Are
You Teaching in the Zone?
Theresa London Cooper
“Good
intentions and expertise are necessary but not sufficient to assure
successful learning. "
Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D
I have visited classes and have listen to the concerns teachers
have regarding student learning and achievement. Some teachers say,
“ I have taught --- (you fill in the blank) a million times
and half of my class still has not learned it. I don’t understand.”
They ask, “How do I ensure that my teaching leads to student
learning and achievement?” My response: “Are you teaching
in the zone – the zone of proximal development (ZPD)?”
The noted Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky is credited with the
theory of cognitive learning zones – the zone of actual development
(ZAD) and the zone of proximal development (ZPD). When students
operate in the zone of actual development they are capable of completing
a given assignment independently. When students work in the zone
of proximal development they require assistance someone with greater
knowledge—a teacher, a parent or classmate--to complete the
assignment (Wilhelm, 2001).
"Good intentions and expertise are necessary but not sufficient
to assure learning." If we want students to learn, we
must determine when they can work independently and when they require
assistance to complete an assignment. We must go a step further
and start where students are and scaffold their learning to help
them meet given objectives.
We must set learning conditions for our students, creating a climate
that focuses on what they must learn. We must teach the strategies
which will facilitate the learning, giving students opportunities
to make future applications of the strategies to new learning situations
(Wilhelm, 2001).
To that end, let us consider the workshop model which helps teachers
scaffold
student learning. It is important to model what we expect our
students to do. Then provide guided practice to give students opportunities
to exhibit their understanding. When we are confident that they
have a sufficient level of understanding, we are free to send them
off for independent practice with time to share examples of how
they have used the strategy or information taught. The gradual release
of responsibility from teacher to student is critical to student
learning.
Ongoing assessment is essential in helping us determine what our
students can do independently (ZAD) and what they can do only with
the assistance of one with greater expertise (ZPD). The data will
support appropriate differentiated instruction and lead students
to higher learning and achievement.
Reference
Wilhelm, J. 2001. Improving Comprehension with Think-Aloud
Strategies. New York:
Scholastic.
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Theresa. |