EDUC 107 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Synaptic Pruning, Fontanelle, Lev Vygotsky
Document Summary
Increase in brain size (~80% of adult size) Changes in synaptic density from birth to age 2 years (greatest density occurring at the end of 2 years) Stage 5: tertiary circular reactions (12-18 months) - intentionally try out different behaviors. Stage 5: mental representations (18-24 months) - think about possibilities and select actions. Children are active and motivated learners - individual constructivists. Cognition also involves social and cultural process. We are born with elementary mental functions (attention, memory, etc) Culture provides children with physical and symbolic tools which shape higher mental functions. Many discoveries of active learning take place in collaboration and dialogue with others. What a child can do today with help, tomorrow he will be able to do alone. - Learning (and teaching) is only good when it proceeds ahead of development. [and] awakens and rouses to life those functions which are in a stage of maturing - vygotsky.
