Running head: YOUNGMAN DEVELOPMENT STATEMENT !
Development Statement
Anita Youngman
Dr. Katy Spangler & Dr. Beth Hartley
University of Alaska Southeast
ED 698
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Development Statement
It is human nature to explore relevant and interesting things around us. Our curiosities
and needs are what motivates us to learn and are dependent on our developmental readiness. In
this example of an ideal classroom structure, student buy-in is connected to student interest and
reinforced by teacher navigation. The environment as described is constructed by understanding
student backgrounds and schemas, along with a collaborative learning environment between the
students and the teacher. This paper on classroom ideals considers viable options for the large
developmental gaps that students entering Kindergarten bring when they enter school. By using
a combination of behaviorist and constructivist theories, developmental gaps begin to diminish.
It is important that teachers know, understand and use the major concepts, principles,
theories and research related to development of children and young adolescents to construct
learning opportunities that support individual students’ development, acquisition of knowledge
and motivation. Teaching Kindergarten has extraordinary circumstances associated with huge
developmental gaps in student abilities in the classroom. According to Piaget (1964) and his
theory, stages of cognitive development, Kindergarten students are developmentally at the pre-
operational stage. Although the age range for this developmental period is a couple years,
student abilities can vary greatly in preparedness to read, write and perform higher thinking
when entering Kindergarten. Through trial, error, collaboration and time I’ve learned that the
combination of a constructivist environment and behaviorist foundations meet most student
needs to achieve a high level of learning in Kindergarten.
As a teacher I must act as the bridge that pilots students from what they are able to do,
and what they can learn to do. According to Vygotsky and his theory, zone of proximal
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development, (1987) “what lies in the zone of proximal development at one stage is realized and
moves to the level of actual development at a second. In other words, what the child is able to do
in collaboration today he will be able to do independently tomorrow.” (p. 211) In my classroom,
this gradual release of responsibility can be effected by student developmental readiness. I
regularly intervene and provide more guided practice and differentiation for students who need to
extra attention to meet standards. Having small group centers for language arts, allows me to
meet and differentiate and use interventions based on student needs.
The gap in student abilities based on developmental readiness, and expectations to meet
common core standards creates a setting that favors including behaviorist strategies. Some
students because of their developmental or environmental preparedness need more rigorous
means of accomplishing learning. Including the behaviorist theory of operant conditioning has
been quite useful in holding student attentions through the more mundane foundations of
learning, such as drills in phonics, math, etc. Gussow notes, “Fundamentally, operant
conditioning is based on the quite general notion that behavior is shaped and maintained by its
consequences, that is, that any individual comes to behave as he does in a given circumstance
because the consequences of that behavior are rewarding (reinforcing) for him, or, alternatively,
because the consequences of other kinds of behaviors are punishing.” (p. 2) I use this theory
and method to make monotonous routine rewarding and motivating.
Although I use behaviorist strategies, the underlying philosophy requires constructivist
ideals. Constructivist methods promote student ownership of their education. Atwell states
(1998), “We make the best of adolescence when we make the classroom the best context we can
for the mercurial minds at work and play there” (p. 85) It is easy to excite Kindergarten students
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with a little enthusiasm and props. So much is new to these students and the hunger for
knowledge is there. A teachers job is easiest under these conditions, when students themselves
look to gain knowledge based on interests, whether it be teacher directed or students created.
The combination of constructivist values and goals along side behaviorist strategies,
strengthens the ability to reach students in my Kindergarten classroom. This merger can
facilitate a level playing field for students from diverse backgrounds and developmental stages to
succeed in the classroom.
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References
Atwell, N. (1998). In the middle: New Understandings About Writing, Reading and
Learning. (2nd ed.). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Fisher, D., Frey, N. (2008). Giving students ownership of learning. Educational , Vol.
66 (issue 3), 5 pages.
Gussow, J. (1966). The experimental analysis of behavior in the education of socially
disadvantaged children and youth. West Point Farms, NY
Piaget, J. (1964). Part I: Cognitive development in children: Piaget development and learning.
Journal of research in science teaching, 2(3), 176-186.
Vygotsky,L.S.(1987).Thinkingandspech.InL.S.Vygotsky,Qolected_itate(vol.1,p.
39-285).NewYork,NY:Plenum
