Jana Martin Dr.

Grant MGED 3020 9 September 2013

Educational Theorists Jerome Bruner was born on October 1, 1915 in New York. He went to Duke University, then Harvard University where he earned his doctorate in psychology. In 1945, after serving in the Army during World War II, Bruner returned to Harvard where he became a professor. From 1972-80, he was a professor of experimental psychology at the University of Oxford. He then became at professor at the New School of Social Research as well as a fellow of the New York Institute for the Humanities at the New York University (Bruner, 2013). Bruners ideas and studies helped to bring Jean Piagets models of cognitive thinking into the classroom. Piaget understood that all students are creating their own reality. He explained that students could learn challenging information through simpler information in each step (Piaget, 2013). Bruner used this information in his book, The Process of Education, to help reform curriculum in schools. He stated that any student can learn any level of information. Students are curious and have a desire to learn. However, if the information becomes too hard, the students usually lose interest. He believes that teachers should know their students individually in order to challenge them in a way for them to learn the next level of information (Bruner, 2013). Bruners theories and ideas are important for teaching any student from Kindergarten to 12th grade. However, it is crucial for teaching middle school, where many people believe students cannot learn. The problem in middle school is not that they cannot learn; it is because of their hormones their minds are usually somewhere else. Using his thought on knowing students individually would create better student-teacher relationships. Students would feel more

Martin 1

Jana Martin Dr. Grant MGED 3020 9 September 2013

connected to their teacher, which could give them a better interest in the teacher and the information they are giving. Teachers should also understand how each of their students learns in order to challenge them in the correct way. Bruner along with Piaget paved the path of how teachers should teach.

Martin 2

Jana Martin Dr. Grant MGED 3020 9 September 2013

Works Cited Jean Piaget. (2013). In Encyclopdia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/459096/Jean-Piaget Jerome S. Bruner. (2013). In Encyclopdia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/82186/Jerome-S-Bruner

Martin 3