Vygotsky’s Social Development Theory
Vygotsky's theory is that social interaction plays an important role in the progression of cognitive growth. Vygotsky believes that social learning comes before development; other theorists like piaget’s believe that children’s development comes before their learning. I can agree with Vygotskie’s theory that experiences bring on certain learning development. If a child is never sees or experience things; then, he/she won’t develop those domains unless taught to do so. At that point, we can still go back to Vygotsky’s theory and say that social learning has to be experienced through teaching then development of the task will be learned.
Vygotsky (1978) states: "Every function in the child's cultural development appears twice: first, on the social level, and later, on the individual level; first, between people (interpsychological) and then inside the child (intrapsychological)." Vygotsky's Social Development Theory focuses on two main principles; the first principle is called the More Knowledgeable Other. This explains about any person who has a higher level of ability or is more knowledgeable than the student about a specific idea, task, problem process, or concept. The More Knowledgeable Other can be anyone that can teach the child or student like a parent, teacher, friend, coach. This can also refer to a computer. Wow, what a concept, a computer is more knowledgeable in any one manner and therefore can play that role. This concept also supports Vygotsky’s theory of learning. So, when a child is socially engaged and there is someone or something that is guiding the child through this experience; the child will then develop in that task or process. The second principal is the Zone of Proximal Development; which plays the role of the coach that guides the student through collaboration with friends and peers working together to perform a task that a student might have been unable to complete alone. Therefore, it brings me to the conclusion that a computer application can be that guidance along with the collaboration of the teacher and the other students in the classroom.
When teachers use technology in the classroom; they are promoting an environment that helps the student take on an active role in their own learning. The teacher and students can work together and become the guidance that plays the More knowledgeable other and put the student in the proper Zone of Proximal Development. Students can take the lead of their own learning by using the computers and technology such as the internet, games, simulations, and much more of what we have learned in Dr. Lambert’s class. Social interaction becomes the main role in learning which leads to development. As a matter of fact, Vygotsky’s theory sugjests clustered desks and work space for peer instruction, collaboration. This sound to me a lot like a classroom with possible laptops while students sit in a cluster to allow for peer instruction, small group instruction, and collaboration. I agree with the theory’s suggestion that teachers need to set up an environment where the instructional design of the materials to be learned is structured in a way to encourage students to interact and collaborate with one another to become a community of learners. I keep thinking of the second life classroom which can be used to hold classes and allow for this interaction and collaboration. Students can complete blogs and use each other’s knowledge to comment on each other’s work; as to where they become the coach or the mentor. The student at that time will take learning into his own hand and comment back on the words of his or her coach; hence, providing an opportunity for social interaction experiences which leads to positive learning development.
This Type of learning will slowly move away from the recitation teaching that is constantly occurring; this is 2010, let’s set up classrooms that use the internet to teach through social interaction which challenges the methods of the traditional teaching. Using the technology in the classroom will allow for scaffolding, reciprocal teaching and guided instruction which is effective strategies that implement Vygotsky’s theory; creating an environment which assists students to accomplish a task that they could not complete alone. All this can take place through a possible wiki page; where students can work together to accomplish a goal or a lesson allowing for reciprocal teaching which can be used to teach reading, writing, or editing. Students can take turns being the teacher for a pair or small group; the teacher can be there to clarify or ask questions. Through an open dialogue on Skype or on a Wiggio page there can be guided instruction which involves the teacher and students exploring a possible lesson of math problems. Together they can share different problem solving strategies in an open dialogue and coach one another. In conclusion, social interaction has become the clear pathway to the integration of computer technology in the classroom. In the past, collaboration and peer instruction used to be possible only in shared physical space; at this time of age, learning relationships can be utilized by internet space and technology to. This verifies that the social interaction can take place in many places which in turn provides many meaningful opportunities for students to learn and develop as Vygotsky’s theory suggests.
