Lev Vygotsky

Down through the years psychologists and individuals involved in education have haveed and investigated different theories ab step to the fore how tikeren learn. To understand how children receive and implement information is of great value to parents, teachers and indeed society in general as the children of today are tomorrows adults and our society will not develop if our children gagenot learn effectively. In this essay I will discuss the theories of Lev Vygotsky as I believe his work has become the foundation for a cumulation of our modern day theories and concepts in regard to a childs cognitive breeding.Lev Vygotsky was born in Russia in 1896 during the Russian Revolution and his works merely came to the attention of the western world when they were published in 1962. Vygotsky died quite young and a lot of his research was unfinished however his work was continued by his students and followers alike. Vygotskys theory of Socio- heathenish or Social Development as it is a lso known was the building block for the concepts and stratagies now used in our pre-schools and schools today. Unlike Piaget who believed that development preceeds learning, Vygotsky believed that to develop, a child must learn first.He rightly believed that the close to effective learning comes from a childs social interaction in society and the cultural they are reared in. Social factors and culture contribute to a childs cognitive development. Vygotsky believed that society gave a child various cultural tools which enabled learning, language being one of the most important. Language is the primary form of interaction and through language a child can communicate thoughts, emotions, opinions and ideas and develop friendships.A childs level of language skills can and most likely will effect all other aspects of their development both in person and academically. Through my research I see that Vygotskys concept, the zone of proximal development, which is Vygotskys term for the range of labors too difficult for children to master alone but which can be learned with the guidance and asistance of adults or more skilled chilren, is widely used today in learning institutions worldwide, its concept is used in most subjects and used very effectively with a broad spectrum of students, ranging from disadvantaged, special needs, and gifted students to adults.Within this concept Vygotsky talks about Scaffolding which basically means ever-changing the level of support as the student becomes more capable in a task or subject. Another concept which is interlinked with the above is The More educated Other (MKO). The MKO refers to anyone who has a fall apart understanding or a greater ability than the student, in respect to a particular task or concept.The MKO is unremarkably thought of as being a teacher, coach, or older adult, but the MKO could also be peers, a younger person, or even computers. As I read and study these concepts I can clearly see their incorporation i nto our education system today compared to when I was a child starting out in school forty years ago. Although systems where evolving gradually, there were very different opinions and methods in place regarding education.Lev VygotskyLev Vygotsky (November 17, 1896 June 11, 1394) was a Russian psychologist. Vygotsky was a pioneering psychologist and his major works baffle six separate volumes, written over roughly 10 years, from Psychology of Art (1925) to Thought and Language or Thinking and Speech (1934). Vygotskys interests in the fields of developmental psychology, child development, and education were extremely diverse. Vygotskys theories stress the fundamental role of social interaction in the development of cognition Vygotsky, 1978), as he believed strongly that community plays a central role in the suffice of making meaning. He argued, learning is a necessary and universal aspect of the process of developing culturally organized, specifically human mental function (Vygots ky 1978, p. 90). Vygotskys theory differs from Piaget in three different ways. 1. Social interaction plays a fundamental role in the process of cognitive development. In contrast to Jean Piagets understanding of child development, Vygotsky felt social learning precedes development. 2.The more knowledgeable other refers to anyone who has a better understanding or a high Ability level than the learner, with respects to a particular task, process, or concept. MKOs Can be peers, a younger person, teachers, coaches, older adult, or even computers. 3. The zone of proximal development is the distance between a students ability to perform a task under adult guidance and/or with peer collaboration. It is also the students ability to solve problems independently. According to Vygotsky, humans use tools that develop from a culture, such as speech and writing, to mediate their social environments.Initially children develop these tools to serve solely as social functions, ways to communicate ne eds. Vygotsky believed that the internalization of these tools led to higher thinking skills. (http//www. learning-theories. com/vygotskys-social-learning-theory. html) In modern day terms, Vygotsky would be a facilitator. Teachers and students collaborate in learning and practing four key skills (summarize, question, clarify, and predict). Teaching and learning is a both way street. You have to be able to interact with the student.This simply means you have to know your student. Teachers have to know where their students are educationally to get them to get to the next level. Then we have to cater our teaching to meet the needs of the learners. I believe that a teacher must be able to stir to their student. For example, a teacher that had both parents that is wealthy. That teacher shouldnt expect his/her students to behave as he/she did as a student at that age. You have to work that there are differences and make accommodations.A child from a wealthy billet and a child from a single parent working class home cant be taught using the same method. The backgrounds are too different. References Vygotsky, L. S. (1962). Thought and Language. Cambridge MA MIT Press. Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA Harvard University Press. McLeod, S. A. (2007). Vygotsky Social Development Theory. Retrieved from http//www. simplypsychology. org/vygotsky. html http//www. learning-theories. com/vygotskys-social-learning-theory. html