Chapter 2 QtCs

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Chapter 2

• (2.1) One of the most cited theories of human development is that of Swiss biologist Jean Piaget. After reading about Piaget’s basic assumptions (p. 27-32) look with particular attention at the stage of child development you would like to teach. The other most cited theory of human development belongs to Russian developmentalist Lev Vygotsky. Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development leads us to expect greater diversity among our same-aged students than Piaget. Given these two influential theorists’ ideas on cognitive development, how might you accommodate students who are not yet working at the level of their peers?

 This is where differentiated instruction comes in, and it is so, so important to our daily teaching techniques. Even if students don't have IEPs but are two reading grade-levels behind (a common occurrence), we still need to make adjustments to our teaching styles. For example, if I had a student in one of my high school English classes who was below grade-level reading, I would perhaps provide him/her with a list of definition of confusing words that I know he/she will be coming across during the night's reading assignment. Other adjustments like using graphic organizers and other visual aids are great for developing stronger word association, etc. Making small adjustments like these will meet your students' needs while still pushing them to develop further.

• (2.2) Theories in educational psychology promote the idea that language plays a critical role in cognitive development. Examine Table 2.2 (p. 51), paying particular attention to the age range that you are interested in teaching. Consider how you might incorporate or adapt the strategies presented for use with your own students. 

  I plan on teaching 9-12th grade. Since most of the elements presented are embedded in the curriculum I will be teaching, those strategies are really going to be second nature to my teaching techniques. One that I found interesting and that I actually hadn't thought of was the one about students with a native dialect different from Standard English. I had not thought about allowing them to use this dialect in their informal conversations and writings. I think that I could easily incorporate this strategy into an exercise like daily journaling. Since these journal entries will mostly be opportunities for self-reflection and creative writing, they would also make excellent opportunities for using their personal "voice" in an informal context.