A Sample of Children’s Thinking Piaget: You have already seen the clouds moving along? What makes them move? Child (8 yrs): When we move along, they move along too. Piaget: Can you make them move? Child: Everyone can, when they walk. Piaget: When I walk and you are still, do they move? Child: Yes. Piaget: And at night, when everyone is asleep, do they move? Piaget: But you tell me that they move when somebody walks. Child: They always move. The cats, when they walk, and then the dogs, they make the clouds move along.

What is Development? Basic Questions development vs learning stage-like changes? homogeneity vs. heterogeneity? Mechanisms assimilation vs accommodation changes in info processing social & cultural context brain maturation

Development vs Learning global qualitative change more easily acknowledged general principles of change Learning specific incremental change more consistent with learning perspective you can teach specific skills and knowledge

Metaphors of Development Piaget children as little scientists Sociocultural Perspectives children as apprentices Information Processing children as little computers