Development Case Study: Ch. 2

1. From the perspective of Piaget's theory, in which stage of cognitive development is Laura? Justify your response.

When I look at the situation, I would argue that Laura demonstrates characteristics of both the preoporational stage as well as the formal operational stage. In the debate, Laura is very egocentristic about the issue of pollution. She explains that Americans should not be allowed to sell gas. By eliminating gas from our nation, pollution will no longer be a problem. Laura thinks that this is a great solution to the pollution problem and is unwilling to let the contradictions say otherwise. Though Laura shows some characteristics of the preoporational stage, I would say that she is in the formal operational stage of Piaget's theory. Laura demonstrates that she can engage in logical and systemic thinking by debating with her teacher and creating her own "thought experiments" on how to solve the pollution problem. It makes it hard to say what stage Laura is in based on the fact that her egocentrism will not allow her to look at her teacher's perspective. Her attitude shows that she likes attention and dislikes anyone who contradicts her.

2. How is Laura's reasoning affected by her knowledge base--that is, by what she does and doesn't know about pollution? Use terminology from Ch. 3 in your response.

Laura shows assimilation in that she knows gas is a cause of pollution and she takes that knowledge and suggests that America should stop selling gas and that will solve the pollution problem. The teacher in the story tries to be the mediator in this situation to try and help Laura see a different point of view. It does not seem that Laura has ever given much thought to the problem of pollution and that she was just trying to prove herself in the classroom. Laura's schema is very limited and I think that the debate class could help her in developing a more concrete type of formal operational thinking.

3. By posing a series of questions, Mr. Marculescu continually challenges Laura to reconsider her thinking about the pollution problem. What are potential benefits of this strategy? Use terminology from Piaget's and Vygotsky's theories in your response.

This strategy is great in that Mr. Marculescu centrates his argument to try to make it obvious to Laura that her idea for the pollution problem is not realistic. By continually challenging her argument, I think that it will help to make her realize that her solution is not practical for the ways that Americans live today. A benefit to this strategy is that he never dismisses Laura's idea, but simply challenges it so that she might be able to see a different perspective on the issue.

4. How does this scenario represent Piaget's and Vygotsky's conceptions of play?

It represents their conception of play because it shows that social interactions do play a part in the ways that people act and communicate. Laura is constantly late to class because that type of behavior is accepted by her friends, however; when Laura volunteers to practice for the class debate, she wants to show that she can speak in front of people and that she can carry on a debate. The culture one lives in and is surrounded by shapes their schema and their thinking process which, in this situation, causes Laura to become confused and defensive about her point of view on pollution.

Case Study

1. What classic symptoms of a learning disability does Nathan exhibit?

Nathan has the signs and symptoms of forgetfulness. A person might be doing one task, get side-tracked, and then completely forget what they had been doing previously. Forgetfulness is a classic symptom of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD).

2. What accommodations has Nathan received in the past?

In the past, Nathan has received accommodations from his school. Nathan was placed in resouce classes which his parents did not like. Nathan was also given medications to help the symptoms. The medications made him sleepy and groggy; he did not enjoy them at all.

3. What strategies would you recommend to help Nathan work with his learning disability? Why?

I would recommend that the parent assist Nathan in his day to day tasks and school work. By sending a checklist home with Nathan (with his parents already knowing) his parents can identify what work needs to be completed for the upcoming class. The teacher will be notified about his condition and be informed that they need to ask him about his assignment to ensure that it is turned in on time.
This strategy would be effective in that Nathan will receive assistance from others which will help him get his work completed (by the help of his parents) and handed in on time (by the help of his teachers). If people are informed about Nathan's condition, then they will be able to handle the situation more appropriately.

4. How many students like Nathan will you likely have in your classes? Justify your response by summarizing the information from a link or reference (include the link/reference).

It is very likely that I will have at least one student such as Nathan in most of my classes throughout the day. According to kidshealth.org (http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/behavior/adhd.html) "ADHD is a common behavioral disorder that affects an estimated 8% to 10% of school-age children. Boys are about three times more likely than girls to be diagnosed with it, though it's not yet understood why." It will not be possible to never have a student with ADHD; it is too common. Since this disorder is so common, it is important that I understand the behaviors that come along with it, that I understand how to react, and that I understand how to accommodate for that child so that they can learn as much as possible.