Assessment Post 1: Vygotsky

Vygotsky was a social constructivist that believed that development of a human began at birth and continued to death, unlike Piaget with his stages. Vygotsky primarily focused on social interaction as the major way of cognitive development. This can be seen through the development of his ‘Zone of Proximal Development’.
http://chd.gmu.edu/immersion/knowledgebase/theorists/constructivism/vygotsky.htm
The ‘Zone of Proximal Development’ as defined by Krause et. al, (2006), is the distance between children’s current level of competence on a task and the level they can achieve with support and guidance. Therefore peers, teachers and parents influence an individual’s cognitive development.

Vygotsky’s work will defiantly influence my teaching method. Through studying his work on the ‘zone of Proximal Development’ it is apparent that students learn through social interactions. Therefore when planning a lesson I will ensure there is plenty of opportunity for student to form groups and have discussion with myself and their peers. When working in groups it is essential to place the more competent child with the less competent. This will benefit all students as it can clear misconceptions and help them develop better communication skills. These interactions with others assist in students learning processes and as a result will be a crucial part of my classroom.
http://web.ebscohost.com.ipacez.nd.edu.au/ehost/detail?vid=5&hid=111&sid=de9246cb-e723-4462-8ba2-e01dab6bfff9%40sessionmgr104

Krause et. al., (2006). Educational Psychology: for learning and teaching. (2nd Ed), South Melbourne, Thomson Learning Australia.