ERIC Number: ED409076
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1994
Pages: 309
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: ISBN-0-8077-3341-5
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Moral Classrooms, Moral Children: Creating a Constructivist Atmosphere in Early Education.
DeVries, Rheta; Zan, Betty S.
Drawing on and extending the work of Jean Piaget into the realm of sociomoral development, this book argues that constructivist education must involve more than the special activities with which it is commonly associated. Planning must also include provision for children's social and moral development, since children construct their moral understandings from the raw material in their day-to-day social interactions. A rationale is provided for a particular type of sociomoral atmosphere in the early childhood classroom and practical ways in which teachers can cultivate it are described. Following an introduction, the chapters of the book are: (1) "What Do We Mean by 'Moral Classrooms?'"; (2) "What Do We Mean by 'Moral Children?'"; (3) "How the Sociomoral Atmosphere Influences the Child's Development"; (4) "Establishing a Constructivist Sociomoral Atmosphere"; (5) "Conflict and Its Resolution"; (6) "Grouptime"; (7) "Rule Making and Decision Making"; (8) "Voting"; (9) "Social and Moral Discussions"; (10) "Cooperative Alternatives to Discipline"; (11) "Activity Time"; (12) "Clean-up Time"; (13) "Lunch Time"; (14) "Nap Time/Rest Time"; (15) "Academics"; (16) "The Difficult Child"; and (17) "The Sociomoral Atmosphere of the School." Each chapter includes a summary. Rationales for general categories of constructivist activities during activity time are appended. Contains 68 references. (HTH)
Descriptors: Classroom Environment, Conflict Resolution, Constructivism (Learning), Decision Making, Early Childhood Education, Ethical Instruction, Learning Activities, Moral Development, Piagetian Theory, Values, Values Education
Teachers College Press, P.O. Box 20, Williston, VT 05495-0020; phone: 800-575-6566; fax: 802-864-7626 (hardback: ISBN-0-8077-3342-3, $48; paperback: ISBN-0-8077-3341-5, $21.95).
Publication Type: Books; Guides - Non-Classroom
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A