| Vygotsky's theory emphasises the role of culture, social interaction, and language in development. Suggest 4 outlines that can help us apply his ideas in our classrooms. | 1. Embed learning activities in culturally authentic context.
2. Involve students in social interactions, and encourage them to use language to describe their developing understanding.
3. Create learning activities that are in learner's zones of proximal development.
4. Provide instructional scaffolding to assist learning and development. |
| What is meant by effective scaffolding? | Effective scaffolding would adjust instructional requirements to learners' capabilities and levels of performance (Puntambekar & Hubscher, 2005). |
| Is it important to build a lesson plan using items and and cultural elements which most students are familiar and are interested in? | Yes, it is very important because using a familiar topic this way increases students' interest and motivation (Brophy, 2010; Schunk, Meece, & Pintrich, 2014). |
| When students engage in social interactions in class, suggest 3 ways to encourage them to use language such that it describes their understanding | 1. If students are unable to answer right away, refrain from simply giving them the answer. Rather, we should guide them to make the decision for themselves. This both capitalised on social interaction and also increased the students' motivation because it was their decision rather than the teacher's.
2. The teacher should have students work in groups to solve more complex problems. Ensure that the problem is within the students' ZPD for the lesson and be prepared to adjust it when needed.
3. The teacher should encourage students' use of language as they worked. We should ask students in groups to verbalise what they are doing.
Initially, there will be struggle so we must help them, but with practice they will gradually become more articulate with their understanding. |
| How do we tailor our learning activities to suit learners' zone of proximal development? | 1. As the teacher, we should be familiar with the abilities and proficiencies of individual students in the classroom.
2. By observing and listening to students, the teacher can assess their current understanding and then adapt the learning activity so that it is within students' ZPD.
3. Clearly mark levels of development of the concept in the lesson plan from novice, intermediate, adept, master. This is to ensure easier and more consistent adjustments of the lesson plan during the lesson.
4. Elements of differentiated instructions and awareness of learning disabilities also aid it facilitating student learning. |
