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In Piagets third stage, concrete operational stage, two-dimensional thought processes occur which allow children to solve conversation

problems that they were not able to solve during the preoperational stage and thinking become less egocentric. In each stage Piaget sets a timetable. The preoperational stage, where children are more egocentric are in the preschool years, ages 2 to 7 appro imately. In the concrete operational stage, the elementary school years, a decrease in egocentrism occurs. !ow does egocentrism continue into adulthood" I also raise the #uestion, what about the children whom never grow up" $e all know men and women who have stayed in the %child &rame o& mind' in their thinking, is there an e ception to this rule" (lso, reminding onesel& that in Piagets theory o& egocentric thinking is not thinking about onesel& in a sel&ish way, but basically being able to put yoursel& in their shoes and appreciate another point o& view. The initial scenario that I thought o& was a personal one. )e&ore becoming an educator I worked one-on-one, in-home therapy with autistic children. I had heard and e perienced every horror story known to man about the pain and su&&ering that this one demographic o& children has to e perience in the public education sector. I*Ps, +,-s and modi&ied scheduling with a large gap in additional support services that were not o&&ered because o& &unding or lack o& .care &rom the education administration. *very child I worked with had a parent who had a horrible e perience. I was starting to get the impression that public schools were not the place &or these special children. !ow in the world can any parent even think about sending their children into this type o& setting" ( parent o& a special abilities individual must have been out o& their mind using the schools as a glori&ied babysitter while they worked. (s much as I loved what I was doing working through private companies, I wanted to make a bigger and better di&&erence in these students lives. I& you dont like the system than change it

&or the better. /o this is what Ive been attempting to do. I went back to school to get my education certi&ication and have been working in special education &or the past three years. Trust me when I say that both sides have a point. )ut, what I had e perienced with the parents o& the children I was working with in-home, I also e perience with the parents and children in public schools. I might be cra0y, I literally put mysel& into the middle o& the mess. )ut, now I can see the bigger picture &rom both sides o& the story. )e&ore I witnessed parents blaming the schools, now I witness schools blaming the parents &or not doing more and I have taken the responsibility to educate both that as each side has its &rustrations, i& we dont work together as a team, openly then none o& us are doing any service or bene&it &or the children. This has been an uphill battle, but it is one that I &eel is worth &ighting &or. (ll adults can carry egocentrism into any given situation. I have e perienced that a ma1ority o& egocentrism is &eeling or emotional based, not knowledge based. Think about some o& the ma1or con&licts in your li&e or society, have they been based on &act or opinion" I believe that it is our right as individuals to have passionate opinions and &eelings. !owever, it is not our right to critici0e and ridicule others because they do not &ollow our belie&s or views. Ive noticed with the 2-3th graders that I work with during the school year and the 2--th graders during summer school that egocentrism does not stop with the boundaries that Piaget suggested within the stages. /o what accounts &or the de&iance within the stages" I think that &reewill and &reedom o& speech has greatly in&luenced the amount o& egocentrism that continues to be carried on through adulthood.

( speci&ic e ample that several teachers have commented to me about is race. Individuals &eel that tolerance o& races and genders need to happen. )ut, I think that tolerance is an e cuse &or

ignorance, (cceptance is the only tolerance allowed. 4ranted there are others that do not &eel that way and I understand that. )ut, on my soapbo I will teach my children di&&erently otherwise, how can any o& us e pect change"

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