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HD305 Cognitive Development: How Children Learn

Fulfilling my goals in the class consisted through the discussions, observations and book
reflections. Cognitive development began with the important attributes that contribute to a
childs development. For example, the basis of a proper cognitive learning development consists
at the beginning of growth, in other words proper intake nutrition from the mother to the baby in
the womb which then emphasizes a healthy brain growth.
Reading the book Teaching with the Brain in Mind (Jensen, 2005), emphasizes that a
brain based curriculum goes a long way. A childs development is expanded through the growth
by the needs of each child which then expands the neurons. This learning is seen through their
social-emotional, physical and cognitive development.
I learned that a child learns through an environment that enriches their growth. In other
words, if an environment that is teacher based, like those in public schools, a childs growth is
then stunned. A teacher based curricula is where a teacher is at the front of the class providing
the information to students while the students are sitting at their desks. Far too often students do
not participate in group work let alone in partnering up, this too gives students the opportunity to
lose interest on subjects that can become fun and interesting. This becomes a controlled
environment, a childs brain is equipped to learn through socializing, understanding others
feelings which then they can reflect on their own.
Covering cognitive development: how children learn, touched on the stages of cognitive
development through the theorist of Piaget and Vygotsky. Piaget considered a childs
development through assimilation and accommodation, moreover, a childs brain develops
through a natural process of maturing therefore interprets and can predict their developing world.
Vygotsky theory of development piggy backed on Pagets theory, his theory was based on an

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older child and Piagets began at birth. Vygotsky also had stages which he believed that a childs
complex thinking seized through social interactions between children and adults. This
information helped me understand the importance of positive interactions with adults and
children alike.
What surprised me most was how much a child spend socializing in school; A child spend
over 13,000 hours socializing in school and much of this happens through positive encounters
with their educators and peers. Children find the need to make connections with their peers
which is often done through who they trust and who they feel safe with. I learned something new
about myself and how I needed to feel a part of a group. My adolescent years were a difficult
time I did not have many positive connections with my peers let alone with teachers. I wanted to
feel a part of a community but instead I was judged which made my experience in school and
peers a negative one.
The contributions that I made was through the awareness of traumatic experiences. Many
of my classmates wrote a great deal of a classroom environment about both positive and negative
connections with the children and their educators. Many teachers seemed to have lost the passion
for real teaching where teaching should be based for students, a learning environment is not just
based through a set schedule of curriculum but also to take into consideration the needs and
wants of the students. One of our discussion was about the learning process and what are things
that can affect a childs learning development. I added what many might like to brush off or
judge on a total different level. Traumatic experiences in a childs life can hinder the cognitive
development which then affects the social-emotional, physical and cognitive development.
My overall experience in this class was not what I expected, I was hoping to see both side
of what the theorist had to say about the cognitive development, something along the lines like

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Erik Erikson stages. The class was based more for children who are in a classroom environment,
it should also have had tips for those who would like to work as a social worker or counselor. All
in all, the skills I acquired are important in my personal life as well as to better facilitate my
understanding of adolescents and adults whose cognitive development is stuck.