Vygotsky's Socio-Cultural Theory

Vygosky's Socio-Cultural Theory explains that language is a vital in Cognitive learning. Social Interaction as stated by Vygotsky is an effective learning tool. Through social activities and social participation: parents, teachers and the elder peers all contribute to the learning of the child. They explain and give assistance to the learner.

Language is an important tool on this theory for it opens the door of the learner to acquire knowledge. He also stressed out that language is used by the learner to find solution to problems. He also added that activities can also help in learning.

Scaffolding, according to Vygotsky is the support or assistance that let the child accomplish a task he/she cannot accomplish himself.

The zone of actual development refers to a certain level of competency. The zone of proximity refers to what a child can accomplish with the guidance of another person.

Learner-Centered Psychological Principles

Learner-Centered Psychological Principles talks about the learner and the learning process. There are certain factors affecting the learner process of the learner.

The focus that of the learner is primarily internal and is under his control but external factors such as social influences and the environment could also be a factor affecting the learner and the learning process. Motivational and Affective factors of learning plays a vital factor affecting one's learning. Intrinsic motivation or inner positive motivation if positively taken generally enhances us to study/learn more.Extrinsic motivation could also help us to strive harder because of rewards that we get later. Learning is also greatly influenced by environmental factors including culture, technology and instructional practices. For us teachers, it is important to adapt to this changes on culture, technology and instructional. The latest technology on teaching:the use of educational technology is a great way of teaching student nowadays. Our present situation is that we are coping on this type of method.

As a future teacher, we are bound to learn this principles as we are to teach our students. With this type of learning process we are then ready to face our class with all the knowledge and skills we possess.

My Personal View on Learning Community

We often hear our parents telling us to go to school to "learn", then as we grow, we then get ourselves to be involved in the "community". How do we associate ourselves to both learning and community? What then is a Learning Community? Is this beneficial for us?

Learning community is defined as a group of people who share common values and beliefs. It is a group of person who believes, uses his strength, and which uses social and institutional relationship to attain its goal of which is to attain new knowledge and skills. There are three factors to grow harmoniously; the presence of a common vision, a common will and the time element (Newberg, 1995 p.174 and Noddings, 1995 page 679). The vision is the first to be viewed. What are our visions, goals and objectives? Is it also the same as others view? It is important for us as a part of a learning community to share the same views. We should then have a common will, the will to attain our goals of having knowledge, and lastly we should have the time, time also is a vital factor. We should invest more time together with other people on the community for us to gain knowledge. It will not happen overnight.

Learning begins at home. We are thought good morals/values by our parents during our childhood. Then, as we go to school and together with our classmates there starts the concept of learning community. We then are taught by our teachers good manners, discipline, to read, to write and to count. Through the proper classroom instructions from our teachers from elementary, secondary and tertiary levels and with having an environment conducive to learning, the attainment of knowledge is fast achieved. In the technologically inclined world of ours' today, technological ways of learning is within out fingertips. Various innovative technologies (Blogs, IM's...etc) are used to share ideas from everywhere around the world. Nohria and Berkley (1994) said that the networking of individuals from technically separate areas (happens) to the extent that clear external boundaries of the community become faintly magical. Groups of students from around the world who share common interest and ideas then form, gather, and formulate theories whose ideas were collaborated through partnerships. Also today, most of the studies conducted are not only made by one person, instead they collaborate with other persons of different culture from another race and place. From economics to physics, medicine and almost everything are studied through collaboration of ideas. From the individualistic approach to group-approached theories were formulated. Himmelman (1994) suggests that sharing the available expertise from within a community, we should take into consideration that these are not closed system. When we learn through collaboration of ideas from other person and groups even if it is outside of the community we are in may in other ways help us gather new ideas and raises our level of awareness. Geographic locations are less barrier, everywhere in the world, information is easily accessed with the use of technology. Studies further reveal that information from others is useful for another, learning community not only benefit for a particular community abut also helpful to others.

A a human being and a part of the community, the concept of learning community is very much taken and is very welcomed on my part. "No man is an Island" as a saying goes. We need to live with others as we cannot only live on ourselves. We need our neighbors and friends that in time of troubles for they can be sure of help. As for learning, individual need to be involved in the community, and with collaboration of ideas, things will be easier to implement. As a human being, learning community is to be able to be connected, linked and shared common purpose, whats really our purpose on living. what do we want? If we are a learning community then we can have one goal and we are bound to perform things according to what we want. Through the process of collaboration,. cooperation and reflection. We share each others idea. We can establish a good relationship in the community, not only within our race but as well as persons from other parts of the world. Through establishing good and harmonious relationship we can create and develop a participative and we are culturally aware, we become flexible and we respect each other in terms of perspective, values and life styles.

My personal view on the learning community is that it is a very important tool for survival and for better living. Since i was a child and raised in an orderly environment I was a part of a learning community. I went from elementary, secondary and the tertiary level and was taught of the manners and acquired new knowledge as time passes by. Although of at different level, the same goals is to have new knowledge. As time also passes by, the way that i acquired learning and the way also community learning has also changed. As technology improves, my horizon also was changed. Learning did not only occur in the physical classroom, it now also occurs in technological way. I met friends on the web, and together we share our ideas and suggestions. Our diverse culture and being geographically far did not become an issue on sharing our thoughts. We freely gave our ideas and thoughts on a certain issue. Many new ideas from everybody or simply information is shared to everybody. Not only learning community helps us attain new knowledge, It can also helps us establish good relationship to our fellow human being. The value of cooperation is very much present to every individual member of a learning community. And with cooperation, other values will also develop.

Although the promotion of learning community has evolved into a broader and in a new era, it is safe to say that it does still follows the idea of learning to attain new knowledge. We need to continue to work and live on a learning community so that we will progress and also for the humanity to succeed. We need to develop this type of learning because this is useful for us mankind not only today but also in the future.

References

Newberg, Norman A. (1995), Clusters:Organizational Patterns for Caring. Phi Delta Kappan Bloomington, Indiana: Phi Delta Kappa. Vol 76, Number 9. P.713, 717

Nohria, N., and Berkley, J.D. (1994) The Virtual Organization: Bureaucracy, Technology and the Implosion of control. London, U.K: Sage Publication. 108-128.

Noddings, Nel (1995) Teaching Themes of Care. Phi Delta Kappan Bloomington, Indiana. Volume 76. Number 9, P. 675-679.