Theories of Development - Suggested Assignments

Concrete Operations Stage

Invent a simple way to teach children in the concrete-operational stage about negative numbers. Try to tie this concept to concrete objects and experience. Be prepared to share your idea with the class.

Instructor: You might want to discuss the possible developmental problems with teaching negative numbers to young children. You could share the "fill the hole" film clip from Stand and Deliver (on the Education Video Clips tape) to show how Jaime Escalante taught this concept to his high school students.

Concrete Operations Stage

Invent a simple way to teach children in the concrete-operational stage the concept of fractions. Try to tie this concept to concrete objects and experience. Be prepared to share your idea with the class.

Instructor: You could demonstrate this yourself using a pie or some other snack that you then share with the class.

Concrete Operations Stage

Invent a simple way to teach children in the concrete-operational stage simple grammer (nouns, verbs, adjectives). Try to tie this concept to concrete objects and experience. Be prepared to share your idea with the class.

Zone of Proximal Development

Write a short response paper in which you consider the Zone of Proximal Development and its implications for the following common classroom activities:

* assigning worksheets that are simple for most children to complete
* requiring every child to study the same spelling list.

Zone of Proximal Development

Describe a learning experience you had as a child or recently in which a teacher or mentor assisted you within your zone of proximal development to learn something new. Describe how the teacher assisted you at an appropriate level in order to facilitate your learning.

Write a short response paper about your own Private Speech. Keep a record of any audible or silent private speech you use during your daily tasks. What does your private speech tell you about yourself?

Considering Vygotsky's theories of socio-cultural learning, what kinds of assumptions might you make about a first-grade classroom in which the children are nearly always well-behaved and quiet? Consider your own elementary school experience. How much talking and interaction took place in your classrooms? How did this effect your learning?

Write a short response paper about how you can provide your students with a variety of experiences in the classroom that will facilitate socio-cultural learning? Come up with several specific ideas.

Write a short response paper about the implications of socio-cultural learning for direct instruction. What kinds of precautions might you want to take as a teacher to ensure that students get enough verbal interaction in the classroom. (so that they are able to exchange their ideas with others and talk through their learning problems).

Create a short classroom activity that uses guided participation or scaffolding to teach a new concept of skill.

Create your own learning objective and design a short activity to support that objective.