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Learning is an ongoing process in which we move from what is known to that which is new. Thinking of this process linearly, on one extreme would be things that you know so well you take them for granted: tying your shoes, zipping a coat, or where the light switches are in your home. .. On the other extreme , are concepts new to us which that are beyond our capability to learn or even so new that we are unaware of our own ignorance: quantum physics for example. Somewhere in the middle is where your current learning takes place.
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Scaffolding is the act of a More Knowledgeable Other to provide providing support for learners to move beyond their current, or actual, knowledge , to help them maximize their learning potential.
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- Break complex ideas into sub-tasks
- Modeling thinking or a process for students (e.g., I do, you do, we do)
- Activating students' prior knowledge - using ideas that are already known to students in order to help them make meaning of new ideas
- Provide graphic organizers or ways to help students organize their thinking as they process concepts.
- Provide guiding questions for a discussion.
- Provide a list of vocabulary that students should use during a discussion to help deepen their knowledge and incorporate new concepts into their working vocabulary.
Just as in In construction, once the building is complete the scaffolding is removed. Similarly, when learners have mastered a concept, the supports that were in place can be removed. As the ZPD moves higher, scaffolding can be removed from what is now known and applied to the new and more challenging material. Knowing when to add and remove scaffolding is part of the art of teaching, especially when students in the class learn at varying paces. But if good assessments are in place, then you will have good data in hand to help inform your scaffolding choices.