The Cognitive and Moral Development Theory Order Instructions: Now that you have read, discussed, and reflected 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 Perhaps the theory is out of date or perhaps educators are headed in a direction that does not make sense given what we know about learning and development. Be sure to consider how the diversity of the modern classroom may impact your thinking about your chosen topic.
• The focus of the paper is your analysis of the issue. It should include your insights and your critique of the topic. Make a persuasive case for your exploration and be sure to use research to support your arguments.
You may use the 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 Cognitive and Moral Development Theory Sample Answer
THEORY TODAY
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 depicts how a 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 understanding of basic things like knowing themselves through environmental interaction (Cowan, 2014).
At this stage, learning can take place with the aid of the 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 a 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 generate their knowledge and effectively learn via experiences (Cowan, 2014).
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 embrace technology, for instance, the use of computers in learning.
The Cognitive and Moral Development Theory 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.
