Teaching methods
Student Centered
It seems apparent that true learning is something that being contained within the learner, may be sought, but can not be forced from the outside by even the most skilled of teachers. Like anyone wishing to gain an influence, a relationship must be formed in order to have any influence. There will be those who are intrinsically motivated to various extents for various subjects for various reasons. Those who do not begin with an interest are unlikely to attend deeply enough to cultivate one unless there is a persuasive reason delivered by a trusted person with whom they have established some relationship. The question of whether or not this is the job of the teacher may still be open, however. Respecting the freedom of individuals to choose for themselves may necessitate respecting their decision to disdain the things we believe to be important and even to fail in what we might consider essential.
Essentialist
Any student of the hard sciences will need a firm grasp of fundamental concepts, foundational discoveries and proven methods in order to lay the foundation for new discovery. While the inherent inquiry
Experiential
Project based learning and hands on laboratory experience have long been the standard in science education. As much as is practical all concepts will be reinforced by hands on real world problem solving and opportunities for longer term self-directed inquiry will be designed for in the curriculum.
The Brain and cognition
Brain
The brain is the most complicated and still mysterious organ. The mid and hind brain, sometimes referred to as the lizard brain predominantly regulates autonomic processes, blood pressure, peristalsis, circadian cycles, dopaminergic production etc. The cerebellum located off the back of the hindbrain is apparently associated with what we often term “muscle memory.” A good caveat for tactile learning. Other than this, most of what we term learning, and indeed thinking, takes place in the cerebral cortex.
The cerebral cortex is the largest structure in the brain and is usually what we think of when we think of a visual representation of the brain. It is a maze of folds termed gyri, separated by fissures known as sulci.
Stages of Learning
The assertion that psychological development occurs in fixed stages while making general sense, doesn’t fit with the continual iterative growth I’ve seen in my children and myself. I personally would be surprised if it is not eventually learned that all of the stages are really working out at the same time. It may be simply that it takes longer to master what we tend to conceive as higher order functions. Indeed, abstractions such as the self are beginning as early as control of the tongue but take until the dawning of adulthood to become fully illuminated. Ironically it is control of the tongue that begins the self formation at the beginning of Sensorimotor development and yet continues to elude some of us as we navigate our social sphere at the later Formal operational stages.
That being said, the following videos were incredibly enlightening and indicated to me that the stages as conceived by Dr. Piaget may not be as rigid or distinct as are commonly taught.k web developer with experience in building responsive and user-friendly websites. My skills include HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, Node.js, and MongoDB. I am passionate about creating websites that are not only visually appealing but also functional and efficient. I am constantly learning and improving my skills to provide the best possible experience for my clients.
