*1. What evidence do you see of specific teacher behaviors that are geared toward Piaget's theories about the developmental levels of children at particular ages? Cite specific examples and make clear connection to Piaget's work.
My observation indicated to me that many of the students were in Piaget’s concrete operational stage. My teacher, Mr. Bassett, used questions that required a the implementation of abstract thinking to help guide them into the formal operational stage. For example, in the 8th grade World History I class, the students were learning about early explorers. Mr. Bassett told the students that Christopher Columbus had decided to sail west to reach the East Indies. He then asked what some of the problems Columbus would encounter. This question required the students to analyze and reflect in order to figure out what Columbus faced not having the knowledge and technology that we have today. The idea that no one knew that America even existed and many people thought the world was flat, put many of the students into a state of disequilibrium. Their prior lessons allowed them to use assimilation because they knew that new things were constantly being discovered even today. They were able to apply that knowledge to accept that even a continent as big as the Americas would have been a new discovery at one time. However, many of the students had to use accommodation in order to accept the idea that people once believed the Earth was flat. These required them to accommodate their scheme of the concept and progression of scientific thought. They were then able to understand that facts that we so readily accept today, were simply theories that needed to be tested years ago.
