Who was Lev S. Vygotsky? Born in the Belarus region of Russia in Family was Jewish. Earned 2 degrees simultaneously from Moscow University: Law and Humanities.

Biographical Information Had a wide range of experiences, incl. writing theater reviews, teaching, working as a school psychologist, studying special needs children, and conducting psychological experiments- some on his daughter. Died at a young age from tuberculosis Ideas rejected by Russian government, and all books/ articles tightly controlled or banned until after Stalin’s fall. Best known in the Western world for his concepts of the ZPD and scaffolding, but these were a small part of his body of work. Many of his ideas were not fully fleshed out when he died. (Vygotskaya, G. 1995)

Foundations of his Cultural- Historical Theory Experiments should be on humans, not animals. Humans are rational and gradually gain control of their own thinking by developing their complex intellectual capabilities. Cognitive change is “dialectical synthesis” as explained by G.W.F. Hegel. Influenced by Marx and Engels and their view of the impact of tools of work.

Foundations of his Cultural- Historical Theory, continued. Developing and using tools has led to humans changing both nature and themselves. Psychological tools are essential to the development of higher cognitive processes in humans Cognitive processes are dynamic and must be studied with appropriate research methods that take this into account. (Gendler, M. 2009)

Vygotsky’s Social-Cultural Theory of Psychological Development Children construct their own knowledge. Language plays a key role in development. Development cannot be separated from its social context- children learn from others. Learning can lead development. Developmental Theory – Video (Gallagher, 1999)

Social-Cultural Theory of Psychological Development Animals and humans share a set of elemental, biological functions. This includes the process of signalization- recognition of co-occurring stimuli in the environment. Humans developed the practice of making and using signs- signification. Children inherit these cultural signs and use them to develop their cognitive abilities. (Gendler, M. 2009)

Cultural-Historical Lines of Human Psychological Development Signs and symbols (tools) transform human consciousness. These cultural tools are passed on in 3 ways: imitative learning, instructive learning, and collaborative learning. Technical tools change an external situation. Psychological tools direct the mind and change thinking processes.

Psychological Tools These psychological tools differ across cultures and throughout human history. Examples include Aboriginal talking sticks and a variety of numerical systems that use body parts to count.

Vygotsky’s Idea of Cognitive Development Speech development is a major tool of complex thinking, acquired in four stages from birth: Preintellectual/Autonomous “Naively” Psychological Communicative Egocentric Intellectual (internal) Imaginary Play is critical in the early development of symbolic activity. –VideoVideo The role of imitation is to allow for mastery of behavior. The general law of genetic development is the social-behavioral relationship between a child and caregiver, which is later internalized by the child.

Vygotsky in Education You must determine the appropriate level of instruction, lying within the ZPD.

Vygotsky in Education, continued. Appropriate assessments are critical in forming an appropriate level of instruction, based on mental maturation. Implementing the law of genetic development- a child’s interactions with the teacher are critical in higher mental development. Developing a child’s verbal thinking and growing knowledge of word meanings will allow him or her to use speech as a thinking tool.

Educational Implications of the Cultural-Historical Theory Understanding individual differences and readiness of the learner are essential for educators to be successful. Assessments need to be dynamic and ever- changing, taking mental age into account. Standardized tests are stagnant and may tell us little about the learner. A child’s cultural symbol system will affect the acquisition of higher cognitive functions by that child. Social interactions with knowledgeable members of society will also affect the development and mastery of thought processes.

A Comparison of Vygotsky and Piaget Both felt that developmental concepts shouldn’t be taught until children are in the appropriate developmental stage. Piaget felt that the most important source of cognition is within the children themselves. Vygotsky argued that the child’s social environment could help further their cognitive development. Both wanted to explore how kids master ideas and translate them into speech.

A Comparison of Vygotsky and Piaget Another area of difference: Piaget saw children acting independently on the physical world to see what it offers- universal cognitive change for all. Vygotsky felt that human mental activity was the result of social learning- which is highly variable and depends on child’s cultural experiences in the environment. Vygotsky felt that language acquisition is the most influential development in a child’s life. To sum up ….Piaget=natural Vygotsky=cultural. (Gallagher, M. 2009)

Sources: Gallagher, C. (1999) Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky. Retrieved online 9/21/09 from: Gendler, M.E. (2009) Learning and Instruction: Theory into Practice, 6th Ed. Pearson: Upper Saddle River, NJ. Kerr, S. (1997) Why Vygotsky? The Role of Theoretical Psychology in Russian Education Reform. Retreived online from: err.htm Vygotskaya, G. (1995) Gita Vygotskaya’s Opening Address to the 19th ISPA Colloquium, July 30, 1995, Dundee, Scotland. Retreived From: come come Youtube Clip: Vygotsky: A Developmental Approach Youtube Clip: Play: A Vygotskian Approach,