Discuss, and reflect on the work of five theorists focused on students�
cognitive and moral development, it is time to begin to think about how this influences learning in the
classroom in context.
� Choose one of the five theorists: (Piaget, Vygotsky, Erikson, Lawrence Kohlberg or Carol Gilligan) you
studied this week and a key concept of his/her work that you want to consider.
� Identify a topical issue that is relevant to learning today (e.g., one-to-one technology, poverty,
standards such as the Common Core, anti-bullying programs). Explore how the theorist�s work does or
does not align with current trends and directions in middle school. Be sure to think critically about whether
or not the theory �holds up� to the work being done today. Perhaps the theory is out of date or perhaps
educators are headed in a direction that does not make sense given what we know about learning and
development.
You may use first person reserved writing for this assignment as you are speaking about your own
practice/knowledge, but you need to do so in a formal manner.
The general development associated with childhood age is critically influenced by each
and every experiences or interactions as suggested by the educational theory of cognitive
development by Jean Piaget. The argument resulted in the belief that most interactions and
experiences form a base structure in most children which becomes significant in the classroom.
The theory poses significant influence through various means, for instance, the curriculum being
taught and mode of teaching are proportionally applicable to the necessities of childhood
developments (Cowan, 2014). The theories central concept to be considered is the four-stage
model that depict how child’s mind process information in a similar way to other kids.
Sensorimotor is the initial stage, and during this stage, the child is still developing the
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understanding of basic things like knowing themselves through environmental interaction
(Cowan, 2014).
At this stage, learning can take place with the aid of assimilation process and
accommodation. The preoperational stage comes to the second stage, and at this stage, the infant
still has no knowledge of conceptualizing information and learning can be possible through the
use of ideal physical items as well as classification of information or objects in simpler manner.
The third stage is the particular operations. At this stage, the infant’s accommodations have
advanced due to an accumulation of physical experiences and the child can now conceptualize
some objects. Finally, is the formal operations stage whereby at this stage the individual does not
need concrete objects to make rational decisions, and moreover he or she posses abilities to
abstractly reason and think like an adult.
The concept of Piaget’s theory apparently aligns with current trends and directions in
middle school due to the following reasons. Its concept has critically shaped the manner in which
people understand the development of children in the contemporary world (Cowan, 2014). The
concept has been vastly applied in numerous school systems in various parts of the world
particularly in the in the initiation of educational curriculums for children. A good example to
precisely explain the concept is the idea of having age in stages in infant development in most
schools. The idea was developed from Piaget’s theory, and it facilitates prediction of abilities of
what an infant can or cannot understand considering their individual stage of development. The
concept is moreover aligned with the current trends in middle school is the understanding of
children psychology. The idea aids current teachers in understanding the child’s psychology
since the theory suggests that infants generates their knowledge and effectively learn via
experiences (Cowan, 2014).
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I do concur with this opinion apparently because most of the contemporary educators
efficiently utilize the skills and ideas of Piaget’s theory in shaping their curriculums as well as its
programs. The main objectives of doing so are basically to create an environment in which
infants effectively gain or learn educational information via experiences. One to one technology
has become imperative in today’s learning via the following reasons (Altuna, 2015). Most
education institutions use computers in learning.
Technology equips educators to efficiently meet the needs of students through the
various manners that involve, learning work, practical demonstration of certain concepts and
content input (Altuna, 2015). Advanced technology further speeds the coverage of wider content
hence saving on time. The application of technology greatly aids students with disabilities hence
enabling them to be on the same pace with other students, for example, audio recording through
headphones, and audiovisual techniques significantly support the students with dyslexia
disabilities (Altuna, 2015).
To sum up, Piaget’s theory of cognitive development in infants is apparently significant
and more so applicable to current trends in middle school by shaping the curriculum as well as
the creation of programs that embraces technology, for instance, the use of computers in
learning.
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References
Altuna, J., & Lareki, A. (2015). Analysis of the Use of Digital Technologies in Schools That
Implement Different Learning Theories. Journal Of Educational Computing Research,
53(2), 205-227.
Cowan, N. (2014). Working Memory Underpins Cognitive Development, Learning, and
Education. Educational Psychology Review, 26(2), 197-223.
