Lev Semenovich Vygotsky is a sociocultural theorist who believed that cognitive development occurs within one's environment and social interactions. People are a product of their environment and will likely retain information and acquire ideas similar to those around them. Vygotsky had multiple ideas to support his theory, such as cultural tools, psychological tools, language, scaffolding, and the zone of proximal development. Cultural tools include elements of our culture that take part in our learning process, such as “mobile devices, computers, the Internet, chat systems, search engines and assistive technologies”. Each of these elements influences how we think and how we learn new information. In my generation, if a person wants to research a topic, the first source they use is typically the Internet, whereas when my parents were young they had to spend multiple afternoons in a library rummaging through encyclopedias and reading passages from books. We still have these sources today, but in our current fast-paced culture, technology is convenient and puts information in our hands. Psychological tools are signs and symbols, such as braille, numbers, letters, maps, codes and language that influence our learning and enable people to promote their cognitive development. Vygotsky believed that “the essence of cognitive development is mastering the use of psychological tools such as language to achieve the kind of advanced thinking and problem solving that could not be achieved without such tools.” Psychological tools are implemented into our learning from day one. In primary school you are taught to count to one hundred within the first year and you also learn the alphabet. We are taught... middle of the paper... and to develop trust between the teacher and the student. As Charles settles into the teacher's routine, he will most likely trust what she is doing to guide him in the right direction. Erikson's developmental theory relates to Charles because he has unresolved issues in his life that prevent him from being successful. Charles' mother is a major reason why he misbehaves and has trouble succeeding in class. He hasn't earned his parents' trust mostly because there is only one in his life. Therefore he did not receive the virtue of hope. Because Charles was unsuccessful in Erikson's life stages, he will likely face difficulties with relationships and identity in the future. On the other hand, Charles is not necessarily hopeless. Charles can potentially achieve virtues later in life if he is put on the right path.