Journal Entry• Answer the questions below based on your thoughts

about cognitive development (yesterday’s notes):1. If most children do not reach the formal

operations stage until age 12, should algebra be taught in middle schools?

2. If children cannot understand the hypothesis and cannot do inductive reasoning before the formal operations stage, should they do science fairs in elementary and middle schools?

3. What happens when teachers ask too many “why” questions to students in the concrete operations stage?

Social Development

• Essential Question: How can Erickson’s Psychosocial Theory be used to predict a student’s success in school?

Social Development• Erikson’s psychosocial theory explains how a

person interacts with the world and those around him. Erikson has outlined 8 major dilemmas that are universally experienced over the course of life. Each dilemma has a positive pole, which represents social maturity on one end of a continuum, and a negative pole, which represents a developmental crises on the opposite end of the continuum.

Social Development: Continuum

Social Development

• The ages listed in the stages are generally considered the optimal time for completing the task. People can work through a stage at a later time, but it may be more difficult, for the tasks are progressive and build upon one another.

Stage 1: Infancy (0-1 ½ Years)

• Trust v. Mistrust

Social Development: Stage 1

• The newborn is completely dependent upon others and learns either to trust those around him or suffer feelings of mistrust.

• The infant will either learn to feel secure in the belief that when he cries because of a wet diaper, someone will come to change it, or he will become mistrustful that if he cries because of hunger, no one will bring a bottle.

Stage 2: Early Childhood (1 ½ -3 Years)• Autonomy vs. shame, doubt

Social Development: Stage 2

• In these early childhood years, the child is trying to become autonomous and gain control over his body. He will either feel proud of himself as he masters potty training, or he will feel shame and doubt when he experiences difficulty with the task.

Stage 3: Play Age (3-5 Years)

• Initiative vs. guilt

Social Development: Stage 3

• Between the ages of three and five, the child takes much initiative, and is very curious and asks many questions. Either he is praised and encouraged in his effort or he is made to feel guilty and told to be quiet and not ask so many questions.

Stage 4: School Age (5-12 Years)

• Identity and reputation vs. identity confusion

Social Development: Stage 4

• In elementary school years, the child is acquiring much knowledge and new skills. The young person will either feel industrious as he learns to read, write, and do math, or he will feel inferior when he belongs in the low reading group and makes poor grades.

Stage 5: Adolescence (12-18 Years)

• Identity and reputation vs. identity confusion

Social Development: Stage 5

• Erikson stated that the fifth stage was one of the most important stages for success in life. The young adolescent either begins to determine who he is and what he wants out of life, or he grapples with an identity crisis.

Stage 6: Young Adult (18-25 Years)

• Intimacy and solidarity vs. isolation

Social Development: Stage 6

• Once a young person has figured out who he is, he is ready to share himself with another person. He is ready to have an intimate relationship and start a family, or he will feel isolated and not connected to society. Unfortunately, some young people want to move into the intimacy stage before they have mastered the identity crisis.

Stage 7: Adulthood (25-65 Years)

• Generativity vs. self-absorption

Social Development: Stage 7

• In the prime adult years, people will be productive and contribute to society, or they will become self-absorbed and negative.

Stage 8: Maturity (65 + Years)

• Integrity vs. despair

Social Development: Stage 8

• As the person nears the end of life, he will either feel a sense of accomplishment that his life made a difference, or he will feel despair and regret for all the things he did not do.

Why does it matter?

• We are not teaching children. We are training young people to become accomplished contributors to a global society.

1. Why is it important to provide positive social structure in a classroom?

2. What does this look like? How can a teacher do this?