The first child seems to be in the pre-operational stage. The boy is not quite able to engage in operations that involve two-way thinking. He cannot grasp the idea that a feather can break the glass, even though that is the rule given to him. While the girl may not believe that a feather can break a glass, she understands that this was the rule given to her. The boy is limited to thinking one-way. He knows that the glass will be broken with the hammer because this makes sense to him; the hammer is heavy. However, he cannot think of the feather as being able to break the glass because to him, the feather is too light. The boy is not considering the information given to him about the feather being able to break the glass. The boy is developing semiotic functions while in this pre-operational stage. This means that he is able to represent objects and actions with signs and symbols, by using language, imagery, drawings, etc. Since he has never witnessed a feather breaking a glass, he can’t seem to grasp the concept. The girl is currently in the formal operational stage, I believe. She is able to manipulate her reasoning during this stage. She does this by saying that it’s possible for the feather to break the glass. Even, though she may not truly believe this, she knows that it is the rule so she has to say that it will happen. She is able to engage in the two-way thinking. She is able to solve the problem without needing concrete representation of the event occurring.
The techniques for teaching the children must differ because they are at different stages in their lives. The young boy is not yet able to grasp the concept of a feather breaking a glass, or think of anything hypothetically. He doesn’t believe it possible for this to occur. In order to teach a child in the pre-operational stage, one must acknowledge that imagination and memory are developing. However, children do not quite understand cause-effect relationships or hypothetical situations. You must give them concrete examples of something or show pictures of an event occurring. Children in the formal operational stage should be challenged to think about multiple variables and think about situations from an abstract point of view. Children in this stage can think about hypothetical relationships, so they should be challenged to think outside of the box and in more abstract forms.
What does 'manipulate her reasoning' mean? I think you mean abstract (not concrete) reasoning?
ReplyDeleteIt's not really about not believing a feather could break a glass.... he's just not able to ask himself the question, so he goes with his past experience.
I think there are arguments for the boy being in preoperational or concrete operational. Another reason be may be preoperational is that he displays centration (the book doesn't give enough examples of this!) He holds the meaning of a feather and glass from his past experience, but cannot hold BOTH that and the new meaning of a feather and glass given to him. He may also be concrete operational because he is able to picture the glass and hammer/feather scenario although it is not happening in front of him. Perhaps?
I think you're right about the girl, and you use the reason that convinced me in the next paragraph--she can reason hypothetically.
I really liked the way you explained each child's reasoning step-by-step (the way that the children were thinking in their heads while answering). I seemed to disagree with you on the second child's stage of development. I do, however, understand your reasoning of the child being in the formal operation stage. I had hoped that you compared the second child's stage of development with examples from the text backing up your reasoning and using examples that would show that it was true.
ReplyDeleteI like your use of the word "hypothetical"...I didn't think of it that way, but that makes perfect sense...he knows what he knows to be true, and cannot even conceive of anything but what he knows.
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