Theorist/Th eory

Likes/Strengths

Research to Support Strengths

Dislikes/Limitations

Research to Support Limitations

Theorist A

One of the highlights of Theorist A is that there is a focus on cooperative learning. I firmly believe that children need to learn through interacting with their peers. It is through these interactions that I believe learning takes place. As a result, I will encourage social interactions when I am working with children.

According to Smith ( !"!#, $%hildren must have the opportunity to engage in social relationships in order to develop their self&esteem and self&worth' (p. ()* +erk, ,. -., !"(#.

One of the things that I do not align with when it comes to Theorist A is that this theory does not e.plain or account for any differences in how children behave. I struggle with this because as I work to help children discover who they are, I need more structured guidelines to help me determine how to help them.

$/ore consideration
needs to be given to the role that genetics may play when it comes to determining why children have differences in behavior', (Apple, !!0, p. )1* +erk, ,. -., !"(#

2iaget

=ygotsky

%hildren gain knowledge through e.ploring and working with ob3ects in their environment. As they age and go through four stages, their e.periences become more comple. in which the more comple. their knowledge becomes. =ygotsky believes children gain knowledge from adults and e.pert peers, then create new knowledge with their uni5ue, individual thoughts.

$According to his cognitive& developmental theory, children actively construct knowledge as they manipulate and e.plore their world' (+erk, ,. -. !"(#.

One thing I do not agree with is that 2iaget did not believe children4s learning depended on reinforcers. I believe children stay more interested if there are reinforcers and some children (especially with the diverse classrooms now# need to be reinforced with their behavior in order to learn.

$In another study, positive reinforcement was used successfully in a preschool environment to increase the fre5uency with which a child engaged in peer play' (Allen, 6art, +uell, 6arris, 7 8olf, "09:* 8atling ;., Schwart<, Ilene, !!:#.

=ygotsky ("01># I think all human brains states? @-very function develop through the same in the child4s cultural process no matter what development appears culture. 8e might learn twice? first, on the different things but it is in social level, and later, the same way, whereas on the individual =ygotsky believes we gain level* first, between knowledge through stages people of cultural interactions so (interpsychological# different cultures have

$%ulture, generally speaking, does not produce anything new apart from that which is given by nature' (Vygotski, L. S. 1929).

+ronfenbren ner

+andura

Skinner

Bohlberg

and then inside the different intelligence. child (intrapsychological#.@ (p)1* %ulatta, ;., !"(#. There are four $-ach layer of the -nvironments change all levels of environment 3oins the time and bring new relationships and with the others to people in and take old each level effects powerfully affect people out which affects the other levels. development' (+erk, ,. -. the development of the -ach level !"(#. child and the ecological associates with system. the other level and effects the first level or the individual child. %hildren learn by $Arom watching Social learning theory observing adults others engage in self& does not give children the and peers around praise and self&blame benefit of the doubt when them. and through feedback it comes to them learning about the worth of how to behave from their their own actions, own common sense. children develop personal standards for behavior and a sense of self&efficacy&the belief that their own abilities and characteristics will help them succeed'(+erk, ,. -. !"(#. ;einforcers and $According to %hildren will learn to punishment need Skinner, the fre5uency e.pect a reward everytime to be used to of a behavior can be they do something good encourage good increased by following and not learn that they are behavior and it with a wide variety supposed to act good discourage bad of reinforcers& food without getting rewards. behavior. drink, praise, a friendly smile, or a new toy& or decreased through punishment, such as disapproval or withdrawal of privileges' (+erk, ,. -. !"(#. There are four $Individuals resolve Cot every culture in the stages to moral dilemmas that present world has the same values

$In ecological systems theory, development is neither entirely controlled by environmental circumstances nor driven solely by inner dispositions' (+erk, ,. -. !"(#. $+ehaviorism and social learning theory have also been critici<ed for underestimating children4s contributions to their own development' (+erk, ,. -. !"(#.

$/any theorists believe that behaviorism and social learning theory offer too narrow a view of important environmental influences' (+erk, ,. -. ( !"(#.

$The evidence for distinct stages to

development from making the decision morally from the conse5uences following to the actual values modeled from adults and so on.

conflicts between two moral values and 3ustify their decisions' (+erk, ,. -. !"(#.

and morals. 8hat one person might think is wrong, another might thing is perfectly fine.

-rikson

2eople ac5uire attitudes and skills that is the cause for success in society from the development of a positive ego through stages.

$A basic psychosocial conflict, which is resolved along a continuum from positive to negative, determines healthy or maladaptive outcomes at each stage' (+erk, ,. -. !"(#.

There is not enough information for researchers to test the theory on children.

Information 2rocessing

6uman brains are like computers in a way such as manipulating symbols into information, telling out bodies what to do. It is a comple. system.

$Arom the time It discusses too much information is about machine type presented to the senses thinking and not enough at input until it of human thinking or emerges as a emotions such as a behavioral response at person4s imagination. output, the information is actively coded, transformed, and organi<ed'(+erk, ,. -. !"(#.

moral development looks very weak and some would argue that behind the theory is a culturally biased belief in the superiority of American values over those of other cultures and societies' (/c,eod, S., !"(#. $/any psychoanalytic ideas, such as psychose.ual stages and ego functioning, are too vague to be tested empirically'(+erk, ,. -. !"(#. $It has had little to say about aspects of children4s cognition that are not linear and logical, such as imagination and creativity' ((+erk, ,. -. !"(#.

Other (that you see as key but that wasnDt mentione d#

$Eevelopment cannot be characteri<ed as a single line of change' (+erk, ,. -. Eynamic systems perspective, the most recent, discusses how every child is different, is taught by different people, and from different tasks.

!"(#.

;eferences? +erk, ,. -. (

!"(#.Child development. (0th ed.#. Fpper Saddle ;iver, CG? 2earson.

/c,eod, S., ( !"(#, Bohlberg? Simply Psychology. ;etrieved at? http?HHwww.simplypsychology.orgHkohlberg.html

Vygotski, L. S. 1929: The pro lem o! the c"lt"r#l development o! the child $$. %o"rn#l o! &enetc Psychology, '(, )1*+'2.

8atling ;.7 Schwart<, Ilene, %#n"#ry,-e r"#ry 2..), Understanding and Implementing Positive Reinforcement as an Intervention Strategy for Children With Disabilities, Vol"me */, 0"m er 1