Conclusion: Learning and intelligence are not just generated from environment or from nature but a combination of both.
This supports what Dewey says in his "Experience and Education" where he warns those who are trying to pull away from what he calls "traditional education" by simply creating an education everything that traditional education is not. His definition of traditional education is one that is rote memorization and reverence of the past without room for personal input, exploration or contribution. He contrasts that approach with "progressive education" which is exclusively centered upon individual experience and interpretation of data without any reference to the "restricting mentality" of the past.
I will go deeper into his ideas later, but superficially he warns against thinking about education in extremes or absolutes, which goes along with Piaget's conclusions.
-------
Other interesting points:
DIVERSE EXPOSURE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
--a child's outlook on the world around them is not bounded by absolutes at a young age unless imposed upon from without. When they are given a situation to analyze they don't see the boundaries of preconceived limitations or experiences. They see the situation perhaps more clearly than older children or adult who through experience/education have developed paradigms or perspectives limited to their education and experience.
- as a result, my conclusion is that childhood learning should be a time for open-ended exploration and exposure to all sorts of fun learning opportunities. Children are more willing to take risks and explore.
- in his chapter about "field effects," Piaget points out that with age, children explore figures more thoroughly and anticipate more, correcting things that enter their "field" of study in relation to previous experiences. (pg 35) Following up with the previous idea, if children are exposed to repetitious drilling and force-fed regimented ideas, their ability to see things from a variety of perspectives and potential with diminish, as their scope of experience will limit how they are able to interact and interpret anything that enters their experience after that point.
- (pg 36) if we increase the child's exposure to different ideas and concepts it will expand their capacity to interact with future ideas and concepts with greater flexibility. For instance, if they are shown a variety of proportions of rectangles in their earlier childhood, their ability to recognize rectangular shapes in their variety increases. However, if they are shown repeatedly one example as a rectangle--or even remarkably similar examples--they will have difficulty recognizing a rectangles that are almost square-like or ones that have more exaggerated proportions...and now translate this idea to other subjects in science, history, art...can you not see the value in diversity in exposure at this young age?
- one conclusion I made based upon Piaget's further comments about this subject (pg 40) is that we should not be too focused or specific in our lesson's learning agenda. I have encountered this many times in books where there is a "let's review the lesson" exercise that requires the students to repeat back points emphasized by the teacher or authors of the book. How much better to have them share what they learned? Individual interest rather than regurgitation?
OTHER EARLY CHILDHOOD NOTES:
- Unlike adults in an exercise where they err and correct themselves with repetition, children under the age of 7 don't seem able to do this. They only change their answers based upon external correction. He mentions this in relation to a logico-mathematical scenario, but doesn't have a similar example for moral scenarios. I have seen through my own experience that self-correction is possible in moral situations or in patterning or parroting behavior in those around them in work situations. However, this is most often done most effectively without external pressure.
-Piaget also studies the gradual development of a child's ability to think logically, stating that "it is from 9-10 that, in the realm of intelligence, the system of operatory coordinates is being organized and the subject is beginning to notice directions," as one of his examples. Before this, "learning" as carried out in modern education is primarily done by rote memorization rather than logical thought processes.
-Piaget emphasizes the importance of play as a child's way to interact with and express feelings about the world around him while limited by his ability to communicate verbally. Play helps a child assimilate an idea or subject more completely into their intelligence by "interacting with the idea" physically, rather than just verbally. This is just one of the functions of "symbolic play" that Piaget addresses. He also states "If the child has been frightened by a big dog, in a symbolic game things will be arranged so that dogs will no longer be mean or else children will ebcome brave. Gerenally speaking, symbolic play helps in the resolution of conflicts and also in the compensation of unsatisfied needs, the inversion of roles (such as obedience and authority), the liberation and extension of the self, etc." (pg 60) I saw my 4 year old do that today when we encountered a page depicting "roly-poly bugs" that were curled up and he, after trying to express to me what they were doing, shaped himself into a remarkable imitation of the bugs on the page.
- he also notes that younger children tend to play side by side with their own ideas and it is sufficient to their socialization at younger ages. He observes that this does not seem to be because they are arrogant in centering the universe around themselves but a very real way that they see themselves. Things disappear and re-appear in their realm of experience, having not existence outside of their experience and interaction.
Children first encounter a "decentralization of self" at around 18 months when they realize that their actions and the actions of others are in fact distinct. You see them explore this new found concept in their behaviors that appear to be antagonistic but in fact are exploratory in this new-found separation. The next separation, one of ideas and not just action, comes more gradually, with Piaget suggesting it starts on a small scale around 4-5, progresses again around 9 and reaches full blossom between 12-15, when the child identifies themselves as distinct in thought as well as body from those around it and realize that they are no longer the center of their own universe. (Understandably a frightening place to be.) Perhaps we can be a little more forebearing as they come to this realization, however subconsciously...or as they live in denial and try to prove it is not true by seeking connections or validation by those from whom they feel separated. (Sometimes, this is done by "prove that you still love me even though I am horrible!" attitude, which is aggravating, but perhaps now a little more understandable.) (pg 94-95)
- (pg 64) an interesting analysis of kids and artwork and what they can and cannot create. Because they think in terms of images without boundaries before 5-7, their pictures often don't have boundaries that pattern how the object actually looks: like they may put 2 eyes on the same side of the head on a picture, knowing that there are two eyes but being unable to recreate them accurately, not being able to perceive that boundary.
FOUR FACTORS OF MENTAL DEVELOPMENT:
#1 Organic (normal, physical) growth, especially the development of nervous and endocrine systems. He points out that maturation is essential but only one of many factors involved.
#2 Social experience where the individual gets to interact with the world around them: "a second fundamental factor is the role of exercise and of acquired experience in the actions performed upon objects (which sounds remarkably reminiscent of the ideas of "progressive education" mentioned by Dewey). "But it does not explain everything!" Piaget insists, saying that experience is highly complex in looking at the broad range of potential in the two fields of experience: physical (consists of acting upon objects in order to abstract their properties) and logico-mathematical (consists of acting upon objects with a view to learning the result of the coordination of the actions. (Inductive vs. deductive?)
#3 Social interaction and transmission: must be in a situation where the individual contributes as much as he receives from it.
#4 These three factors are not as easily identified as the recognizable stages of thought development: Core phase 0-8, Love of Learning 9-13/14 depending upon maturation, and Scholar Phase/Adult thought.
This supports what Dewey says in his "Experience and Education" where he warns those who are trying to pull away from what he calls "traditional education" by simply creating an education everything that traditional education is not. His definition of traditional education is one that is rote memorization and reverence of the past without room for personal input, exploration or contribution. He contrasts that approach with "progressive education" which is exclusively centered upon individual experience and interpretation of data without any reference to the "restricting mentality" of the past.
I will go deeper into his ideas later, but superficially he warns against thinking about education in extremes or absolutes, which goes along with Piaget's conclusions.
-------
Other interesting points:
DIVERSE EXPOSURE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
--a child's outlook on the world around them is not bounded by absolutes at a young age unless imposed upon from without. When they are given a situation to analyze they don't see the boundaries of preconceived limitations or experiences. They see the situation perhaps more clearly than older children or adult who through experience/education have developed paradigms or perspectives limited to their education and experience.
- as a result, my conclusion is that childhood learning should be a time for open-ended exploration and exposure to all sorts of fun learning opportunities. Children are more willing to take risks and explore.
- in his chapter about "field effects," Piaget points out that with age, children explore figures more thoroughly and anticipate more, correcting things that enter their "field" of study in relation to previous experiences. (pg 35) Following up with the previous idea, if children are exposed to repetitious drilling and force-fed regimented ideas, their ability to see things from a variety of perspectives and potential with diminish, as their scope of experience will limit how they are able to interact and interpret anything that enters their experience after that point.
- (pg 36) if we increase the child's exposure to different ideas and concepts it will expand their capacity to interact with future ideas and concepts with greater flexibility. For instance, if they are shown a variety of proportions of rectangles in their earlier childhood, their ability to recognize rectangular shapes in their variety increases. However, if they are shown repeatedly one example as a rectangle--or even remarkably similar examples--they will have difficulty recognizing a rectangles that are almost square-like or ones that have more exaggerated proportions...and now translate this idea to other subjects in science, history, art...can you not see the value in diversity in exposure at this young age?
- one conclusion I made based upon Piaget's further comments about this subject (pg 40) is that we should not be too focused or specific in our lesson's learning agenda. I have encountered this many times in books where there is a "let's review the lesson" exercise that requires the students to repeat back points emphasized by the teacher or authors of the book. How much better to have them share what they learned? Individual interest rather than regurgitation?
OTHER EARLY CHILDHOOD NOTES:
- Unlike adults in an exercise where they err and correct themselves with repetition, children under the age of 7 don't seem able to do this. They only change their answers based upon external correction. He mentions this in relation to a logico-mathematical scenario, but doesn't have a similar example for moral scenarios. I have seen through my own experience that self-correction is possible in moral situations or in patterning or parroting behavior in those around them in work situations. However, this is most often done most effectively without external pressure.
-Piaget also studies the gradual development of a child's ability to think logically, stating that "it is from 9-10 that, in the realm of intelligence, the system of operatory coordinates is being organized and the subject is beginning to notice directions," as one of his examples. Before this, "learning" as carried out in modern education is primarily done by rote memorization rather than logical thought processes.
-Piaget emphasizes the importance of play as a child's way to interact with and express feelings about the world around him while limited by his ability to communicate verbally. Play helps a child assimilate an idea or subject more completely into their intelligence by "interacting with the idea" physically, rather than just verbally. This is just one of the functions of "symbolic play" that Piaget addresses. He also states "If the child has been frightened by a big dog, in a symbolic game things will be arranged so that dogs will no longer be mean or else children will ebcome brave. Gerenally speaking, symbolic play helps in the resolution of conflicts and also in the compensation of unsatisfied needs, the inversion of roles (such as obedience and authority), the liberation and extension of the self, etc." (pg 60) I saw my 4 year old do that today when we encountered a page depicting "roly-poly bugs" that were curled up and he, after trying to express to me what they were doing, shaped himself into a remarkable imitation of the bugs on the page.
- he also notes that younger children tend to play side by side with their own ideas and it is sufficient to their socialization at younger ages. He observes that this does not seem to be because they are arrogant in centering the universe around themselves but a very real way that they see themselves. Things disappear and re-appear in their realm of experience, having not existence outside of their experience and interaction.
Children first encounter a "decentralization of self" at around 18 months when they realize that their actions and the actions of others are in fact distinct. You see them explore this new found concept in their behaviors that appear to be antagonistic but in fact are exploratory in this new-found separation. The next separation, one of ideas and not just action, comes more gradually, with Piaget suggesting it starts on a small scale around 4-5, progresses again around 9 and reaches full blossom between 12-15, when the child identifies themselves as distinct in thought as well as body from those around it and realize that they are no longer the center of their own universe. (Understandably a frightening place to be.) Perhaps we can be a little more forebearing as they come to this realization, however subconsciously...or as they live in denial and try to prove it is not true by seeking connections or validation by those from whom they feel separated. (Sometimes, this is done by "prove that you still love me even though I am horrible!" attitude, which is aggravating, but perhaps now a little more understandable.) (pg 94-95)
- (pg 64) an interesting analysis of kids and artwork and what they can and cannot create. Because they think in terms of images without boundaries before 5-7, their pictures often don't have boundaries that pattern how the object actually looks: like they may put 2 eyes on the same side of the head on a picture, knowing that there are two eyes but being unable to recreate them accurately, not being able to perceive that boundary.
FOUR FACTORS OF MENTAL DEVELOPMENT:
#1 Organic (normal, physical) growth, especially the development of nervous and endocrine systems. He points out that maturation is essential but only one of many factors involved.
#2 Social experience where the individual gets to interact with the world around them: "a second fundamental factor is the role of exercise and of acquired experience in the actions performed upon objects (which sounds remarkably reminiscent of the ideas of "progressive education" mentioned by Dewey). "But it does not explain everything!" Piaget insists, saying that experience is highly complex in looking at the broad range of potential in the two fields of experience: physical (consists of acting upon objects in order to abstract their properties) and logico-mathematical (consists of acting upon objects with a view to learning the result of the coordination of the actions. (Inductive vs. deductive?)
#3 Social interaction and transmission: must be in a situation where the individual contributes as much as he receives from it.
#4 These three factors are not as easily identified as the recognizable stages of thought development: Core phase 0-8, Love of Learning 9-13/14 depending upon maturation, and Scholar Phase/Adult thought.
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