Moral Development

What?... Today it was my groups turn to give the presentation, I really enjoyed the topic I signed up for because I really haven't thought about where morals come from. I thought that they were just something that is already there, I couldn't think back to the times in my life where I thought I learned "morals" when actually I now know that we can learn and observe them everyday. I once saw a Panda Express cashier get robbed. Not the guns and "put your hands up!" you see in the movies. This man was holding an envelope that he said had a gift certificates in it for 500 dollars to Panda Express, the woman was hesitant and didn't speak much English. People behind the man in line said that he was lying and were getting frustrated with the cashier for accepting his garbage. So the woman gave him the money, and she ripped open the envelope after the man left and it was a stack of napkins. I sort of flashed back to this when I was thinking about where morals come from and it was really thought provoking, because now I wonder what that man would fit under in Kolhbergs stages. I know that is probably impossible for me to judge by only seeing this man for a few minutes but still it makes you wonder. I also think that it is interesting to reflect on what your own stages are.

So What?... So I am consistently thinking of ways that morals are implemented, yeah they are preached to everyone, but still how do people posses the desire to be rule followers. I guess that this is what makes us be the head of the pack in our world. As in the times article blog I referred to an animal doesn't think back about how it could have killed it's prey better, it just eats at the carcass and moves on. I understand that this is what makes us human, I am just finding it hard to understand where we posses the ability to have morals. I like morals, I believe in morals it is interesting to see the different stages we all go through and the ones that we may never get to. I really thought it was interesting that the people we learned briefly about were letters from prison or someone who stood up for something so much they would die for it. To me I never understood that as morals. It is really seeing the world through your own eyes.

Now What?... Now I am able to understand the different stages students will be at. It is interesting the walks of life that are going to be put in my way. I really have unfortunately just stayed in my little busy world (sort of), I am excited to see the differences in students. I really feel like I have a little grasp, I know that life experiences gives you more of an advantage in things like morals, however, I like the role play idea to get students wheels turning and really generating their own ideals and concepts. It is going to be interesting the situations that will turn up that we will be able to address by just understanding stages. I also like what Kohlberg said about correcting a stage higher to get their moral understanding higher, it just goes back to ZPD.