Learning Log for chapter 2

What? I learned that cognitive development is the physical development of the structures of the brain. It is impacted most by life experiences that we have. This is also the part of the brain that does the pruning of neuronetworks. The brain plasticity has the fixed verse growth mindset. The fixed is when you tell yourself you can’t do it and then you stop learning. The growth mindset is telling yourself that you know that it is hard, but that you can do it. Piaget and Vygotsky both had theories on this, but each theory was slightly different. Disequilibrium is getting the new information, where assimilation and accommodation are. Assimilation is having other people form to how we are. Where accommodation is when we as an American country change to help accommodate the new people moving here to be like their home country. My favorite is equilibrium, which is the ah moments, when the knowledge fits in.

So What? I would say this topic is important to know from a soon to be teacher’s point of view because, each student could be at a different stage in learning when it comes to the cognitive development. As I understand the different stages, I will know how to teach my lessons in a way so that every student is getting something out of it, no matter where they are in their learning development.

Now What? I feel I need to learn more about cognitive development stages from Piaget and Vygotsky. I feel I have only started to learn about their theories on this topic. As I do more reading and observing, I may begin to see how each stage looks like in students. And as I learn to recognize the stages and understand where they are in their learning, I will then be able to better help teach my future students. I will then be able to structure my lessons in way that everyone will learn.