ITEC 800 Question of the Week (11/3/-11/10) - Chapter 7
Vygotsky's learning theory describes a concept called Zone of Proximal Development. Describe your own 'zone of proximal development.' What did you learn that was just out of your reach? What scaffolds were in place to support you? How did your 'community of learning' facilitate your ability to learn the new skill, concept, etc? How will this experience influence how you will instruct others?
posted by Regualr Eco Jane @ 9:53 PM
11 Comments:
Recently I have been learning how to build a snowboard. the technique is composite lamination which is eventually a form of plastics fabrication. While I have a basic understanding for plastics materials and a learned ability to understand and compare scientific data (in this case data from various tests on materials used in the board) I have had no direct experience working with most of the materials or conducting the fabrication process (vacuum bagging). This put this task within in my ZPD. I am teaching myself this process for the most part so the scaffolding that I have comes primarily from prior knowledge and secondarily form a knowledge bank I have tapped into through books, videos, and on line communities.
It is these on line communities and my partner, melody that make up my community of learning for this project. I interface with these two aspects of my community of learning in distinctly different ways. Within on line snowboard building forums I mainly ask questions and are given answers. Occasionally, I have an answer to some one else's question and provide the answer. With melody on the other hand there is much more of a discourse. I we bounce ideas of each other, work through problems we don't understand and correct each other if we detect errors in thinking or practice. Though there is certainly conceptual learning that happens within the on line forums, it is really work with melody on the actual project that results in real understanding.
This project is a great example of constructivism at work. By working with another person on a project within both of our ZPDs we are able to develop a new understanding of a previously unknown process. This same idea can be applied to teaching other people concepts and processes that are unknown to them in a way that will promote real understanding.
Sati
I recently started writing music reviews, something which I'd never done before. I had the fundamental skills (knowledge of music and writing), but I had no clue how to write a proper review. Existing reviews and my editor both serve as scaffolding. The existing reviews give me one point of comparison and help me develop my own structure. My editor helps me by reviewing my writing. Since he's there mainly to make sure my verbiage and style meets the style of the magazine, he also acts as a guide. So, my ZPD for writing and music may not have been that large of a gap, but my ZPD for music review writing certainly was.
While I think that the constructivist methodology may, on the surface, serve to generate creativity towards problem solving, I think it also helps serve as confidence building. Those on the team who are uncertain about their abilities often just need a boost -- a point of comparison or a benchmark to make sure they're on the right track. Similarly, the other writers for this magazine have varying experience: some have been writing in this field for 20+ years, and others are just starting out like I am. We're all on an email list together, so we occasionally swap ideas and, of course, read each other's work. Not only does having this community help me with generating new ideas, but it also gives me a point of comparison as to whether I'm hitting my mark with my reviews. I think this kind of learning helps greatly with projects that may not be so obviously complete. That is, with music reviews (like music and art), there isn't necessarily a clear endpoint, so discussion with peers helps immensely with creating a self-imposed endpoint (that feeling of "I know this is complete.").
Thinking through this particular question (which I thought was rather well put, Janelle!) is helping me understand a bit about instruction, and realizing that part of instruction is knowing how to guide and help students understand themselves when they've completed the task or project at hand.
Zone of proximinal development:
Vygotsky argues that children are capable of learning more than their assumed developmental stage when they are challenged to perform at higher level. If an 8-year-old child is presented with problems designed for a child of 12 years, they can rise to that level of performance with some guidance. The child only really learns when pushed out of their developmental level.
For a child to grow developmentally the child must be pushed beyond the parameter of their developmental level.
I relate this to a story:
When I was about 15 years old I went snowboarding for my first time with a few friends who were very advanced in their, and they did not want to be held back by a novice or spend all day on the bunny or beginner hills. I assured them that I would learn very fast because I was a proficient skate boarder and I love speed. It was difficult at first, but I did not want to spend the entire day on boring runs so I listened intently to the advice being offered from the much better boarders. Because I was helped along with social learning I managed to pick up necessary skills very quickly. Within one hour of my first time hitting the mountains with no previous skills I was right on everyone’s tail and having a great time.
Three hours later I was jumping and sliding with everyone else. It was a perfect example of learning taking place in a social setting with the instruction far beyond the learner’s developmental level.
Vigotsky refers to the developmental level of children as a free flowing gage that ranges from individual to individual. He argues I opposition to Piaget that age does not entirely determine a person’s level of development. Let’s face common sense is not all that common and there are definitely people who are slower than others, just as there are people far more advanced than their peers. I think learning potential can also be measured in such a form relating to adults. Not everyone learns at the same rate, but with proper attitude, invigorating and exciting instruction with effective feedback any learning situation becomes extraordinary in its breadth. Instruction can provide enormous results if the amount of time covering things not yet concrete in the learners mind, are reduced but the basics of those principles are immediately employed the learning curve sharpens immediately.
e.g. instead of spending an hour leanrig turning, then an hour on leaning, the learner is given a 5 minute example then thrown into the mix with those skills, what works will be used and what does not work will be disregarded.
When one pushes the learner and the reward is instant gratification the adult learner is able to learn at an amazing rate, and if the child learner is placed in the same situation so much more can be absorbed.
I think Vygotsky’s theory coupled with Gagne’ and Skinner’s theories provide for amazing results. It think we can realize these results by reverse engineering prior learning situations in which we learned in a powerful or exciting way. We can accomplish this by sharing experiences in our lives that truly affected us in a learning environment. It is all about praxis, “learning by doing”.
Lee
In 1998 , I decided to get a degree in biotechnology. I had no background in science however, I had a degree in history and I was a good critical thinker so some of those skills tranferred . Finishing the program was a chanllage . I did not have the math; so in most of my classes I had to learn the math and the science at the same time. It would take me hours to understand a chemical reaction and Mircobiology was like learning a different lanuage. I was motivated by the Center for Excellence in Science, they provided tutors 2-3. times a week . They also had guest speakers every Friday with refreshments. There were also monthly field trips to theater, moives, or musesum all fees paid and transportation provides. This was part of the program that built the learning community , when we met outside of school we talked about science. It was a great way to reinforce out learning. I had a great chemisty teacher and he could explain a chemical reaction as picture, a formula or a story. His explanations were creative enough to stay in your memory. He show me how important it is to teach to different learning styles.
cfa
In 1998 , I decided to get a degree in biotechnology. I had no background in science however, I had a degree in history and I was a good critical thinker so some of those skills tranferred . Finishing the program was a chanllage . I did not have the math; so in most of my classes I had to learn the math and the science at the same time. It would take me hours to understand a chemical reaction and Mircobiology was like learning a different lanuage. I was motivated by the Center for Excellence in Science, they provided tutors 2-3. times a week . They also had guest speakers every Friday with refreshments. There were also monthly field trips to theater, moives, or musesum all fees paid and transportation provides. This was part of the program that built the learning community , when we met outside of school we talked about science. It was a great way to reinforce out learning. I had a great chemisty teacher and he could explain a chemical reaction as picture, a formula or a story. His explanations were creative enough to stay in your memory. He show me how important it is to teach to different learning styles.
cfa
Reading Vygotsky takes one to amazing journey of thoughts, maybe for me, it was the the path that I always dream to do, to step into unknown, into the areas that call my real, serious work of thought; being in the 800 class I saw my own approach very Vygotskian, very challenging; reading a book that honestly had lots of trouble with its basic about memory, and learning theory, I constantly look beyond, and step into concepts that opens up something more close to the amazing territories of memory, and the learning process; from the first class I was fascinated about the idea of scaffolding, because it was reminding me of those heavy metal support hanging under the surface of Bay Bridge , on the way to home; those scaffolds which “extends the range of the workers;(Greenfield/ 1984/ p. 118), and that was the whole idea, the extending the range, pushing the range of possibilities , supporting the unsupportable! The journey of plunging into these theory already was stepping into the Zone of proximal development; then reading Vygotsky powerful notion of the ZDP, opened up the new landscape, moving into questioning some of the problem that I have encountered thought the legacy of memory as the “storyhouse”! Therefore it made sense for me to also see the other side of the story, not just the applicability of the theory, but acknowledging that learning becomes more of challenging the old notion of “development”, the class, and the whole atmosphere of following the book becomes the scaffolding of going into different way of seeing the models;
Besides the implication of the Vygotsy's learning theory in a specific situation, the zone of its amazing opening to new avenues of thought makes it significant among others; here we are encountering a different approach than Piaget developmental Theory which is more so a linear approach to the development; piaget’s logical steps, and the age limitation in the learning process already finds some major challenges on the Vygotsky ‘s theory; I think these are really important, and serious outcome in the way traditional view on the children as the less developed mind set; the Zone of proximal Development of Vygotsky , actually pushes the more heavily developmental stage of mind into new territories of expanding abilities in the children; we get away the model of development that is based on the concept of latter, starting from the first step, and moving forward into more developed stages; linearity of piaget become the challenge of more interactivity of a vibrant enviroment;here in the view of Vygotsky, we have a larger picture than just the logical stages, more the affect of the environment, and maybe in a sense the availability of social impacts; for a child who is growing up in an environment of hostility, and pressure, factors of poverty the outcome looks different;Vygotsy open up some amazing new paths that actually put the concept of development and learning in totally different parameters; we gradually learn through his strong vision to question the models that are so integrated in our daily outlook of life that we don’t even notice many of his ides are in direct contrast to our habitual view point; Zone of proximal development is not only give the ability to go further than what is reached , but to go the place unknown, to the territories that already put in question the idea of development itself; the Darwinian view of seeing the ladder of development gives to the idea of sudden mutation, and break from the already learned stages; it goes in the direction that we get to the level of asking more genuine, and real articulated questions that redefine the already defined notions of development, and learning; is not in a way , what Vygotsky ‘theory lays out in front us, in contrast to other “logical mind set” of the previous theorist, distinguishing the concept of leaning, and development in two different setting ,not anymore as the model of “first let’s see the development of the learner limitation, then we find out what he will learn” versus the advancement of leering prior to “development”, letting the challenge of going into new, and unknown vast territories of knowledge;
Society is experiencing rapid changes. The introduction and integration of computer technology in society has tremendously increased the opportunities for social interaction. Therefore, the social context for learning is transforming as well. Computer technology has become a necessity in today’s society, and as a result, is becoming essential in our schools.
Whereas collaboration and peer instruction was once only possible in shared physical space, learning relationships can now be formed from distances through cyberspace.
In my classroom students are encouraged to work together in groups to reach common goals. Students can benefit from sharing ideas rather than working on their own. Students are allowed to help one another so that all can reach some measure of success. Students work individually, but towards a common goal. My classroom is very much student-centered, with the teacher as facilitator and the students as information seekers.
The zone of proximal development was Vygotsky’s explanation of the area of learning located between a person’s current understanding of a topic and potential understanding of that same topic. The ZPD contains skills and concepts that are not yet fully developed but are on the edge of emergence-emerging only if the child is given appropriate support.
One item that helps navigate student learning through the zone of proximal development is the constant collaboration that revolves around computer technology rich activities.
In my classroom activities, I try to incorporate high order thinking skills like comparing, classifying, deducing, analyzing, constructing, and abstraction of themes. My goal is to enhance the forward motion of each student’s zone of proximal development and the progression of the student through that zone.
Many times, as a teacher, I am left to be a helpful outside source of knowledgeable information because the student controls his or her zone of proximal development.
Students are often confused with new technology rich activities because of the unfamiliar nature of the language of the topic. To help relieve the confusion, the student needs to be actively engaged in the experience of the material to become familiar with it. By focusing on keeping the student actively working, the student does not feel pressured and can work at an individualized speed. Technology rich activities are appealing because they provide structure and guidance both for students and teachers.
When planning learning experiences for my students, I need to be fully aware of the various learning styles of the students in my class as well as the pedagogical nature of my intended learning. As technology assumes a larger place in our school, it is essential that I provide intentional, focused guidance based on my experience as a teachers and an educator.
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I learned how to state lesson objectives as inquiry questions. Posing a question that helps the learner relate to the lesson instead of stating objectives in terms of what they will learn. This new way of presenting the objectives for a lesson pushed me into my ZPD. This was an assignment in my ITEC 815 class. Out textbook has a worksheet that helped us develop inquiry questions. The textbook and teacher provided examples that provided the scaffolding to developing my own inquiry questions. Fellow students make up a community of learning, as part of the class work we got together in small groups to discuss the inquiry questions we were using for our project. We had to post our inquiry questions before class so all could read them. It was a challenge to think of questions that would solicit feelings of empathy, self-knowledge, perspective and interpretation on a lesson of keyboarding skills. It helped me to see that I did understand the concept when I compared my questions to others in the class. I found this method of presenting a lesson interesting so converted 3 up coming lessons in the classes I teach and used inquiry questions to introduce lessons and help students develop background for writing a paper.
As a student of ITEC 815 where this style of teaching is being modeled it definitely challenges me to look at each lesson and relate it to my needs and interests. As a teacher it was a challenge to think of inquiry questions for a class that is traditionally been taught using behavioral theory. I am anxious to see how changing the lesson in the class I teach effects the assignment I get from the students.
One of the key requirements of Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development is the social interaction between partners. Partners must agree to the task at hand. One partner, the ‘insider’ of the learning trajectory, needs to be careful not to dominate and overly demonstrate a procedure, process or concept so as to eliminate the shared experience of solving the problem by the ‘inbound’ participant.
One such learning partner in my life’s experience was with a journeyperson scenic artist, Elizabeth Tullis, with whom I had the great pleasure of working with on countless scenic projects over the course of our scenic painting careers. Elizabeth was not totalitarian overload on the scene shop floor. She carefully guided the newer scenic artists, myself included, through projects where we were left to ‘discover’ on our own how a painting procedure was to develop, how a particular color was to be achieved or how a seal was to be sculpted magically out of a large square hunk of foam. Although as Bruner pointed out earlier in the chapter, ‘a true act of discovery is not a random event.’ This was the case with working with Elizabeth. Elizabeth would always preface a task or project with questions to the student scenic artists. How would you do this? With further questioning and dialogue Elizabeth would give you a shrug of her shoulders or nod of her head and send you off to complete the task. I quickly learned the shrug of the shoulders meant I had more questions to ask of myself, her or anyone else who might hold a key to understanding before I proceeded. Elizabeth’s guidance was always there but as you succeeded in producing the desired results she left you more and more to your own devices. Through scaffolding, Elizabeth helped me bridge the gap from a student scenic artist to a journeyperson. She guided me through my ‘zone of proximal development’ and I became an ‘insider’.
Elizabeth’s’ constructivist approach to developing my scenic artist skills were also inspirational to me in terms of how I was to pass on the knowledge and skills I learned from her. As I was given more responsibilities in my ‘community of learning’, my union, I was called upon to lead crews of yet untrained students. The discovery process I went through allowed me to embed the knowledge and that was what I wanted to happen with my crews. I found on occasions if I were to take what I thought was the easy road and tell a crew member to ‘just do this’ without any other words of guidance, the person would be right back asking the same questions again and again. For instance the mixing of a particular paint color. I could say just add one quart of this to that and be on our way, or I could have the person experiment using their knowledge of color, observe and thus learn how to achieve the result and now possess the knowledge themselves. Like Elizabeth, I chose to guide fellow artist through his or her own ‘zone of proximal development’.
My ZPD seems to be a never-ending journey. As a designer, I work in the world of computers and various software programs on a daily basis. There is always something that arises that gives me pause; take a "head-scratching" moment, then delve into the many resources at my disposal to begin the process of either solving a problem, or find out "how to do something."
My particular "moments of frustration" may originate from an image imported from PhotoShop into Final Cut not displaying correctly, or video not syncing properly. Use Motion or After Effects? Keyframes or Behaviors? Oh my!
In instances such as these, my scaffolding is more like a life preserver! Other experts in the field are always posting comments online - there are numerous websites and discussion boards dedicated to my ongoing challenges. The Apple Discussions are one of my regular haunts and provide the answers I'm looking for 90% of the time. If I don't see the answer already posted, I'll post my own problem, and usually always get some responses.
This particular 'community of learning' always has trouble-shooting advice, and I've discovered over the years that much of problem solving involves digging deeper and trying many types of approaches. This also helps me to learn patience when dealing with technological challenges, because it's not just a simple matter of clicking on something. There is a definite methodology and process to troubleshooting. This all helps to develop an instructional "style" with new learners...understanding that concepts may be new to them, that the "gordian knot" of their dilemma can always be untied somehow. (If all else fails, reboot!)
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