Mariah and Krysta
There are two major theorists, Vygotsky and Piaget, who have two different approaches to cognitive development. To begin, development is acquiring concepts through natural experiences. Piaget claims that development precedes learning because an individual needs to be ready to learn; and to learn they need to be taught. Mariah and I thought of a supportive example: A baby will not be expected to understand multiplication because he/she is not at that developmental level yet.
On the other hand, Vygotsky does not think of learning as levels of development. Rather, he claims that learning happens when you apply newly developed cognitive structures to new situations through zone of proximal development. This is also more personalized. Mariah and I do not lean one way or another with these two views. We feel that a hybrid of these two theories is essential.
Moreover, there are other views concerning language. Vygotsky and Piaget both agree that we think in words. However, Piaget feels that language is necessary in thinking, but language follows thinking. On the contrary, Vygotsky states that language and thinking are intertwined, and that thinking builds on top of a language.
Mariah and I both speak two languages and are apt to think in both, or in neither. Thus, we feel that language and thought are definitely interconnected, but not completely! For instance, today we were talking about something in depth, and neither of us could find the words to express what we were thinking; yet we were both able to understand (pretty exactly) what we did not have words for. Also, there are many times that we think in images and relationships between ideas, rather than words.
The End.
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