LECTURE ON VYGOTSKY

1. Background on Vygotsky

   1. Born in late 1890’s in russia (1896)

   2. Russian psychologist

   3. Created cognitive development theory based on social interaction

      1. Was a scientist at the same time as Piaget

   4. He said that our cognitive development is based on our social interaction

   5. Died at 38 cuz tuberculosis

2. Vygotsky’s five keys to development

   1. 1. There is no one thing that accounts for development (multiple social interactions through our lifespan)

   2. 2. Importance of social interaction

      1. Drives our learning

      2. Humans are social creatures and because we are created that way we need it to learn

   3. 3. Community determines meaning

      1. If your community changes, things can change meaning

      2. Like in some places you take off your shoes and some people don’t

   4. 4. It is impossible to understand development without the social or cultural context

   5. !!!!!5. Learning different things from others must precede development

      1. Social learning has to happen before we develop

3. How do children begin life according to Vygotsky?

   1. Children begin life cognitively with certain things

      1. The ability for intellectual development

      2. Elementary mental functions (related to social interactions): attention, sensation, perception, memory

         1. Attention- every baby can focus

         2. Sensation- every baby can feel (emotions, hot/cold)

         3. Perception- what they are feeling (perceiving comfort, awkward, lol

         4. Memory- remembering who your caregiver is

            1. The child may feel that someone else is the caregiver if they share similarities

Children are actively involved in their own learning

If someone does not want to learn something, their ability to learn is super limited

4. Vygotsky’s principle no. 1

1. MKO- a More Knowledgeable Other has to teach you

   1. They are someone/something that knows more than you

   2. Eg- parent, teacher, friend, computer… something/one has to teach

2. 2 ways MKO’s teach other to learn what they know

   1. Scaffolding/guided participation- language & demonstration

      1. You don’t do it for them, you have to let the other person do it otherwise they won’t actually learn it

      2. Scaffolding- using language to explain how

3. How in a classroom?

V. Vygotsky’s principle no. 2

1. ZPD- Zone of Proximal Development

   1. The difference between what a child can do independently and what a child needs an MKO for

2. Diagram of ZPD

When we are younger, we are more willing to be in the ZPD. When we’re older, the less we want to go through trial and error

VI. Role of language in Development

-How adults and MKO’s transmit information

-Language is what allows us to intellectually adapt

VII. 3 forms of language

1. Social speech

   1. Talk to others out loud

   2. We start doing it at age 2

2. Private speech

   1. Talking out loud to self to work things out

   2. Very important

   3. Used to guide and direct yourself, helping to strategize, it’s a big sign of intelligence

   4. Can begin as early as age 3, and by age 10, it mostly becomes internal

3. Silent Inner Speech

   1. Like talking out loud to work something out but in your head

VIII. Criticisms of Vygotsky

• Does not account for cultural differences

• Too much emphasis on language as the only method of teaching

• Discounts a child’s ability to self-teach

IX. Answers to 2 questions

1. Is the theory continuous or discontinuous?
   Continuous, there aren’t stages

2. Nature or nurture?

Nurture cuz learning from other people