Just as writing a research paper is a process, so is refining one's writing skills and becoming a more well-rounded writer. Through the course of this semester I have learned new writing skills that will be useful for my future. I have enjoyed this semester because not only did I learn the skills needed to compose an academic research paper but I was also introduced to new tools to help aid in the organization, research, and writing process. Most notably I learned how to write a research paper and the work and organization that goes into constructing an argumentative paper. Ever since High School I've written a good deal of research papers, but after writing this one I understand the actual research process as it was explained in greater detail. I also understand the organization that a research paper should follow as outlined with the introduction, arguments, counterarguments, refutations, and the conclusion. I also learned how to cite from other reputable sources and how to incorporate well founded research into a paper to make a concise argument.
Besides learning simply how to construct an argument, I also learned how to use new technological tools I never knew existed. I had always known how to use Google but I never went much further than Google or the Databases on the Auraria Library website. Now I know how to use all sorts of tools that have made my research, organizational, and writing process much easier and convenient. By using tools like Delicious I could keep track of the useful sites I had visited without having to add them to my long list of bookmarks on the internet browser. This research journal itself was a very useful was to track my progress on my paper and keep my thought organized in sequential order. I also learned how to use many different search engines and Boolean operators that helped make the actual research much more efficient. By using these new tools I could quickly locate and narrow down my search to exactly what I was looking for.
All these new skills are beneficial now in my college career and will be beneficial to me in the years to come and as I pursue a career. I now know how to state an argument and back it up with firm evidence. This will help me in the papers I will need to write in the classes I have to come. In general learning how to make an argument will help me learn how to present myself in a credible way. Learning how to organize and present my thoughts will help me as I pursue a teaching career. Being able to express my ideas will help me in instruction and help me learn how to help others organize their ideas and present their arguments. While writing a research paper may not be the most exciting task in the world it is essential to learn how to present oneself and make a valid argument. Overall this semester has been a stimulating learning experience and I will be able to use what I have learned to better express myself.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Research Journal Assignment #14: Annotated Bibliography Part 2
Good, Thomas. "Comparison of Piaget and Vygotsky on Some Theoretical Points." 21st Century
Education: A Reference Handbook. Vol. 2. Boston: Sage Publications. 2008. 186-188.
2 vols. Web. 11 November 2009.
This is reference handbook written for educators to use as a tool in supplementing their teaching. Thomas Good is the Head of the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Arizona. He has also taught at the University of Austin, Texas and the University of Missouri. He has done extensive research into the American education system and is backed by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Mental Health and he is the editor of the Elementary School Journal. Good is, by all of these qualifications, an expert in the field of this research. Sage publications is a very scholarly press and the printing of this reference handbook is proof of their commitment to educational purposes. In this reference book I found some good points of comparison between Piaget and Vygotsky and the definitions of quantitative and qualitative development.
Jalil, Habibah, Angela McFarlane, Isma A. Ismail, and Fadzilah Rahman. "Assisted Performance
: A Pragmatic Conception of Online Learning." International Journal of Instruction. 1.2
(2008): 53-75. Auraria Library-ERIC. Web. 11 November 2009.
I did a search on the authors of this journal article and these are my findings on every researcher with the exception of Isma Ismail, who I could not find an accurate source for. Dr. Habibah Jalil is a lecturer at the Department of Technical and Science Education and faculty of Educational Studies at the University of Putra in Malaysia. Angela McFarlane is the Professor of Education at the Bristol Graduate School of Education in the United Kingdom. Fadzilah Rahman is a lecturer in the Department of Language and Humanities Education at the University of Putra in Malaysia as well. Since all the authors I looked up have very academic backgrounds, all being professors of education, their opinions are well founded and trustworthy. The International Journal of Instruction is also a very valuable and well founded source because it is a periodical published that outlines best practices and trends in education world wide, it therefore houses expert opinions in the field of education and child development. From this source I found the article written on assisted performance in the online classroom and independent performance in the online environment.
Kaplan, Frederic and Pierre-Yves Oudeyer. "Intrinsically Motivated Machines." Infoscience.
4850. (2007): 304-315. Auraria Library-EBSCO. Web. 11 November 2009.
Kaplan graduated as an engineer in a Telecommunications school in Paris, France and recieved a PhD in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Paris. He worked then as a researcher in the Sony Computer Lab for 10 years and is a well trusted source in software engineering. Pierre Yves Oudeyer is a colleague of Kaplan and earner his engineering degree in Telecommunications from a school in Lyons, France. He then received a PhD in artificial intelligence from the University of Paris as well. Both Kaplan and Oudeyer are engineering robots that have intrinsic motivation and human like behavior. The Infoscience Journal is a trusted Scientific source published by Infoscience company that puts out articles periodically on advancements in technology and engineering. Although this technological source is very valid and trustworthy due to the credibility of its authors and publishers, it may seem like it does not fit with my topic on education. But I used this referenced article because while Kaplan and Oudeyer were trying to engineer robots that were intrinsically motivated, they researched and referenced Piaget and his work on intrinsic motivation in children.
Miller, Patricia H. Theories of Development Psychology. 4th ed. New York: Worth Publishers, 2001. 69. Web. 11 November 2009.
Patricia H. Miller is a professor and author on psychology and human development. She has taught at Michigan University, the University of Florida, was the Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts in Florida, and is currently on staff at the University of Minnesota as the Head of the Psychology Department. She is also the associate editor of Child Development. Her studies have focused on the development of children, their executive functions, academic success, and memory. The vast and deep background in child development as a teacher, author, and researcher makes Miller a very notable and reliable source. Worth Publishers is a Psychology driven, academic publisher that specializes in printing textbooks and guides to psychology and is also a reliable source for this reason. From Miller's book I found some good explanation of quantitative development and how Piaget adhered to it.
Tyre, Peg. The Trouble with Boys: A Surprising Report Card on Our Sons, Their Problems at School, and What Parents and Educators Must Do. New York: Crown Publishing Group, 2008. 103. Print.
Peg Tyre is the author of this New York Time's Bestseller. She was the senior writer at Newsweek before she wrote this book and spent time as a correspondent on CNN. She specializes in writing on social trends and education. She graduated from Brown University and has lectured at Harvard University and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Tyre's resume is quite impressive and full of academic and professional accomplishments. Her specialization on educational topics makes her a viable source for my paper. The Crown Publishing Group first originated in 1933 and is now a branch of the Random House Publishing Company, which is known internationally as the world's largest English language book trading company. Random House has been known to print a wide variety of books and is not just a nameless publisher. This book by Tyre takes a look at boys in the American school system and analyzes the problems that young men face in the schools. From this book I found a useful quote on the removal of recess which will help in my argument for more Vygotskian founded play in child development.
Wiate-Stupiansky, Sandra. Building Understanding Together: A Constructivist Approach to Early Childhood Education. Boston: Delmar Publishers, 1997. 2, 24-27, 80. Print.
Waite-Stupiansky has taught kindergarten the last 8 or her 27 years of teaching at Edinboro University's Miller Laboratory School in Pennsylvania. She also has a PhD in early childhood education. With her training and experience in teaching, Wiate-Stupiansky stands out as a legitimate source of information. The book she wrote on constructivism was published by Delmar Publishers. Delmar Publishers are and a printing source that specializes in skill based solutions for educational institutions, businesses, and professionals. It is also part of Cengage Learning, which makes it a very useful source for educational information. I found this book, by Wiate-Stupiansky, very useful as it gives background into the educational ideology of constructivism and a small section on Vygotskian play as well.
Education: A Reference Handbook. Vol. 2. Boston: Sage Publications. 2008. 186-188.
2 vols. Web. 11 November 2009.
This is reference handbook written for educators to use as a tool in supplementing their teaching. Thomas Good is the Head of the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Arizona. He has also taught at the University of Austin, Texas and the University of Missouri. He has done extensive research into the American education system and is backed by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Mental Health and he is the editor of the Elementary School Journal. Good is, by all of these qualifications, an expert in the field of this research. Sage publications is a very scholarly press and the printing of this reference handbook is proof of their commitment to educational purposes. In this reference book I found some good points of comparison between Piaget and Vygotsky and the definitions of quantitative and qualitative development.
Jalil, Habibah, Angela McFarlane, Isma A. Ismail, and Fadzilah Rahman. "Assisted Performance
: A Pragmatic Conception of Online Learning." International Journal of Instruction. 1.2
(2008): 53-75. Auraria Library-ERIC. Web. 11 November 2009.
I did a search on the authors of this journal article and these are my findings on every researcher with the exception of Isma Ismail, who I could not find an accurate source for. Dr. Habibah Jalil is a lecturer at the Department of Technical and Science Education and faculty of Educational Studies at the University of Putra in Malaysia. Angela McFarlane is the Professor of Education at the Bristol Graduate School of Education in the United Kingdom. Fadzilah Rahman is a lecturer in the Department of Language and Humanities Education at the University of Putra in Malaysia as well. Since all the authors I looked up have very academic backgrounds, all being professors of education, their opinions are well founded and trustworthy. The International Journal of Instruction is also a very valuable and well founded source because it is a periodical published that outlines best practices and trends in education world wide, it therefore houses expert opinions in the field of education and child development. From this source I found the article written on assisted performance in the online classroom and independent performance in the online environment.
Kaplan, Frederic and Pierre-Yves Oudeyer. "Intrinsically Motivated Machines." Infoscience.
4850. (2007): 304-315. Auraria Library-EBSCO. Web. 11 November 2009.
Kaplan graduated as an engineer in a Telecommunications school in Paris, France and recieved a PhD in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Paris. He worked then as a researcher in the Sony Computer Lab for 10 years and is a well trusted source in software engineering. Pierre Yves Oudeyer is a colleague of Kaplan and earner his engineering degree in Telecommunications from a school in Lyons, France. He then received a PhD in artificial intelligence from the University of Paris as well. Both Kaplan and Oudeyer are engineering robots that have intrinsic motivation and human like behavior. The Infoscience Journal is a trusted Scientific source published by Infoscience company that puts out articles periodically on advancements in technology and engineering. Although this technological source is very valid and trustworthy due to the credibility of its authors and publishers, it may seem like it does not fit with my topic on education. But I used this referenced article because while Kaplan and Oudeyer were trying to engineer robots that were intrinsically motivated, they researched and referenced Piaget and his work on intrinsic motivation in children.
Miller, Patricia H. Theories of Development Psychology. 4th ed. New York: Worth Publishers, 2001. 69. Web. 11 November 2009.
Patricia H. Miller is a professor and author on psychology and human development. She has taught at Michigan University, the University of Florida, was the Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts in Florida, and is currently on staff at the University of Minnesota as the Head of the Psychology Department. She is also the associate editor of Child Development. Her studies have focused on the development of children, their executive functions, academic success, and memory. The vast and deep background in child development as a teacher, author, and researcher makes Miller a very notable and reliable source. Worth Publishers is a Psychology driven, academic publisher that specializes in printing textbooks and guides to psychology and is also a reliable source for this reason. From Miller's book I found some good explanation of quantitative development and how Piaget adhered to it.
Tyre, Peg. The Trouble with Boys: A Surprising Report Card on Our Sons, Their Problems at School, and What Parents and Educators Must Do. New York: Crown Publishing Group, 2008. 103. Print.
Peg Tyre is the author of this New York Time's Bestseller. She was the senior writer at Newsweek before she wrote this book and spent time as a correspondent on CNN. She specializes in writing on social trends and education. She graduated from Brown University and has lectured at Harvard University and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Tyre's resume is quite impressive and full of academic and professional accomplishments. Her specialization on educational topics makes her a viable source for my paper. The Crown Publishing Group first originated in 1933 and is now a branch of the Random House Publishing Company, which is known internationally as the world's largest English language book trading company. Random House has been known to print a wide variety of books and is not just a nameless publisher. This book by Tyre takes a look at boys in the American school system and analyzes the problems that young men face in the schools. From this book I found a useful quote on the removal of recess which will help in my argument for more Vygotskian founded play in child development.
Wiate-Stupiansky, Sandra. Building Understanding Together: A Constructivist Approach to Early Childhood Education. Boston: Delmar Publishers, 1997. 2, 24-27, 80. Print.
Waite-Stupiansky has taught kindergarten the last 8 or her 27 years of teaching at Edinboro University's Miller Laboratory School in Pennsylvania. She also has a PhD in early childhood education. With her training and experience in teaching, Wiate-Stupiansky stands out as a legitimate source of information. The book she wrote on constructivism was published by Delmar Publishers. Delmar Publishers are and a printing source that specializes in skill based solutions for educational institutions, businesses, and professionals. It is also part of Cengage Learning, which makes it a very useful source for educational information. I found this book, by Wiate-Stupiansky, very useful as it gives background into the educational ideology of constructivism and a small section on Vygotskian play as well.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Research Journal Assignment #13b: Annotated Bibliography Part I
Bringuier, Jean-Claude. Conversations with Jean Piaget. Chicago; The University of Chicago
Press, 1980. 15-143. Print.
The book, Conversations with Jean Piaget was originally written in 1980 in French and then translated. Jean-Claude Bringuier interviewed Jean Piaget and recorded his actual statements. This book is useful and trustworthy because it is the retelling of Piaget's theory verbatim from Piaget himself. The University of Chicago Press is also a viable source because it is an academic publisher and therefore can be trusted to print useful and accurate information. Overall this is one of the most useful sources due to its high level of credibility.
Daniels, Harry. Vygotsky and Pedagogy. New York; Routledge, 2001. 5-68. Print.
The author of this book, Harry Daniels, has written many academic books on research and psychology. He also helped compile the Cambridge Companion to Vygotsky. Daniels has specialized in writting on educational theory, and especially Vygotsky throughout his career. His position as an academic writer makes Harry Daniels a qualified source to obtain information from. In this book I found how Vygotsky approaches pedagogy and what he believes should be accomplished in the classroom. The publisher is also a very credible source. Routledge is a publishing company for academic purposes. Routledge publishes academic books, journals, textbooks, media, and reference works and is also a very credible source for this reason.
"Overview." ED.gov U.S. Department of Education, 1 July 2009. Web. 4 November 2009.
.
This website is the location where I found information about the U.S. Department of Education. Here I found their purpose statement, goals, funding, and other relative information. This site is a trustworthy site because it is produce by the government and is a national department. The statistics generated by the U.S. Department of Education are taken as trustworthy as it is held accountable by the population and authorities of the nation. I found useful statistics, links, and statements on this website to incorporate into my paper. Although I would not use this website to find all my information, I think it is a useful website for determining the current state of the American public school system and its goals.
Typhon, Anastasia, and Jacques Voneche. Piaget - Vygotsky: The Social Genesis of Thought.
London; Psychology Press, 1996. 174-186. Print.
Although the only information I could find on the authors in them being cited in other works, I do believe that this book is a credible and useful source. The publisher is the Psychology Press which only publishes academic sources for the purposes of Psychology. This means that the Psychology Press prints academic textbooks, books, journals, and works done by trustworthy and notable psychologists. The information provided in this book is a useful compare and constrast between Piaget and Vygotsky and given insight into how both men viewed the formation of thought. The book quotes from reliable sources and is in itself a reliable source.
Press, 1980. 15-143. Print.
The book, Conversations with Jean Piaget was originally written in 1980 in French and then translated. Jean-Claude Bringuier interviewed Jean Piaget and recorded his actual statements. This book is useful and trustworthy because it is the retelling of Piaget's theory verbatim from Piaget himself. The University of Chicago Press is also a viable source because it is an academic publisher and therefore can be trusted to print useful and accurate information. Overall this is one of the most useful sources due to its high level of credibility.
Daniels, Harry. Vygotsky and Pedagogy. New York; Routledge, 2001. 5-68. Print.
The author of this book, Harry Daniels, has written many academic books on research and psychology. He also helped compile the Cambridge Companion to Vygotsky. Daniels has specialized in writting on educational theory, and especially Vygotsky throughout his career. His position as an academic writer makes Harry Daniels a qualified source to obtain information from. In this book I found how Vygotsky approaches pedagogy and what he believes should be accomplished in the classroom. The publisher is also a very credible source. Routledge is a publishing company for academic purposes. Routledge publishes academic books, journals, textbooks, media, and reference works and is also a very credible source for this reason.
"Overview." ED.gov U.S. Department of Education, 1 July 2009. Web. 4 November 2009.
This website is the location where I found information about the U.S. Department of Education. Here I found their purpose statement, goals, funding, and other relative information. This site is a trustworthy site because it is produce by the government and is a national department. The statistics generated by the U.S. Department of Education are taken as trustworthy as it is held accountable by the population and authorities of the nation. I found useful statistics, links, and statements on this website to incorporate into my paper. Although I would not use this website to find all my information, I think it is a useful website for determining the current state of the American public school system and its goals.
Typhon, Anastasia, and Jacques Voneche. Piaget - Vygotsky: The Social Genesis of Thought.
London; Psychology Press, 1996. 174-186. Print.
Although the only information I could find on the authors in them being cited in other works, I do believe that this book is a credible and useful source. The publisher is the Psychology Press which only publishes academic sources for the purposes of Psychology. This means that the Psychology Press prints academic textbooks, books, journals, and works done by trustworthy and notable psychologists. The information provided in this book is a useful compare and constrast between Piaget and Vygotsky and given insight into how both men viewed the formation of thought. The book quotes from reliable sources and is in itself a reliable source.
Research Journal Assignment #13a: Field Research
I conducted a two part study for my field research. The first part was a simple survey of some educators that I know. The second part was an interview with my uncle, Bob Elliott, who has been a teacher for over 20 years.
The questions asked in my survey were:
1. What age are you teaching?
2. What ages have you taught?
3. In your classroom are you more likely to allow your students to make their own investigations or do you prefer to provide guided instruction?
4. Do you think that development in children is culture specific?
The answers I received from my survey were:
1. Varying ranges but mostly sixth grade and under
2. Again it varied but fell closer to the younger side of schooling
3. Out of everyone I surveyed only one person said they are more likely to allow their students to make their own investigations while the rest concluded that children need lots of modeling and guidance, especially when they are younger.
4. Every educator I surveyed concluded that development in children is in fact culture specific.
As stated, I interviewed Bob Elliot, who has been an educator in the state of Hawaii for over 20 years and has taught K-12 and graduate level courses in his teaching career, with a good portion spent in grades five and six. I asked him similar questions to what I had asked in the survey but in more depth and he provided a lot of good information. Just to sample a couple of answers he wrote this:
"At the elementary level all activities are instructor driven with specific responses required but accommodations allowed based on different learning styles."
The questions asked in my survey were:
1. What age are you teaching?
2. What ages have you taught?
3. In your classroom are you more likely to allow your students to make their own investigations or do you prefer to provide guided instruction?
4. Do you think that development in children is culture specific?
The answers I received from my survey were:
1. Varying ranges but mostly sixth grade and under
2. Again it varied but fell closer to the younger side of schooling
3. Out of everyone I surveyed only one person said they are more likely to allow their students to make their own investigations while the rest concluded that children need lots of modeling and guidance, especially when they are younger.
4. Every educator I surveyed concluded that development in children is in fact culture specific.
As stated, I interviewed Bob Elliot, who has been an educator in the state of Hawaii for over 20 years and has taught K-12 and graduate level courses in his teaching career, with a good portion spent in grades five and six. I asked him similar questions to what I had asked in the survey but in more depth and he provided a lot of good information. Just to sample a couple of answers he wrote this:
"At the elementary level all activities are instructor driven with specific responses required but accommodations allowed based on different learning styles."
"Most significant to note here is that students are individuals. Birth order in the family, medical conditions, relationships with siblings and parents, number of parents in the house, climate, and socio-economic status all contribute to a student's readiness to learn. Even within the same culture, some children absorb knowledge independently while others require repetition, longer learning periods, and varied examples before the same content begins to penetrate the student's organizational thought patterns that lead to an assimilation of base knowledge that builds a base of knowledge for higher level content learning."
I will utilize both the survey and the more in depth interview to further my argument in the paper.
I will utilize both the survey and the more in depth interview to further my argument in the paper.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Research Journal #12b: Presentation Plan
For my presentation I will be presenting part of my body to the class. I am not sure which argument I will present to the class but I am leaning toward presenting the third argument of my paper about the social construction of development. I will also include intro slides about the background information on both Piaget and Vygotsky because this may be a foreign concept to some classmates. I will probably try to incorporate outside pictures or at least a common background for each slide. By giving a background introduction to the class they will be able to follow along with the rest of the presentation. I will probably devote my first two slides to the history of these two psychologists and then use the next five or six slides for discussing my argument.
Research Journal #12a: Progress Report
Progress Report
What I Have Accomplished:
What I Still Need to Do:
What I Have Accomplished:
- Acquired all my print sources
- Written the Formal Outline
- Written the Introduction to my Paper
- Started my Works Cited Page
- Conducted Field Research/Survey
What I Still Need to Do:
- Finish Paper
- Find periodical article
- Prepare for Presentation
- Create Visual Aids
- Write a page per day until completed with Draft
- Compile Survey Results into a table of sorts
- Create slide show online for Presentation this weekend
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Research Journal Assignment #11c: Thesis Statement Check
I checked Dominique's and Zach's Thesis Statements
Research Journal Assignment #11b: Visual Aids
Possible Visual Aids for Research Paper: Table of Piaget's Stages of Development, Picture of Piaget's idea of conservation, Table of Vygotsky's Stages of Development in Language, Curriculum or Purpose Statements from different Schools
Research Journal Assignment #11a: Introduction
One of the most crucial concerns of the American society should be the education system, and more so now than ever, due to the incredible influx in students, "Total public school enrollment is projected to set new enrollment records each year from 2007 through 2018, reaching an estimated high of 53.9 million students in 2018" (NCES). With this massive increase in students comes an increased responsibility to train and foster these children in the most excellent way capable, not simply to ensure that each child is educated but to ensure that each child receives the best education they can. How can the schools meet the needs of their communities and students? How can schools make certain that their students are obtaining an optimum education? There are many external conditions that affect a school's capability of effectively teaching its students such as available resources, the condition of the neighborhood and family life surrounding the school, and the amount allotted to schools in each state. Most of these external forces cannot be controlled and are out of the hands of the schools. It is for this reason that it is more prudent for schools to turn their focus inward for how to better their approach. This process of refining the schools starts with the very core of the school by analyzing methods of instruction and how effective they are.
The educational process needs to be an exciting and enriching experience for students as Psychologist Jean Piaget so aptly stated, "Education for most people means trying to lead the child to resemble the typical adult of society...But for me, education means making creators...You have to make inventors, innovators, not conformists" (Piaget). In order to mold these creators that Piaget desired each school must find the appropriate teaching methods to cultivate the drive to learn in students. There are thousands of cognitive psychologists that have drawn out endless blueprints for how to best educate children but only a select few are continually referenced and cited as leaders of the field. Two of the most influential cognitive psychologists are, the before mentioned, Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. Both of these psychologists have set the standards for the field and have made monumental discoveries into the development of learners and how best to reach students. Piaget was often referred to as the father of this field and no other theories of development were even worth mentioning in the same breath as his. Then in 1964 Vygotsky, a Russian psychologist during the Soviet era, was introduced to the western world and all of a sudden an equal to Piaget was found. While education owes much to Jean Piaget for without his initial discoveries the field would be hallow and years behind, Vygotsky offers a theory that cannot be ignored. Lev Vygotsky's theory of developmental education provides a more versatile foundation to be used in schools due to its innovative concepts of the Zone of Proximal Development, Vygotskian play, and societal impacts on development.
The educational process needs to be an exciting and enriching experience for students as Psychologist Jean Piaget so aptly stated, "Education for most people means trying to lead the child to resemble the typical adult of society...But for me, education means making creators...You have to make inventors, innovators, not conformists" (Piaget). In order to mold these creators that Piaget desired each school must find the appropriate teaching methods to cultivate the drive to learn in students. There are thousands of cognitive psychologists that have drawn out endless blueprints for how to best educate children but only a select few are continually referenced and cited as leaders of the field. Two of the most influential cognitive psychologists are, the before mentioned, Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. Both of these psychologists have set the standards for the field and have made monumental discoveries into the development of learners and how best to reach students. Piaget was often referred to as the father of this field and no other theories of development were even worth mentioning in the same breath as his. Then in 1964 Vygotsky, a Russian psychologist during the Soviet era, was introduced to the western world and all of a sudden an equal to Piaget was found. While education owes much to Jean Piaget for without his initial discoveries the field would be hallow and years behind, Vygotsky offers a theory that cannot be ignored. Lev Vygotsky's theory of developmental education provides a more versatile foundation to be used in schools due to its innovative concepts of the Zone of Proximal Development, Vygotskian play, and societal impacts on development.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Research Journal Assignment #10b: Argument
Thesis Statement: Lev Vygotsky's theory of developmental education provides a more versatile foundation to be used in schools due to its innovative concepts of the Zone of Proximal Development, Vygotskian play throughout development, and societal impacts on development.
Reason 1: Zone of Proximal Development
Warrant: Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development provides more reason for his theory to be applied over Piaget's because the ZPD allows both for Piaget's idea of intrinsically motivated students and those that need a little aid. With the ZPD students are aided by more competent individuals, not strictly the teacher. The ZPD states that students need to be stretched outside of what their current capabilities are in order to learn the next step. The ZPD stresses continuous growth from point to point.
Reason 2: Vygotskian Paly
Warrant: Through great deals of research it has been discovered that play enhances the learning in children. As stated by Cognitive Development Psychologist Robert Mead, play teaches children how to take on the role of the "generalized other" and aids in socialization and the development of social skills in children. Vygotsky emphasizes that students learn through play for life and not only in the stages that Piaget outlines that play occurs in.
Reason 3: Societal Impacts on Development
Warrant: Education is an essential agent in the socialization of children. Vygotsky emphasized the nurture side of development in children whereas Piaget emphasized a more nature development approach. Piaget posed that development happens in distinct, age appropriate stages that occur in biologically analogous times for every child. Vygotsky however disagreed with Piaget here, Vygotsky believed that children develop in culturally different ways that change from society to society and are not confined by age or stage.
Possible Objections:
1. Piaget's idea of intrinsic motivation can be proved in school like Montesori
Refutation: Although this can be true for some students, it is not uniform and can be idealistic too often.
2. Piaget's emphasizes play just as much as Vygotsky
Refutation: Vygotsky emphasizes play to a much greater extent than Piaget and it is part of the foundation of Vygotsky's theories of development
3. Piaget's stages of development are proven
Refutation: Although Piaget's stages can be proven and tend to work for most children, they are again not uniform in their development and children develop on their own pace. Piaget did not take into account socialization as Vygotsky did, making his theory more relevant.
Research Journal Assignment #10a: Thesis Statement
Research Question: Should either Jean Piaget's or Lev Vygotsky's theory of developmental education be installed more fundamentally in schools?
Claim: The theory proposed by Lev Vygotsky is more relevant and viable in its application to school systems.
Reasons: (1) Vygotsky's idea of the Zone of Proximal Development accounts for how students are guided in their learning and compliments Piaget's idea of intrinsic motivation where it can be somewhat idealistic (2) Vygotskian Play is stressed throughout the development of learning whereas Piaget stressed it primarily in the senrsorimotor stage (3) Vygotsky's emphasis on nurture's influence on development over nature in developmental through his huge sociological focus offers a flexible and more individualized reasoning for how students develop as opposed to a set structure as Piaget proposed.
Thesis Statement: Lev Vygotsky's theory of developmental education provides a more versatile foundation to be used in schools due to its innovative concepts of the Zone of Proximal Development, Vygotskian play throughout development, and societal impacts on development.
Claim: The theory proposed by Lev Vygotsky is more relevant and viable in its application to school systems.
Reasons: (1) Vygotsky's idea of the Zone of Proximal Development accounts for how students are guided in their learning and compliments Piaget's idea of intrinsic motivation where it can be somewhat idealistic (2) Vygotskian Play is stressed throughout the development of learning whereas Piaget stressed it primarily in the senrsorimotor stage (3) Vygotsky's emphasis on nurture's influence on development over nature in developmental through his huge sociological focus offers a flexible and more individualized reasoning for how students develop as opposed to a set structure as Piaget proposed.
Thesis Statement: Lev Vygotsky's theory of developmental education provides a more versatile foundation to be used in schools due to its innovative concepts of the Zone of Proximal Development, Vygotskian play throughout development, and societal impacts on development.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Research Journal Assingment #9: Evaluation of Sources
Resource Evaluated: The Guardian (Newspaper based in the UK)
Writer Evaluated: Diane Hofkins
Conclusions: The Guardian does seem to be a legitimate and trustworthy source as a periodical. It is a nationally published newspaper which has existed since 1821. It now publishes the Guardian weekly, which is a compilation of four newspapers. It historically has a slight liberal lean to it.
Diane Hofkins is the chief editor of the Times Educational Supplement, which is a weekly publication covering education in the UK. She is a professional journalist and writes primarily in the field of education. She seems like a qualified source and on her own page provides real contact information which adds to her credibility. I could not find anything about her educational experiences but I would still mark her as a credible author in her field.
Resource Evaluated: Piaget's Theories Applied to an Early Elementary Curriculum (book)
Author Evaluated: Celia Lavatelli
Conclusions: The book written by Lavatelli was published by an Education publisher called Delta Education. Delta Education is a company dedicated to providing hands on learning experiences in the classroom to schools and it was founded by former teachers with PhD's. The website also provides an actual physical address in New Hampshire for Delta. With all this information provided by Delta Education I would assume that the book published by Lavatelli is a legitimate source.
After researching Lavatelli herself I only found more evidence to back up my support of this source. Lavatelli was a professor of elementary and early childhood education. She was also a consultant to educators and schools. She worked personally with Jean Piaget himself and is a member of the APA and many prestigious educational associations. Lavatelli is definitely a trustworthy source.
Resource Evaluated: Simply Psychology (website)
Writer Evaluated: No Specific Author to the page, probably a collaboration on the information that Simply Psychology has collected as a whole.
Conclusions: The information given on this website is extremely helpful and well presented. I read about the website and discovered that it is a site set up to help college students understand all the different kinds of psychology and the psychologists that have helped shape each field. It also provides information into research methods, social psychology, and psychoanalysis. My overall opinion is that the site is a legitimate academic source but I would like to see more information about its authors and who posts information on it.
Resource Evaluated:Adults Learning
Writer Evaluated: Teresa Cairns
Conclusions: After looking up Adults Learning I was redirected to the American Association for Adult and Continued Learning, which is an association dedicated to the continued and sustained learning of adults. The website for the association had a good deal of information on the purpose of the association and its founders, who are all very legitimate and each have masters degrees or PhD's and contact information. The Association actually has a physical address, which is also key in proving legitimacy. Although its website may not have been all too informative or interactive, I would categorize the American Association for Adult and Continued Learning as an expert source in the educational development exhibited into adulthood.
After looking into the writer herself, Teresa Cairns, I have confirmed that she is a reliable source. She is most certainly a reliable source in the field of adult education at the least. Cairns is the covenor of learning at the Sussex University in the UK and coordinates staff in the Center for Continuing Education. Her personal information page provided background information and credible contact information to reveal the validity of her page. Although I am looking more into the educational development of children, looking at the continued education of adults might be useful and Cairns would be a credible source for which to refer to if I decided to pull anything from this area.
Resource Evaluated: Parallel Paths to Constructivism: Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky
Author Evaluated: Susan Pass
Conclusions: After looking into the book and its publisher I found that it was published by Information Age Publishing. IAP is a social science publisher of academic and scholarly book series and journals. IAP is striving to define and add body to many ideas that have previously lacked deeper research. There was also a physical address involved and contact information. This means that the book published was published by a legitimate academic source.
After I looked after information on Susan Pass I found valuable information about her academic standing. I did not find a ton of information on Pass herself but I did find her name referenced in quite a few sources, with one very viable source in particular ERIC, the Education Resource Information Center. Although I did not find too much on Susan Pass seeing her name referenced and reviewed often led me to believe that she is a legitimate source but I would have to read her actual work first in order to truly get a feel for whether I would cite her works or not.
Resource Evaluated:The Teaching of Young Children: Some Application of Piaget's Learning Theory
Author Evaluated: R. Bott
Conclusions: I found that the book was published by Schocken Books which is a publishing company that has been around since 1931 in Berlin. The book was also referenced in ERIC, which once again adds more credibility to the source.
After looking into the author of the book, I found that John R. Bott wrote for the New York Times for 37 years and was its editor for 17 of those years. He was a well published journalist and author and is most likely viable and trustworthy in his works.
Writer Evaluated: Diane Hofkins
Conclusions: The Guardian does seem to be a legitimate and trustworthy source as a periodical. It is a nationally published newspaper which has existed since 1821. It now publishes the Guardian weekly, which is a compilation of four newspapers. It historically has a slight liberal lean to it.
Diane Hofkins is the chief editor of the Times Educational Supplement, which is a weekly publication covering education in the UK. She is a professional journalist and writes primarily in the field of education. She seems like a qualified source and on her own page provides real contact information which adds to her credibility. I could not find anything about her educational experiences but I would still mark her as a credible author in her field.
Resource Evaluated: Piaget's Theories Applied to an Early Elementary Curriculum (book)
Author Evaluated: Celia Lavatelli
Conclusions: The book written by Lavatelli was published by an Education publisher called Delta Education. Delta Education is a company dedicated to providing hands on learning experiences in the classroom to schools and it was founded by former teachers with PhD's. The website also provides an actual physical address in New Hampshire for Delta. With all this information provided by Delta Education I would assume that the book published by Lavatelli is a legitimate source.
After researching Lavatelli herself I only found more evidence to back up my support of this source. Lavatelli was a professor of elementary and early childhood education. She was also a consultant to educators and schools. She worked personally with Jean Piaget himself and is a member of the APA and many prestigious educational associations. Lavatelli is definitely a trustworthy source.
Resource Evaluated: Simply Psychology (website)
Writer Evaluated: No Specific Author to the page, probably a collaboration on the information that Simply Psychology has collected as a whole.
Conclusions: The information given on this website is extremely helpful and well presented. I read about the website and discovered that it is a site set up to help college students understand all the different kinds of psychology and the psychologists that have helped shape each field. It also provides information into research methods, social psychology, and psychoanalysis. My overall opinion is that the site is a legitimate academic source but I would like to see more information about its authors and who posts information on it.
Resource Evaluated:Adults Learning
Writer Evaluated: Teresa Cairns
Conclusions: After looking up Adults Learning I was redirected to the American Association for Adult and Continued Learning, which is an association dedicated to the continued and sustained learning of adults. The website for the association had a good deal of information on the purpose of the association and its founders, who are all very legitimate and each have masters degrees or PhD's and contact information. The Association actually has a physical address, which is also key in proving legitimacy. Although its website may not have been all too informative or interactive, I would categorize the American Association for Adult and Continued Learning as an expert source in the educational development exhibited into adulthood.
After looking into the writer herself, Teresa Cairns, I have confirmed that she is a reliable source. She is most certainly a reliable source in the field of adult education at the least. Cairns is the covenor of learning at the Sussex University in the UK and coordinates staff in the Center for Continuing Education. Her personal information page provided background information and credible contact information to reveal the validity of her page. Although I am looking more into the educational development of children, looking at the continued education of adults might be useful and Cairns would be a credible source for which to refer to if I decided to pull anything from this area.
Resource Evaluated: Parallel Paths to Constructivism: Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky
Author Evaluated: Susan Pass
Conclusions: After looking into the book and its publisher I found that it was published by Information Age Publishing. IAP is a social science publisher of academic and scholarly book series and journals. IAP is striving to define and add body to many ideas that have previously lacked deeper research. There was also a physical address involved and contact information. This means that the book published was published by a legitimate academic source.
After I looked after information on Susan Pass I found valuable information about her academic standing. I did not find a ton of information on Pass herself but I did find her name referenced in quite a few sources, with one very viable source in particular ERIC, the Education Resource Information Center. Although I did not find too much on Susan Pass seeing her name referenced and reviewed often led me to believe that she is a legitimate source but I would have to read her actual work first in order to truly get a feel for whether I would cite her works or not.
Resource Evaluated:The Teaching of Young Children: Some Application of Piaget's Learning Theory
Author Evaluated: R. Bott
Conclusions: I found that the book was published by Schocken Books which is a publishing company that has been around since 1931 in Berlin. The book was also referenced in ERIC, which once again adds more credibility to the source.
After looking into the author of the book, I found that John R. Bott wrote for the New York Times for 37 years and was its editor for 17 of those years. He was a well published journalist and author and is most likely viable and trustworthy in his works.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Research Journal Assignment #8c: Multimedia
Resource Searched: Blinkx
Keywords Used: Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky
Search Strategy Used: Boolean Operator, AND
Date of Search: October 8, 2009
Number of Hits: 11
Relevance of Hits: 4
Two Videos of Use: Vygotskian Play and Jean Piaget
Keywords Used: Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky
Search Strategy Used: Boolean Operator, AND
Date of Search: October 8, 2009
Number of Hits: 11
Relevance of Hits: 4
Two Videos of Use: Vygotskian Play and Jean Piaget
Research Journal Assignment #8b: Social Media
Resource Searched: Feedmil
Keywords Used: Jean Piaget
Search Strategy: Moved Cursor to well known results so it would narrow the search
Date of Search: October 8, 2009
Number of Hits: 2
Relevance of Hits: 5
Resource Searched: Technorati
Keywords Used: Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, Developmental Education
Search Strategy: Boolean Operators, AND, OR
Date of Search: October 8, 2009
Number of Hits: 44
Relevance of Hits: 5
Some useful sites found using Feedmil and Technorati were:
Two Theories of Cognitive Development, What are Safety Gates for Stairs, and Developmental and Child Psychology
Keywords Used: Jean Piaget
Search Strategy: Moved Cursor to well known results so it would narrow the search
Date of Search: October 8, 2009
Number of Hits: 2
Relevance of Hits: 5
Resource Searched: Technorati
Keywords Used: Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, Developmental Education
Search Strategy: Boolean Operators, AND, OR
Date of Search: October 8, 2009
Number of Hits: 44
Relevance of Hits: 5
Some useful sites found using Feedmil and Technorati were:
Two Theories of Cognitive Development, What are Safety Gates for Stairs, and Developmental and Child Psychology
Research Journal Assingment #8a: Websites
Search Engine Used: RedZ
Keywords Used: Jean Piaget, Developmental Education, Lev Vygotsky, Social Construction
Search Strategy Used: Boolean Operators, AND, OR
Date Searched: October 8, 2009
Number of Hits: 25, 22, 30
Relevance of Hits: 5, 3, 4
Meta Search Engine Used: Meta Crawler
Keywords Used: Jean Piaget, Developmental Education, Lev Vygotsky, Differences
Search Strategy: Advanced Search and Boolean Operators, AND
Date Searched: October 8, 2009
Number of Hits: 40, 41
Relevance of Hits: 5, 4
Directory Used: INFOMINE
Keywords Used: Jean Piaget, Developmental Education, Lev Vygotsky
Search Strategy: Refined Search by Category (Social Sciences) and Boolean Operator, AND
Date Searched: October 8, 2009
Number of Hits: 1, 2
Relevance of Hits: 5, 5
Invisible Web Search Tool Used: DeepDyve
Keywords Used: Jean Piaget, Developmental Education, Lev Vygotsky, Differences
Search Strategy: Refine search by category (Social Sciences, and Web) and Boolean Operator, AND, OR
Date of Search: October 8, 2009
Number of Hits: 55
Relevance of Hits: 5
Other Search Tool Used: Digg (Social Bookmarking Service)
Keywords Used: Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, Developmental Education
Search Strategy Used: Boolean Operators, AND with little to no usefulness
Date of Search: October 8, 2009
Number of Hits: 3, 52
Relevance of Hits: 4, 3
Keywords Used: Jean Piaget, Developmental Education, Lev Vygotsky, Social Construction
Search Strategy Used: Boolean Operators, AND, OR
Date Searched: October 8, 2009
Number of Hits: 25, 22, 30
Relevance of Hits: 5, 3, 4
Meta Search Engine Used: Meta Crawler
Keywords Used: Jean Piaget, Developmental Education, Lev Vygotsky, Differences
Search Strategy: Advanced Search and Boolean Operators, AND
Date Searched: October 8, 2009
Number of Hits: 40, 41
Relevance of Hits: 5, 4
Directory Used: INFOMINE
Keywords Used: Jean Piaget, Developmental Education, Lev Vygotsky
Search Strategy: Refined Search by Category (Social Sciences) and Boolean Operator, AND
Date Searched: October 8, 2009
Number of Hits: 1, 2
Relevance of Hits: 5, 5
Invisible Web Search Tool Used: DeepDyve
Keywords Used: Jean Piaget, Developmental Education, Lev Vygotsky, Differences
Search Strategy: Refine search by category (Social Sciences, and Web) and Boolean Operator, AND, OR
Date of Search: October 8, 2009
Number of Hits: 55
Relevance of Hits: 5
Other Search Tool Used: Digg (Social Bookmarking Service)
Keywords Used: Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, Developmental Education
Search Strategy Used: Boolean Operators, AND with little to no usefulness
Date of Search: October 8, 2009
Number of Hits: 3, 52
Relevance of Hits: 4, 3
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Internet Research Project
Name of Source: Middlespot
Summary of Source: Middlespot is an internet search engine that creates personal "mash tabs" and allows the user to search sources on the web through a visual interface, which pulls up hits from a wide array of sources, including music and video. Once a keyword is searched out Middlespot posts the hits on the page in a format that allows the user to see the source on Middlespot without needing to clink any link to view the material unless they want to be directed to the actual site instead. The user can look down a list to the left side of the screen that shows the hits in order of relevance and on the right, consuming most of the screen, are the corresponding options for the user to toggle through and investigate. Using the zoom button the user can even read the whole article from each link and then zoom back out and continue on to the next one.
Source Strengths: Mash tabs create for a convenient, personalized way to group searches. The interface gives the user the option view search results without leaving actual search engine. The interactive interface creates a fun and interesting way to construct searches. Middlespot pulls hits from all sorts of hits and relative information which is very useful, making it a well rounded source. It supports Boolean and Mathematical Operators. It is also capable of performing searches in different languages.
Source Weaknesses: Middlespot is not a very well known search engine and can be dwarfed by other more popular search engines. Although the unique interface and use of mash tabs is convenient and useful, it can become overwhelming and somewhat confusing, especially likely to become so to novice users. If a very broad search is being conducted the interface may become cumbersome in navigating the results. It also offers no Advanced Search Options.
Search Engines, Directories, and Other Applications Searched: Along with searching the web, Middlespot also connects to images, Amazon, Twitter, and headline news sites.
Databases: Middlespot searches its own database along with the web that its spiders have crawled. Middlespot is a search engine and therefore cannot pull out the invisible information on the web but can search it's own vast supply of data.
Operators: Middlespot supports both Boolean and Mathematical Operators to narrow and provide more refined search results.
Case Sensitivity: Middlespot is not case sensitive in its searches and the same number of results are returned no matter what the case choice entered.
Stop Words: All words that are typed in the search box are searched. There are no stop words in Middlespot.
Advanced Search Function: There are no advanced search options in Middlespot. It does however offer related searches at the bottom of the page that might relate to the current search but there are no options for an advanced search.
Limits: Although Middlespot is definitely a user friendly search engine it can offer too many results and it does not allow for advanced search, which is a tool that may become necessary to some users in their searches.
Sorting: All hits are organized by perceived relevance to keywords entered. There are no options for any other form of sorting results.
Display: Middlespot provides a brief title that encapsulates the material on the page and then a few excerpts from the page follow, with the keywords used displayed in bold. The site url then ends the entry at the bottom. Options for related search and "add to mash tab" are also attached to each result. The results are displayed 25 at a time, again in a running column down the left side and then the actual pages displayed to the right of that in columns, originally set to 4 but can also be changed to display anywhere between 1 and 10 columns on the page.
Help Function: Middlespot contains a tips, tutorials, and about tab. These tabs provide information on how to best use Middlespot and information about the search engine itself.
Special Features: Besides the personalized mash tabs and the intricate display once searched, Middlespot also provides a history of recent searches on the left hand once the home page is returned to. This keeps track of the exact keywords used, where they were searched, and what date they were searched on. The most unique and enticing aspect of Middlespot, though, remains the option to create personalized mash tabs to keep track of related searches and then use them as part of a social bookmarking by sharing them.
Summary of Source: Middlespot is an internet search engine that creates personal "mash tabs" and allows the user to search sources on the web through a visual interface, which pulls up hits from a wide array of sources, including music and video. Once a keyword is searched out Middlespot posts the hits on the page in a format that allows the user to see the source on Middlespot without needing to clink any link to view the material unless they want to be directed to the actual site instead. The user can look down a list to the left side of the screen that shows the hits in order of relevance and on the right, consuming most of the screen, are the corresponding options for the user to toggle through and investigate. Using the zoom button the user can even read the whole article from each link and then zoom back out and continue on to the next one.
Source Strengths: Mash tabs create for a convenient, personalized way to group searches. The interface gives the user the option view search results without leaving actual search engine. The interactive interface creates a fun and interesting way to construct searches. Middlespot pulls hits from all sorts of hits and relative information which is very useful, making it a well rounded source. It supports Boolean and Mathematical Operators. It is also capable of performing searches in different languages.
Source Weaknesses: Middlespot is not a very well known search engine and can be dwarfed by other more popular search engines. Although the unique interface and use of mash tabs is convenient and useful, it can become overwhelming and somewhat confusing, especially likely to become so to novice users. If a very broad search is being conducted the interface may become cumbersome in navigating the results. It also offers no Advanced Search Options.
Search Engines, Directories, and Other Applications Searched: Along with searching the web, Middlespot also connects to images, Amazon, Twitter, and headline news sites.
Databases: Middlespot searches its own database along with the web that its spiders have crawled. Middlespot is a search engine and therefore cannot pull out the invisible information on the web but can search it's own vast supply of data.
Operators: Middlespot supports both Boolean and Mathematical Operators to narrow and provide more refined search results.
Case Sensitivity: Middlespot is not case sensitive in its searches and the same number of results are returned no matter what the case choice entered.
Stop Words: All words that are typed in the search box are searched. There are no stop words in Middlespot.
Advanced Search Function: There are no advanced search options in Middlespot. It does however offer related searches at the bottom of the page that might relate to the current search but there are no options for an advanced search.
Limits: Although Middlespot is definitely a user friendly search engine it can offer too many results and it does not allow for advanced search, which is a tool that may become necessary to some users in their searches.
Sorting: All hits are organized by perceived relevance to keywords entered. There are no options for any other form of sorting results.
Display: Middlespot provides a brief title that encapsulates the material on the page and then a few excerpts from the page follow, with the keywords used displayed in bold. The site url then ends the entry at the bottom. Options for related search and "add to mash tab" are also attached to each result. The results are displayed 25 at a time, again in a running column down the left side and then the actual pages displayed to the right of that in columns, originally set to 4 but can also be changed to display anywhere between 1 and 10 columns on the page.
Help Function: Middlespot contains a tips, tutorials, and about tab. These tabs provide information on how to best use Middlespot and information about the search engine itself.
Special Features: Besides the personalized mash tabs and the intricate display once searched, Middlespot also provides a history of recent searches on the left hand once the home page is returned to. This keeps track of the exact keywords used, where they were searched, and what date they were searched on. The most unique and enticing aspect of Middlespot, though, remains the option to create personalized mash tabs to keep track of related searches and then use them as part of a social bookmarking by sharing them.
Research Journal Assignment #7c: Field Research Plan
There are few different ideas I have had for my field research. The first idea that came into my mind was to simply observe a classroom setting and report what naturalistic observations I found and how the teacher applied either Piaget or Vygotsky's theories in the classroom. I could do this kind of observation anytime a school would allow me to and this might be a simple way to gather research. If I were to pursue this kind of field research I would most likely conduct it at the local elementary school so the proximity would be a benefit of this kind of research. Although conducting a simple observation would be a simple way of gathering information it might not be the most useful because the chances that the class might be doing something that might not have either theory applied is a good possibility.
Another option I have considered is simply interviewing the head of the Human Development department at Metro and getting his opinion on the two theories and when he has found them useful and which one he is more likely to use in his teaching. This would be a simply interview to conduct but might be more difficult to set up than the observation at the elementary school. I already know who I would interview but setting up a time that we could both meet might be tough, so if I was to interview him I might actually do it through email or on the phone. Although that eliminates the face to face interaction and possibility of clarification it definitely adds an element of convenience to the research. In conclusion, I'm still unsure about which of the two ideas I will chose but either way I know I will be doing the research sooner rather than later so as to help formulate my conclusion in my paper.
Research Journal Assignment #7b: Internet Research Tool Test
Resource Used: Middlespot
Keywords Used: Piaget, Vygotsky, Theor*, Education, Use*
Search Strategies Used: Boolean Operators ( AND, OR) and Mathematical Operators (*)
Date of Search: October 3, 2009
Number of Hits: 78
Relevance of Hits: 4
Research Journal Assignment #7a: Internet Research Tools
Much like most people, I am a person of convenience. I enjoy being able to get things done quickly and efficiently. Although this allows me to function quickly and effectively, it can sometimes be a problem because I fail to look further into things and take time to look further into what I need to do. And just like most people when I want to look something up on the internet I simply open my browser and head straight for Google. I use Google simply because it was the search engine I was always taught to use throughout my schooling. I like Google because it is convenient and it consistenlty provides quite a few hits, making it a useful tool for a simple broad search. I dislike Google though, because it offers way too many hits and is much too broad. I believe that Google is the most used search engine simply because it is the most known search engine and most people do not know about the other engines that exist. All in all Google is a useful tool, but should be used in moderation and a good amount of variation in tool usage.
This is the link to Google
This is the link to Google
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Research Journal Assignment #6b: Search Strings
I didn't receive any feedback on my search strings but after performing more searches into my research I have found a few useful ideas for my search strings. This includes the use of OR as a Boolean operator mainly. For example:
Jean Piaget AND Theory OR Education OR Development
or
Lev Vygotsky AND Theory OR Education OR Development
or
Jean Piaget AND Lev Vygotsky AND Differences OR Similarities
I found that simply using the AND operator gave many search engines too specified parameters to work within and quite often yielded no results at all. Using the OR operator gives the search engine more room and options to work with. Although this might not always return the most refined searches it is still beneficial and helpful, especially when using the AND operator is too narrow of a strategy.
Research Journal Assignment #6a: Periodical Articles
Author: Diane Hofkins
Title of Artilce: The government wants top graduates to go into early years teaching. They could find it suits them perfectly
Title of Periodical: The Guardian
Date: March 10, 2009
Section: Guardian Education Pages, Page 29
Resource Used: LexisNexis
Keywords Used: Jean Piaget, Educational, Theory
Search Strategy: Boolean Operators, AND
Date of Search: Thursday September 24, 2009
Hits: 3
Relevance of: 5
Author: Teresa Cairns
Title of Article: How Acquiring Basic Skills Should be Part of Everyday Life
Title of Periodical: Adults Learning
Volume: 13
Issue: 3
Date: November 2001
Page: 20
Resource Used: EBSCO
Keywords Used: Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, Theories
Search Stategy: Boolean Operators- AND
Date of Search: Thursday September 24, 2009
Hits: 1
Relevance of: 4
Author: Jonathan Openshaw
Title of Article: A short history of the psychology of childhood
Title of Periodical: The Financial Times
Date: May 23, 2009
Section: Life and Arts: Weekend Supplement
Resource Used: Gale Cenage Learning
Keywords Used: Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky
Search Strategy: Boolean Operators- AND
Date of Search: Thursday September 24, 2009
Hits: 1
Relevance of: 5
Title of Artilce: The government wants top graduates to go into early years teaching. They could find it suits them perfectly
Title of Periodical: The Guardian
Date: March 10, 2009
Section: Guardian Education Pages, Page 29
Resource Used: LexisNexis
Keywords Used: Jean Piaget, Educational, Theory
Search Strategy: Boolean Operators, AND
Date of Search: Thursday September 24, 2009
Hits: 3
Relevance of: 5
Author: Teresa Cairns
Title of Article: How Acquiring Basic Skills Should be Part of Everyday Life
Title of Periodical: Adults Learning
Volume: 13
Issue: 3
Date: November 2001
Page: 20
Resource Used: EBSCO
Keywords Used: Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, Theories
Search Stategy: Boolean Operators- AND
Date of Search: Thursday September 24, 2009
Hits: 1
Relevance of: 4
Author: Jonathan Openshaw
Title of Article: A short history of the psychology of childhood
Title of Periodical: The Financial Times
Date: May 23, 2009
Section: Life and Arts: Weekend Supplement
Resource Used: Gale Cenage Learning
Keywords Used: Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky
Search Strategy: Boolean Operators- AND
Date of Search: Thursday September 24, 2009
Hits: 1
Relevance of: 5
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Research Journal Assignment #5b: Finding Books
Following Entries Found on: Skyline (Auraria Library)
Using Keywords: Jean Piaget AND Theory AND Education
With Search Strategy: Boolean Operators- AND
Searched On: Wednesday September 16, 2009
With: 17 Hits
With Relevance Of: 5
Author: R. Bott
Editor: Molly Brearley
Title: The teaching of young children: some applications of Piaget's learning theory
Place of Publication: New York
Publisher: Schocken Books
Date of Publication: 1970
Authors: Greg Dimitriadis and George Kamberelis
Title: Theory for Education
Place of Publication: New York
Publisher: Routledge
Date of Publication: 2006
Editors: Jeremy Carpendale and Ulrich Muller
Title: Social Interaction and the Development of Knowledge
Place of Publication: Mahwah, NJ
Publisher: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
Date of Publication: 2004
Author: Constance Kamii
Title: Number in Preschool and Kindergarten: Education Implications of Piaget's Theory
Place of Publication: Washington D.C.
Publisher: National Association for the Education of Young Children
Date of Publication: 1982
Author: Celia Lavatelli
Title: Piaget's Theory Applied to an Early Childhood Curriculum
Place of Publication: Cambridge, MA
Publisher: American Science and Engineering
Date of Publication: 1973
Following Entry found on Skyline (Auraria Library)
Using Keywords: Jean Piaget AND Lev Vygotsky
With Search Strategy: Boolean Operator- AND
Searched on: Wednesday September 16, 2009
With: 3 Hits
With Relevance of: 5
Editors: Anastasia Tryphon and Jacques Voneche
Title: Piaget-Vygotsky: The Social Genesis of Thought
Place of Publication: Hove, East Sussex, UK
Publisher: Psychology Press
Date of Publication: 1996
Following Entry found on: Skyline (Auraria Library)
Using Keywords: Lev Vygotsky AND Theory AND Education
With Search Strategy: Boolean Operator-AND
Searched on: Wednesday September 16, 2009
With: 3 Hits
With a Relevance of: 5
Editors: Harry Daniels, Michael Cole, and James Wertsch
Title: The Cambridge Companion to Vygotsky
Place of Publication: Cambridge, NY
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Date of Publication: 2007
Following Entry found on: Douglas County Library Websit
Using Keywords: Jean Piaget AND Theory AND Education
With Search Strategy: Boolean Operator-AND
Searched on: Wednesday September 16, 2009
With: 2 Hits
With a Relevance of: 5
Author: Barry Wadsworth
Title: Piaget's Theory of Cognitive and Affective Development
Edition: Classic Education 5th Edition
Series: Allyn and Bacon Classics in Education
Place of Publication: Boston, MA
Publisher: A and B
Date of Publication: 2004
Following Entry was found on: Prospector
Using Keywords: Jean Piaget AND Lev Vygotsky
With Search Strategy: Boolean Operator-AND
Searched on: Wednesday September 16, 2009
With: 12 Hits
With a Relevance of: 5
Author: Susan Pass
Title: Parallel Paths to Constructivism: Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky
Place of Publication: Greenwich, CN
Publisher: Information Age Publishers
Date of Publication: 2004
Research Journal Assignment #5a: Finding Reference Articles
I searched Encylopedia (Infoplease.com)
with the keyword: Jean Piaget
I had no real search strategy, this was simply a broad search to see what I might find and I searched it on Thursday September 17, 2009.
I had 120 hits with varying relevance but the articles I looked up had a decent relevancy around 3.5 or 4 to my research.
The Article I pulled up was a Biography of Piaget's life and the background into his career, written by Who2 and copywritten in 2007 by Pearson Education.
I then refined by search on the same site by using the search string: Jean Piaget AND Theory AND Education on Thursday September 17, 2009 and I still recieved 120 hits but this time there were only about seven that appeared at the top with all the words I put into the search and the article I found was of a relevance of around 3.5 to my research.
The Article I investigated was an article on Educational Theory and Development and the big names that helped futher this field, including Piaget. It was written by W.F. Connel in A History of Education in the Twentieth Century World in 1980 and presented by the Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia the 6th Edition copywritten in 2007 by Columbia University Press.
On Gale Virtual Reference Library Database on the Auraria Library site I found an article about the lives of Piaget and Vygotsky and thier research careers. I found this using the keywords: Jean Piaget AND Lev Vygotsky. I found it on Thursday September 17, 2009. This provided me with 12 hits that had a relevance of 5.
The main article of interest to me on Piaget was by Fernando Vidal in the Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography volume 24 pages 90-96. It was published in Detroit, MI in 2008 by the Charles Scribner's Sons Publishers. The piece on Vygotsky was written by Rene van der Veer on pages 192-197.
On Gale Virtual Reference Library I also found another biographical article and information article on both Piaget and his relation to Vygotsky. I found it using the same keywords as before: Jean Piaget AND Lev Vygotsky. I found it again on Thursday September 17, 2009. Again I had twelve hits and they were of a relevance of 5 to my research.
This article on Piaget was written by Kristen Krapp in Psychologists and Their Theories for Students volume 2 and this article spans pages 345-372. It was copywritten in 2005 and published in Detroit, MI by Cengage Learning.
Also using Gale Virtual Reference Library I found an encylopedia on psychology of classroom learning in which both Piaget's and Vygotsky's theories are outlined. I found it using the same keywords as before: Jean Piaget AND Lev Vygotsky. I found it on Thursday September 17, 2009 with 12 hits each with a relevance of 5 to my research.
This entry in the encylopedia was edited by Eric Anderman and Lynley Anderman in the Psychology of Classroom Learning: an Encylopedia. The Piaget article was written by Dorothy Singer and the article by Vygotsky was written by Mary Gauvain. It was copywritten in 2009 and published in Detroit, MI by Macmillan Reference USA. This article spans pages 181-205 in volume 1.
with the keyword: Jean Piaget
I had no real search strategy, this was simply a broad search to see what I might find and I searched it on Thursday September 17, 2009.
I had 120 hits with varying relevance but the articles I looked up had a decent relevancy around 3.5 or 4 to my research.
The Article I pulled up was a Biography of Piaget's life and the background into his career, written by Who2 and copywritten in 2007 by Pearson Education.
I then refined by search on the same site by using the search string: Jean Piaget AND Theory AND Education on Thursday September 17, 2009 and I still recieved 120 hits but this time there were only about seven that appeared at the top with all the words I put into the search and the article I found was of a relevance of around 3.5 to my research.
The Article I investigated was an article on Educational Theory and Development and the big names that helped futher this field, including Piaget. It was written by W.F. Connel in A History of Education in the Twentieth Century World in 1980 and presented by the Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia the 6th Edition copywritten in 2007 by Columbia University Press.
On Gale Virtual Reference Library Database on the Auraria Library site I found an article about the lives of Piaget and Vygotsky and thier research careers. I found this using the keywords: Jean Piaget AND Lev Vygotsky. I found it on Thursday September 17, 2009. This provided me with 12 hits that had a relevance of 5.
The main article of interest to me on Piaget was by Fernando Vidal in the Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography volume 24 pages 90-96. It was published in Detroit, MI in 2008 by the Charles Scribner's Sons Publishers. The piece on Vygotsky was written by Rene van der Veer on pages 192-197.
On Gale Virtual Reference Library I also found another biographical article and information article on both Piaget and his relation to Vygotsky. I found it using the same keywords as before: Jean Piaget AND Lev Vygotsky. I found it again on Thursday September 17, 2009. Again I had twelve hits and they were of a relevance of 5 to my research.
This article on Piaget was written by Kristen Krapp in Psychologists and Their Theories for Students volume 2 and this article spans pages 345-372. It was copywritten in 2005 and published in Detroit, MI by Cengage Learning.
Also using Gale Virtual Reference Library I found an encylopedia on psychology of classroom learning in which both Piaget's and Vygotsky's theories are outlined. I found it using the same keywords as before: Jean Piaget AND Lev Vygotsky. I found it on Thursday September 17, 2009 with 12 hits each with a relevance of 5 to my research.
This entry in the encylopedia was edited by Eric Anderman and Lynley Anderman in the Psychology of Classroom Learning: an Encylopedia. The Piaget article was written by Dorothy Singer and the article by Vygotsky was written by Mary Gauvain. It was copywritten in 2009 and published in Detroit, MI by Macmillan Reference USA. This article spans pages 181-205 in volume 1.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Research Journal Assignment #4c: Checking Research Questions
These are the two fellow classmates' journal posts that I commented on, David and Zach.
http://zachlashley.blogspot.com/2009/09/rja-3c-developing-research-question.html#comment-form
Research Journal Assignment #4b: Writing Search Strings
Boolean:
(Piaget OR Jean Piaget) (Piaget OR Jean Piaget)
AND(theor* OR idea*) or AND(theor* OR idea*)
AND(use* OR practic*) AND(Vygotsky OR Lev Vygotsky)
AND(theor* OR idea*)
Math:
Piaget +theor* - Vygotsky
or
Piaget +Vygotsky +theor*
or
Piaget +theor* +use*
Research Journal Assignment #4a: Generating Keywords
Forest Log Scheme to Generate Keywords for: Should either Piaget or Vygotsky's theories of developmental educational psychology be used over the other?
FO: Forms: Should: Shouldn't
theories: theory, theorize, theoretical
used: use, using, useful
RE: Related Terms: Should: Might, Possible
FO: Forms: Should: Shouldn't
theories: theory, theorize, theoretical
used: use, using, useful
RE: Related Terms: Should: Might, Possible
theories: plan, development, way of thinking
used: put in place, made accessible, understood
ST: Synonymous Terms: Should: Ought, May, Is it more beneficial
theories: ideas, system, findings, discoveries
used: put to work, practiced, developed
LOG: Psychology > Learning > Education > Educational Development > Developmental Theories/ Theorists > Piaget vs Vygotsky
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Research Journal Assignment #3c: Developing Research Questions
- To what extent are the theories compatible?
- How is each theory used in schools today?
- Why are these theories important today?
- How do these theories affect classroom procedure?
- Is one theory more useful than the other?
- When should each theory be applied?
- Which theory is most effective?
- Should one theory be used over the other?
Research Journal Assignment #3b: Narrowing Research Topic
When we were first introduced to the idea of writing a research paper about whatever topic we would like from our field of interest, I was eager to begin and I had so many possible topics running through my mind. I am majoring in Human Development and studying Education as I want to become an Elementary School teacher. So at first I decided I would really like to discuss the topic of education. After I thought about this topic some more I realized that this topic was much too broad in its focus and that I needed to narrow the scope because there are so many different facets to the greater context of Education. I began narrowing my topic down before class on Tuesday September first and class that day only re-enforced what I had decided for my topic. I have settled on comparing and contrasting Piaget's theory of Developmental Psychology to Vygotsky's after narrowing down my topic and I am much more comfortable and prepared now.
Research Journal Assignment #3a: Exploring Research Topic
I did a little research into the basics of the theories and what the main points are for each one. Upon doing the research I found the fundamental differences in each. In order to begin this research I looked on Technorati, Google, and Wikipedia. These sites then directed me to more appropriate sites to find the information I was looking for. Lastly I book marked the sites I found useful to my research and sites I might want to revisit on my Delicious account, providing an accurate description of what I found on these sites.
Piaget's Theory stresses:
- Child led learning/hands on experience
- Assimilation and Accommodation as a form of learning new information
- Schemas as ways to classify information
- Stages through which children progress cognitively in their development
- And operation and play as a form of learning
- Adult facilitated learning
- The idea of the zone of proximal development as a form of learning new information
- Belief in self talk as means to further understanding
- Emphasized the society and culture's role in conditioning learners
- He also marked language as the key tool in development
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Research Journal Assignment #2b: Research Topic
In order to be the very best in one's chosen field, one must first and foremost have a true passion for what they are pursuing, a thirst to master the skills necessary to excel in the profession, and a teachable approach to the new material. As I have chosen teaching as my ambition for the future, I was to be as prepared and well-versed in my field of study as possible. As a teacher I want and need to understand how my students will learn and what I can do that can help. On the flip side I also desire to learn what I could do that might hinder a student's learning abilities. In order to understand more competently how a student would learn or interpret the information they are presented, it is helpful to also understand the research and theories principle to this very concept. Therefore I chose to study the theories that Jean Piaget and Leon Vygotsky have presented that shape the landscape of cognitive developmental psychology. In analyzing these two differing views of growth and learning I hope to attain a greater idea and appreciation for how children learn and develop throughout their early childhood and on into adolescence.
Since I have already taken a Developmental Educational Psychology class through Metro State I am already familiar with a brief overview of the subject matter. I am aware that these two great psychologists, Piaget and Vygotsky, have left a profound impact on the way that children have been taught and are still being taught. I am aware of the main differences between the two theories and their main assumptions. Piaget assumes that children and intrinsically curious and are thus motivated to learn and experiment with the natural world around them. Piaget would argue that adults and teachers are only needed to provide this organic interaction for the learners. Vygotsky, on the other hand, emphasizes the adult's role in a child's development quite a bit more. Vygotsky argues that children need facilitated learning by a more capable adult in order to interpret the world around them. These differing philosophies play out in how children are taught in fundamentally different ways. Piaget would emphasize hands-on, student led learning whereas Vygotsky would emphasize adult led and structured learning.
As I am familiar with some of the bigger ideas of these two theories, I would like to dig a little deeper and see ways in which the theories continue to divulge and areas in which they overlap. I would like to look through analysis and practical studies in order to discover which theory has proven to be more useful. I would also find it helpful to know what one thought of the other if that is at all possible or relevant. From this paper I hope to learn which theory will be more useful in working with the age group of children I hope to work with. I am most interested in supplementing my skills and enhancing any natural abilities I have so as to have a well rounded and integrated teaching approach. I wonder if it is possible that one theory is more suited for one age group or type of students than another as well. Throughout my research I hope to keep an open mind and soak up as much useful information as I can in order to pursue whichever theory might be more applicable in my future situations.
Research Journal Assignment #2a: Possible Topics
-Different views of Developmental Psychology
-Freudian Psychology and it's Relevance or Lack Thereof
-Piaget vs Vygotsky in theories of Educational Developmental Psychology
-Teaching Strategies
-ADD and its Effect on teaching strategies
I have chosen to research Piaget's vs Vygotsky's theories of developmental psychology for my research paper this semester.
-Freudian Psychology and it's Relevance or Lack Thereof
-Piaget vs Vygotsky in theories of Educational Developmental Psychology
-Teaching Strategies
-ADD and its Effect on teaching strategies
I have chosen to research Piaget's vs Vygotsky's theories of developmental psychology for my research paper this semester.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Research Journal Assignment #1: Areas of Academic Interest
Possible Research Topics:
- Education System
- Standardized Testing
- Nature vs Nurture
- Political System/Government
- Localization vs Globalization
- Population Growth and Control
- Vygotsky vs Piaget Developmental Psychology
- Medication of Youth
- Native American Reservations
- Media's Negative Influence on Early Childhood Development
- Corruption vs Ethical Production of Diamonds
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