Vygotsky And The We-Function

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Vygotsky And The We-Function

The room is bare with the exception of the long, glass table, six wooden chairs, and a blackboard, but one hardly notices this fact. Instead, the first thing that outsiders notice is the energy in room created by the dynamic of the six women seated around the table. As they share ideas and frantically sketch diagrams on the board, the problem they are attacking is simplified again and again until it is solved. Amid pats on the back and "Good job!" comments, each woman thinks to herself how impossible the problem had seemed while she was alone, but now, in this group, the solution had come so quickly.

Over the past century, the idea of learning theory and society has become a prominent field in neuroscience and education. Neurologically, several theories exist concerning the actual processes of learning on an individual basis. The most significant aspect of these theories, perhaps, is the idea that learning can occur both consciously and unconsciously. In other words, humans are capable of learning without even being aware of the fact that the process is occurring. In the terms of Biology 202, it is possible for the brain to recognize patterns in a game, for example, without the I-function even realizing that there is a pattern or its structure (1).

On a higher level, as well, similarities exist within the theories presented by different psychologists and neuroscientists. Virtually every theory, for example, relies on the existence of the usefulness of learning tools, such as toys or games, in the process of cognitive development. It is in the identity of these tools, however, that significant differences may begin within the various theories of learning. In particular, the ideas of Lev Semy...

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...tion to Vygotsky's Theory

http://www.massey.ac.nz/~ALock/virtual/trishvyg.htm

3)Social Development Theory, Vygotsky's Social Development Theory

http://tip.psychology.org/vygotsky.html

4) Zone of Proximal Development , Summary of Zone of Proximal Development

http://books.nap.edu/html/howpeople1/ch4_b1.html

5) Vygotsky's Cultural/Cognitive Theory Of Development , Tutorial on Vygotsky

http://snycorva.cortland.edu/~ANDERSMD/VYG/VYG.HTML

6) Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky , Education Implications of Vygotsky's Theory

http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/eflt/vyg.html

7) Three Stages of Speech Development , The Role of Language in Vygotsky's Theory

http://snycorva.cortland.edu/~ANDERSMD/VYG/STAGES.html

8) Neurobiology and Behavior 2001 , Class Notes for Biology 202 at Bryn Mawr College

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro01/notes.html

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