of coding in a "hierarchical arrangement of related categories" ("Jerome Bruner").
"To perceive is to categorize, to conceptualize is to categorize, to learn is to form categories, to make decisions is to categorize."
- Jerome Bruner
"Jerome Bruner." Wikipedia. 2009. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.. Web.28 May 2009.
Piaget is best known for his stages of cognitive development Jean Piaget discovered that children think and reason differently at different periods in their lives. He believed that everyone passed through a sequence of four stages. Although every normal child passes through the stages in exactly the same order, there is some variability in the ages of the children at each stage.
Congnitive Theory A Revolutionary Idea
Jean Piaget was a child psychologist, professor, author, and biologist. Though he had many academic interests, his primary focus was the child psyche. He did a lot of research in the area of child psychology and his conclusion is what is known as Piaget's Stages of Mental Development. He recognizes four main stages in a child's life:
the Sensorymotor Stage (ages: birth to two),
the Preoperational Stage (ages: 2-7),
the Concrete Operational Stage (ages: 7-12), and
the Formal Operational Stage (ages: 12-15).
The Sensorymotor Stage, says Piaget, is when infants and babies are more concerned with learning about the physical world, objects, and their own physical development. The Preoperational Stage is when a child is learning and developing verbal skills, including reading and writing. The Concrete Operational Stage is when a child is beginning to understand abstract concepts, such as numbers and relationships. And, finally, the Formal Operational Stage is when a child "begins to reason logically and systematically" ("Jean Piaget").
Piaget's Stages of Mental Development
His Early Life Jean Piaget was born in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, on August 9, 1896. As a child he was very indpendent and took an early interest in nature, especially the collecting of shells. He attended After high school and after attended the University of Neuchâtel. Constantly studying and writing, he became sickly, and had to retire to the mountains for a year to recuperate. When he returned to Neuchâtel, he decided he would write down his philosophy.
After receiving a degree in zoology from the Univ. of Neuchâtel in1918, Piaget's interests shifted to psychology. He studied under C. G. Jung and Eugen Bleuler in Zürich, and then in Paris at the Sorbonne. He worked with Alfred Binet in the administration of intelligence tests to children. In reviewing the tests, Piaget became interested in the types of mistakes children of different ages were making.
After returning to Switzerland in 1921, Piaget began to study the reasoning processes of children at various ages; which lead him to developing his Cognitive Theory. By the end of his career, he had written over 60 books and many hundreds of articles. He died in Geneva, September 16, 1980, one of the most significant psychologists of the twentieth century.
"Jean Piaget." MSN Encarta. 2009. Microsoft Corporation
The study of music at a young age increases the quality of the child's early life experiences. Music can soothe, stimulate or entertain children. It provides pleasure, joy and an outlet for creative expression; it helps develop listening and auditory discrimination skills; it contributes to motor skill development (both large muscle and small muscle); and it increases the range and flexibility of the voice. Music can soothe emotions, invite enthusiasm and bring immense pleasure to the listener.
Eight Cool Things Music Does for Kids
1. Confidence and Poise: Music making offers children a chance to perform with and for others, and to develop confidence in their ability to make presentations for groups.
2. Perseverance and Commitment: As children become more skilled in singing, moving and playing instruments, they can see and hear the results of their efforts.
3. Coordination: The many movement activities associated with music experiences develop both small muscles and large muscles. The awareness of internal steady pulse, coordinated with external movements, helps children regulate their behavior.
4. Self-respect and Satisfaction: As musical skills develop, children feel a strong sense of satisfaction in their progress and develop a feeling of self-respect that transfers to other situations in life.
5. Creativity and Self-expression: Music experiences often invite individual creative responses and encourage children's imagination in other creative endeavors.
6. Pride in Achievement: Sharing music with peers and family reinforces the value of each child in the classroom, and children develop a sense of pride in their musical achievements.
7. Concentration and Problem-solving: Learning about music requires concentration and focus. When children are asked to analyze, compare and contrast sounds, they are actively engaged in problem-solving experiences.
8. Fun and Relaxation: Singing, moving, playing instruments and listening to music are all enjoyable experiences. Music making can provide hours of personal entertainment and relaxation throughout one's entire life.
Edwin Gordon, a preeminent music educator and researcher, states that "Music aptitude is a product of both innate potential and early environmental experiences. . .regardless of the level of music aptitude with which children are born, they must have early formal and informal experiences in music in order to maintain that level of potential. Otherwise, the level of music aptitude they may be born with will never be fully realized in achievement. . . . (a child's) innate music aptitude, be it high or low, will diminish, possibly vanishing to almost nothing, without an early stimulating music environment." ( "All About Audiation and Music Aptitudes," Music Educators Journal, No. 41, Sep. 99)
