What can babies teach us about human learning?
Babies can teach us a lot about learning through exploring. Although babies cannot talk, they are constantly taking in the world around them and learning through their experiences. As adults we can take a step back from our more "systematized" learning and enjoy learning through exploration by taking a leaf out of babies' books!
- Having viewed the video with Dr. Alison Gopnik, what ideas do you have about how her work with babies and play relates to your interests in teaching and learning STEM?
I think the main idea that I can take from the video is that I can really incorporate these sort of open ended experiments and infuse them into my lessons. The best example would be to give students a question that they need to explore. I can give them pencil and paper and physical objects and possibly even digital programs and allow them to explore to come up with their solution. That exploration that they had when they were babies will shine through and allow them to become stronger thinkers and go back to their learning through exploration.
Comparing Psychological Perspectives
Behavioral
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Cognitive
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Constructivism
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Narrative describing the
perspective and its components
(200-300 words): Provide a concise description of the perspective and its components. |
This
perspective focuses on learning and behavior being described on viewable actions.
Things that occurs inside people’s minds are not included because they are
not observable. These actions are influenced my environment and their
interactions with the environment based on responses received from the environment.
Some of these responses are feedback, praise and rewards. Learning is measured
by an observable change (behavior is different before and after learning
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This
theory is based on how people perceive, remember, think, speak and problem
solve. This perspective acknowledges of internal mental states which are not
observable. The focus is not on behavior, but on learning and change of
knowledge over time. Most theories involve scaffolding and “zones” or stages
of cognitive development. Memory, language, problem solving and creativity are
the changes that are looked at in the cognitive approach.
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Knowledge
is determined by what is inside the head of the learner We essentially
construct our own knowledge. Learner mixes new information with old information
and the knowledge builds on itself. Student centered learning is essential in
the constructivism perspective. Teacher should nto be in control of the
entire lesson, students are actively engaged.
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Beliefs
What is the general belief system guiding this perspective? What are the beliefs about the nature of knowledge and knowing? |
Beliefs
include that all behavior is learned and can be unlearned.
Since
people react to things that make them feel good or bad, we can use this to
shape changes in behavior until we reach the desired effect.
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The
general belief is that our thought processes affect the way that we behave. It
does not disregard the behavioral approach but focuses on the fact that there
has to be some internal processes that lead to that change in behavior.
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The
belief here is that learning is mainly focused one each persons individual
learning. Each learners mind is different so they way information is processed
and constructed is different even if the source of information is the same.
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Principles
What ideas are used to explain why events or objects exhibit what is observed. |
Behavior
is affected by being rewarded by a pleasant of unpleasant event – these change
our behavior. The changes we see are linked directly to negative and positive
reinforces.
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Human
behavior is explained as our responses to stimuli, but these behaviors are
controlled by our thought processes.
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Humans
have a natural desire to learn and we have to trust that they will construct
knowledge when allowed to explore. Knowledge should not be based on rewards
and punishments, but it is acknowledged that it isn’t entirely “black and
white” and external stimuli can help
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Limitations
What
are known or accepted limitations to the depth or scope of what can be
explained by this perspective?
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Limitations
include responses not being visible when there is no stimulus. Since learning
occurs when the stimulus and response occur together, this can be a handicap.
Another is that there will be no learning if there is no stimulus, which we sometimes
want. There shouldn’t and won’t always be a reward
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Limitations
that are addressed is that on its own, this theory does not make entire sense
and is often combined with other approaches. The Cognitive-behavioral
perspective is common.
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Limitations
is that there is flexibility within the approach. Sometimes there is choice,
sometimes there is not. The approach, especially in schools is largely
limited by the choices of the teacher in that classroom.
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