The TED talk opened my view of culture norms, identity and stereotypes. From this story I gained a different perspective of Africa, I used to think of it as a poor country where the people worked hard for their whole life and the weather was hat all year. From Chimamanda’s story I learned her perspectives on what the Western books wee like with the white and blue eye people. This to me was how I would describe them as well but not all Western people are that way and this formed Chimamanda’s stereotype from reading that single story. When she was in America her roommate also had stereotypes of her culture and I think this is the same hen looking at children as we can’t just view one side. Considering all the perspectives helps us see a clear view of the image of the child. Not just one theory can explain early childcare, when learning as an educator we should keep exploring the possibilities children bring and always aim for a meaningful environment in order to support our children.

May

With all the theories we have learned so far, I still keep the idea that children have 100 plus images and they are already part of the society and the world, or an individual needs to be respect as a complete entity, instead of an innocent, naive, blank sheet waiting for us to color. I’m letting go of the notion that I have plenty of knowledge about children as I see, read, have, befriend with, and thus know them a lot. I can never really know any child without getting to know the person, through face-to-face confrontation, in a respectful manner.

So far, I have learned about various theorists, including Freud, Erikson, Watson, Skinner, Bandura, Piaget, Vygotsky, and Bronfenbrenner. Each theorist has their own single story, making it important to distinguish between the aspects we can maintain and the limits we must overcome, rather than unconditionally absorbing their theories.

From Erikson’s theory, one key aspect to maintain is his emphasis on cognitive development as an ongoing process, unlike Freud’s notion of it stopping at a certain point. This perspective is significant when considering children's development. However, a limitation of Erikson’s theory is its assumption that all children follow the same developmental stages. Since these stages can vary by culture, era, and individual, educators must avoid judging or assessing each child’s development through their own single story.

In Piaget’s theory, we can also identify aspects to maintain and aspects to let go of. Piaget viewed children as active learners rather than passive subjects, which underscores the importance of respecting their roles in learning and providing opportunities. However, his focus on individual experiences in cognitive development overlooks the role of social interaction. Therefore, when educating children based on this theory, we should incorporate these neglected social elements.

Listening to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s talk made me realize how we often hear different stories and develop a similar mindset and how these stories can impact people's perceptions and hold on to stories unconsciously. Later on, this gives birth to stereotypes and prejudices. This shows the influence of social interactions on people's cognitive development. For example, before starting to study early childhood education, I had various pre-set beliefs that I got from hearing stories from my parents, grandparents, teachers, and other people in my life. I used to see children, in the same way, my society taught me, which I saw happening around me. However, as I became aware of the value of being open and after reading the early learning framework, I learned that children are not little immature human beings but are capable of learning, thinking, and exploring the world.

It is important to be open to learning about different ways and perspectives, holding onto one way should be avoided. Moreover, the theories of psychologists and development researchers also provide us with significant information about children and their development. However, following one theory can be an issue as each has certain limitations. For example, Piaget's cognitive development theory is informative and useful for understanding a child's mental growth yet it is not universal and developed in a small research area. Similarly, Vygotsky has contributed significantly in this field. He supported that social interactions play a major role in children's cognitive growth but he ignored the fact of personal differences.

Therefore, it is crucial to always keep in mind that all theories and research have their pros and cons, and not any single theory perfectly defines the concept of childhood and completely implies early childhood education.

Watching these videos allowed me to reflect on what I’ve learned thus far about the development of children, It’s important to listen to a variety of stories to shape our understanding of how children learn. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichies inspired me by speaking about the danger of a single story reminding us of their own unique experiences that influenced their development. Vygotsky’s theory emphasizes the need for social interaction and cultural context in learning, and how collaboration with children helps with their development. Other theorists such as Piaget and Erikson are more concerned with developmental stages and social-emotional factors. Bandura does focus on observational learning, suggesting that children learn by watching others, but doesn't emphasize the cultural aspects that shape how learning occurs. Focusing on children’s diverse needs helps better support the learning journeys of children.