Piaget theorized that children "construct" their understanding of the world through their active involvement and interactions. He described children's understandings as their "schemas" and how they use: assimilation and accommodation. Believes children are active learners, not passive observers. Each stage builds on accomplishments of prior stage. Active, hands-on learning is crucial as well as sensitivity to child's current level of understanding. Acceptance of individual differences is important as well.
Development Stages
Sensori-Motor: the infant uses his senses and motor abilities to understand the world (birth - 2 years)
Preoperation: the child uses mental representations of objects and is able to use symbolic thought and language (2 - 7)
Concrete Operations: the child uses logical operations or principles when solving problems (7 - 11)
Formal Operations: the use of logical operations in a systematic fashion and with the ability to use abstractions (12 & up)
Because adolescents capable of formal operational reasoning can deal with hypothetical and contrary-to-fact ideas, they can envision how the world might be different from, and possibly better than, they way it actually is. Thus they may be idealistic about and devoted to social, political, religious, and ethical issues- global warming, world hunger, animal rights, and so on. Piaget suggested that adolescent idealism reflects an inability to seperate one's own logical abstrations from the perspectives of others and from practical considerations. Only through experience do adolescents eventually begin to temper their optimism with some realism about what is possible in a given time frame and with limited resources.
As a teacher, advocating participation in organizations outside of the classroom and school would be key to making sure students are aware of the options open to them before their college years, especially if they are interested in certain issues or subjects. Involvement in clubs on campus might spark their interest as well. Emphasis on social studies as well as math and science would be proper according to Piaget, due to their ability to actively use abstractions. Keeping their goals high but their reality grounded would be the ultimate (although maybe not easy) role of the teacher.
Piaget theorized that children "construct" their understanding of the world through their active involvement and interactions. He described children's understandings as their "schemas" and how they use: assimilation and accommodation. Believes children are active learners, not passive observers. Each stage builds on accomplishments of prior stage. Active, hands-on learning is crucial as well as sensitivity to child's current level of understanding. Acceptance of individual differences is important as well.
Development Stages
Because adolescents capable of formal operational reasoning can deal with hypothetical and contrary-to-fact ideas, they can envision how the world might be different from, and possibly better than, they way it actually is. Thus they may be idealistic about and devoted to social, political, religious, and ethical issues- global warming, world hunger, animal rights, and so on. Piaget suggested that adolescent idealism reflects an inability to seperate one's own logical abstrations from the perspectives of others and from practical considerations. Only through experience do adolescents eventually begin to temper their optimism with some realism about what is possible in a given time frame and with limited resources.
As a teacher, advocating participation in organizations outside of the classroom and school would be key to making sure students are aware of the options open to them before their college years, especially if they are interested in certain issues or subjects. Involvement in clubs on campus might spark their interest as well. Emphasis on social studies as well as math and science would be proper according to Piaget, due to their ability to actively use abstractions. Keeping their goals high but their reality grounded would be the ultimate (although maybe not easy) role of the teacher.