The Brain

What?
In class we learned about the actual structure of the brain...the where and what of the different parts. Something I noticed was that a lot of the structures seemed to have overlapping responsibilities. The brain is wonderful and the things it can do are amazing. That stronger bonds are formed in the brain as more neurons draw together and that myelination occurs over time to make connections quicker is amazing. It does appear with this added knowledge that there may actually be science behind the mother council that, "Practice makes perfect." More interestingly, to me, was the reading about the theories of the development of the brain. Piaget's theory of stages is interesting and though it seems like there is doubt that children actually follow the stages perfectly, they seem to build on each other in a way that would imply one after another. Vygotsk's theory seemed just as valid but a little more contrived. The idea that adults pass down to children the way of handling the world in their culture sounds correct but I don't know that it is as contrived as the text appeared to make the theory seem; it's not like adults are contriving activities or situations in which to teach a child a lesson...they just come along in everyday living. I guess I'm not sure how the two really differ yet. They seem to both say that children develop through interaction with the world around as they grow through different awarenesses and levels of understanding.



So what?
The thing from this section of study that I find the most interesting is the idea of the zone of proximal development. Making sure to teach within that zone for each of the students in my class will keep them excited about what they are learning. Over stretching students who aren't ready will only frustrate them and for students who excel easily, the task will be to no stagnate.



Now what?
There is so much to learn about what to expect from children as a teacher. Not only is it important to understand how children learn at different ages but also to be aware that within that age group there will be quite a spectrum of development due to the child as well as their home environment and nutrition and so many things.