Week 8, Human Development- What is Learning?

Based on what I have learned about the different operational stages that come with age, I would say learning is the development of the mind and the processes it uses to grasp new information. When contemplated, it really is interesting to see how the capacity of the human mind develops from a sensory-motor stage, learning by exploring physical surroundings, to a formal operational stage, with the ability to analyze and comprehend abstract material. I see this occurring in my two daughters who are two and four. I see my four year old in the preoperational stage, being self-centered and still trying to learn how to see things from others viewpoints. My wife and I are trying to teach her how to sympathize with others and see the world from outside of herself. She is coming along with this, and the more she develops, the more enjoyable she is. I see my two year still doing a lot of exploring with the physical world around her. She is so eager to learn about everything, and wants to do everything that her older sister can do. I really enjoy seeing her in this stage. To her everything is so new and exciting, and this is how I think the process of learning should be.