Ch. 3 Analysis Questions:

1. From a social development standpoint, how might we explain Laura's preoccupation with her appearance? In particular, consider this statement by Laura: "I don't want people to think I'm a geek!" Include information from Erikson's theory and social development in general in your response.

As discussed in class, you can easily begin to see the mythology of adolescence surrounding Laura. She is seemingly obsessed with appearance feeling it damaging if she is not perfect. She is developing that sense of self. At this moment she is defined by her physical appearance. She needs to give nothing short of perfection to feel like she is perfect. If hair or dress is flawed than perhaps she herself feels inadequate. Laura is obviously seeking to find her identity. She is still branching out of the struggle between being industrious vs. the jump to who she really is. She is using her visual representation to mark the beginnings of what she thinks she will become. The problem I see is that she is stuck feeling her imaginary audience judging her in home room. But her counselor branches out and gives her identity through the role of debate. So as she continues her need for presentation she can now consider academia. If she still feels under the allusion of personal fable, perhaps this can be harnessed in a good way and she will practice her critical thinking abilities as well as her hair.

2. In suggesting that Laura join the debating class, Ms. Watkins is hoping to pique an interest in classroom subject matter by capitalizing on Laura's desire to be the center of attention. What two other strategies might the school faculty use to motivate students who seem to be more interested in social matters than in academic pursuits?

There is nothing as horrid as peer pressure. What if the popular kids at your school were also academically on board? If this is the case, you could easily use them to help teach, to counsel and to (as Vgotsky would recommend) to help aid in the growth through mentorship. If the popular class were to influence even a few others by these methods, you would hope that some percentage would want to rise through the ranks of the social ladder so ever present in school by focusing their attentions on the work at hand.

Also as presented in the class, rather than some of the other recommended and required electives offered, give a class in management or psychology where you focus on personality and motivation. Make it fun to explore options rather than a tedious waste of 2 weeks your junior year. Help with the skills needed to better understand self and study habits, and you could pique interest in social sciences and harness that same ‘fun’ into better students. Also, do this by no later than sophomore year so the students have time to implement and try out all the new ideas being given them.

3. From the perspective of Kohlberg's theory, in which stage of moral development is Laura? Justify your response. How might Mr. Marcalescu help Laura to advance her moral reasoning?

Laura is very much found in conventional morality. She is making decisions on what she thinks will be most pleasing to those around her. The easiest factor in her environment to change is her personal appearance. She can control her clothes, her hair, and her makeup. She readily gives up pleasing the norms of school for the norms of the society of her peers. That is the stronger force at work in her environment. Because home room is mostly a waste to begin with, she can forgo the pressures normally felt in pleasing the class and teacher at hand and now instead she can devote this same time to peer pressure. Yet when she is given the opportunity to please both the social needs and the schools, she accepts readily. She is very much in Good boy/good girl. She is thinking very little of her own needs and her own future and stuck in the here and now.

Mr. Marcalescu will have to help with rationales. Can he expose Laura to more models of behavior and thinking? Does he engage other members of the class as well? If he can keep them participative and interested, he will help switch the dynamic of peer pleasing and help trigger the understanding of Law and order. She needs to be on time. Being on time allows her to participate in an environment where her opinions do matter. She can matter both in physical presentation and in her thought representation. By the very definition of a debate class, Mr. Marcalescu will be able to push bounds of typical reasoning. He opens Laura up to an idea of pollution and environmental concerns. If he continues the discussion Laura will better be able to see both sides, to understand cause and effect and rational her thoughts on a higher level than the basic appearance she initially presents.

4. In what ways might a debating class contribute to students' cognitive, linguistic, social, and moral development?

Ironically I think I keep unintentionally answering or beginning to answer the following question in the one previously stated. This just goes to prove why it’s important to read over an entire assignment before beginning it.

Yet in response, debate is a fantastic forum for growth.
Cognitively we deal with iinformation processing. Obviously Laura is not prepared to see the bigger picture at hand and therefore lives in her small world of thought. After continual exposure, she will be able to at least experience other ideas and when she is ready, jump to multiple conclusions with the first representation of a new content.

Linguistically speaking, Laura has to have multiple opportunities both to present and to listen to others. As well she needs to her those older and more experienced than her present a side of thought. In this manner of scaffolding, she will learn terminology and ideas and ways to express coherent thought.

Socially one can develop a conscious knowledge. Thoughts can be formed with those around you in mind. Thoughts can also be formed in regards to better understanding and finding common ground with those you discuss.

Morally, debate gives her a place to express in what should be a safe environment. She should be able to explore ideas and sides without having to take and suffer moral consequences (I use morality here as one who is religious might as in arguing the bible over atheism). You can discuss ideas without being forced to believe one way or the other. In regards to the other use of morality; she can learn what the right approach to take socially is, she can understand political statements and then perhaps why hard decisions have to be made. It’s a safe ground to experience new concepts and form opinions.