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John Dewey 1859-1952 Father of Pragmatism
Do we solve the remarkable in the unremarkable tasks of everyday life. He believed teachers should be learners together with the children. He also believed that children learn best by doing. Child-centered teachers observe and help children to follow through with their interests. -
Maria Montessori 1870-1952 Montessori method
Maria Montessori believed that respect for the child is the cornerstone on which all other principles rest. Montessori is a child centred approach. Montessori method encourages children to teach themselves, and encourage their natural desire to learn. -
Lev Vygotsky 1896-1934 Sociocultural theory
Vygotsky developed the zone of proximal development. This theory hypothesized that a child can maximize learning with guidance of more compotent people. He also believed dialogue with children is important to help them scaffold. -
Jean Piaget 1896-1980 Constructivist learning theory
Piaget believed children developed intelligence through hands-on activities and eventually graduated to a "minds on" approach, basically a more abstract intelligence. The stages of learning begin with assimilation which is the process of incorporating new information to things they already know, followed by accommodation which is the action of making changes based on the new information. Finally equilibrium is the balance between assimilation and accommodation. -
Eric Erickson 1902-1994 Psychological Development
Erickson believes that cognitive and social skills upper hand in hand and cannot be separated. He also believed personality and social skills are developed in response to society's demands. Recent school violence can often be linked to feelings of inferiority and feeling unappreciated. -
Abraham Maslow 1908-1970 Self Actualization
Maslow developed the hierarchy of self actualization the base being life essentials such as air, shelter, and food followed by the next level of feeling safe and secure. The next four levels include the sense of belonging and being loved followed by achievement and prestige. Aesthetic need is the last stage before self actactualization. Self actualization is a lifelong journey. -
Jerome Bruner 1915- present Constructivism and discovery learning
Bruno believe that analytical thinking should be encouraged and rewarded in children. He believed in spiral curriculum which is revisiting basic ideas over and over. Bruner believed there was three stages of learning the first is Enactive meaning that learning is achieved through the actions on physical objects and the outcomes. Followed by iconic learning which is achieved through models and pictures. And finally symbolic learning which is the ability to think in the abstract. -
Urie Brofenbrenner 1917-2005 Ecological systems theory
The ecological systems theory believed that there was four systems that influence the learning of the young child first the micro system which is immediate influences such as teachers and family members, the mesoystem such as schools and childcare centers, exosystems that influence the children's learning such as parents workplaces which inadvertently impact children's learning. Finally macro systems which is the cultures, laws, and values that influence the child.