Chapter Two Chapter Two

Reading GuideReading Guide

Development: A DefinitionDevelopment: A Definition

Development

Experience Learning Maturation

Practice, trying out something over and over again.

PE: shoot baskets

Math: multiplication worksheets

Gaining knowledge about something

PE: learn rules, teacher demonstrates techniques

Math: use manipulatives to learn how multiplication works

Genetically controlled, age-related changes in individuals: Body and brain grow older and more capablePE: grow taller, become more coordinated

Math: brain becomes more able to deal with abstract information

The orderly, durable changes in learners resulting from a combination of experience, learning, and maturation.

Facets and types of Facets and types of developmentdevelopment

Physical development—changes in the bodyPhysical development—changes in the body Personal development—changes in Personal development—changes in

personality (psychology)personality (psychology) Social development—changes in the way a Social development—changes in the way a

person interacts with other peopleperson interacts with other people Cognitive development—changes in the way Cognitive development—changes in the way

a person thinks.a person thinks. Maturation—changes which are genetically Maturation—changes which are genetically

programmed—such as most forms of programmed—such as most forms of physical development and a lot of cognitive physical development and a lot of cognitive development.development.

Principles of DevelopmentPrinciples of DevelopmentInfluences Principles

Development

Learning

Maturation

Experience

Social interaction

Language

Development is continuous & orderly

Each person develops at a different rate.

Development is gradual.

The Human Brain and The Human Brain and Cognitive DevelopmentCognitive Development

When:Early (pre-school years)

Critical periods: time spans that are optimal for the development of certain capacities in the brain.

What:Environments matter—rich learning environments lead to more complex physical brain development.

Anatomy of the BrainAnatomy of the Brain

Different areas of the brain have different functions and/or perceive and process different types of information.

This and the next three slides are from a power point by Bonnie Sachs, M.S., January, 2006

Optic chiasm

Primary visual cortex

Visual System• Visual information is

sent from the retina through the thalamus (LGN) to the primary visual cortex.

• Visual information from the left and right visual fields split into separate contralateral inputs to the cortex.

Thalamus(Lateral geniculate nucleus)

Optic radiation

Optic tract

Optic nerve

Functional Anatomy of Brain-Behavioral Relationships

This is just one example of how the brain works.

Notice how the information from the right eye goes to the left side of the brain.

Auditory System• Information is sent

from the cochlea through the thalamus (MGN) to the primary auditory cortex.

• There are both ipsilateral and contralateral inputs to the cortex from each ear.

LeftAuditorycortex

RightAuditorycortex

CochleaInferior colliculus

SuperiorOlivarynucleus

IpsilateralCochlearnucleus

Auditorynerve fiber

Functional Anatomy of Brain-Functional Anatomy of Brain-Behavioral RelationshipsBehavioral Relationships

Thalamus(Medial geniculate nucleus)

Here’s another system.

The “Homonculus”• This model represents

how our bodies are proportionately processed in the sensory and motor cortices of the brain.

Functional Anatomy of Brain-Behavioral Relationships

In other words, big portions of our brains are devoted to our hands and mouth—more so than to our legs and feet. Think about how we use our hands and our mouths, not only for tool use (hands) but for language (mouth).

NeuronsNeurons

http://www.driesen.com/brain_view_-_5.htm

Neurons transmit and store information.

SynapseSynapse

The synapse allows communication between neurons.

http://www.biology.eku.edu/RITCHISO/301notes2.htm

The Developing BrainThe Developing Brain

All the neurons we need develop All the neurons we need develop before our birth.before our birth.

By age 2 or 3, each neuron has By age 2 or 3, each neuron has 15,000 synapses, far more than we 15,000 synapses, far more than we actually need.actually need.

As we experience living in our As we experience living in our particular circumstances, the particular circumstances, the synapses we don’t need are “pruned.” synapses we don’t need are “pruned.”

The Developing BrainThe Developing Brain

Some synapses “expect” stimulation Some synapses “expect” stimulation (“experience expectant”)—such as those (“experience expectant”)—such as those involved in seeing and hearing. Children involved in seeing and hearing. Children who are born deaf lose the synapses that who are born deaf lose the synapses that are involved in hearing. are involved in hearing.

Some synapses are “experience Some synapses are “experience dependent”—they develop as a result of dependent”—they develop as a result of experiences a child has. A child in a musical experiences a child has. A child in a musical family will develop more synapses dealing family will develop more synapses dealing with music than a child in a family that with music than a child in a family that emphasizes something else.emphasizes something else.

The Developing BrainThe Developing Brain

Babies need stimulation in order to develop Babies need stimulation in order to develop their synapses. their synapses.

Plasticity—the brain of a young child is Plasticity—the brain of a young child is adaptable. If damage occurs to one area, adaptable. If damage occurs to one area, other areas of the brain may be able to other areas of the brain may be able to compensate.compensate.

Myelin is the coating on the neuron fibers. Myelin is the coating on the neuron fibers. When the brain goes through a process of When the brain goes through a process of myelination, that coating gets thicker and the myelination, that coating gets thicker and the information goes through better, as a result.information goes through better, as a result.

Cerebral CortexCerebral Cortex

The cerebral cortex is a brain structure in vertebrates. In non-living, preserved brains, the outermost layers of the cerebrum has a grey color, hence the name "grey matter". Grey matter is formed by neurons and their unmyelinated fibers while the white matter below the grey matter of the cortex is formed predominantly by myelinated axons interconnecting different regions of the central nervous system. The human cerebral cortex is 2-4 mm (0.08-0.16 inches) thick and plays a central role in many complex brain functions including memory, attention, perceptual awareness, "thinking", language and consciousness.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebral_cortex

Cerebral cortexCerebral cortex Different parts of the cerebral cortex Different parts of the cerebral cortex

mature at different times.mature at different times. The areas that control physical movement The areas that control physical movement

mature first, then the senses (vision, mature first, then the senses (vision, hearing, etc.), then higher order thinking.hearing, etc.), then higher order thinking.

This is what childhood is all about—children This is what childhood is all about—children can move around, often like adults, but can move around, often like adults, but they cannot think like adults because their they cannot think like adults because their brains are not mature. They need mature brains are not mature. They need mature people to keep them safe, help them, and people to keep them safe, help them, and teach them so they can mature.teach them so they can mature.

More on the brainMore on the brain

Different parts of the brain have different functions.

Lateralization: the specialization of the two sides of the brain. Yet, both sides have to work together in complex tasks.

If the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handed people are in their right minds!

The brain and learningThe brain and learning

Experience and direct teaching affect Experience and direct teaching affect the brain.the brain.

Anxiety and fear can get in the way Anxiety and fear can get in the way of learning.of learning.

Some people believe in brain-based Some people believe in brain-based learning and others don’t. If you are learning and others don’t. If you are interested, look it up on the web and interested, look it up on the web and figure out your perspective on it.figure out your perspective on it.

VocabularyVocabulary

Adaptation

Accommodation

Assimilation

Centration

Classification

Concrete operational

stage

Conservation

Development

Egocentrism

Equilibrium

Formal operational

stage

Holophrases

Maturation

Nativist theory

Object permanenc

e

Organization

Over-generalization

Preoperational stage

Private speech

Reversability

Scaffolding

Schemes

Sensori-motor stage

Seriation

Shared understandin

g

Social experience

Sociocultural theory of developme

nt

Systematic reasoning

Transformation

Under-generalization

Zone of proximal

development

Physical development

Personal development

Social development

Cognitive development

Neurons

Synapses

Myelination Plasticity

Lateralization

DisequilibriumSemiotic function

Decentering

Collective monologue

Identity

CompensationAdolescent egocentrism

Neo-Piagetian theories

Co-constructed process

Cultural tools

Assisted learning

Funds of knowledge

Heritage language

Pragmatics

Syntax

Metalinguistic awareness