Today I spent much of the afternoon reading about Vygotsky and the Zone of Proximal Development. I have heard about ZPD many times, but not through the lense of Vygotsky’s theory. I was overwhelmed by the vocabulary and knowledge; having to read the same paragraph over and over again to grasp some kind of understanding. I was curious as to how I had been interpreting this idea in my own classroom. Was I unknowingly seeking out and giving instruction/support at “just the right time”? The idea of supporting students at this optimal ZPD made me think of scaffolding in particular. Perhaps also, because I was intending to scaffold student learning when teaching storytelling for my Field Study. At this point, I believe that I am using the term “scaffolding” quite loosely when approaching the lesson planning. I am interested in developing a more articulated view of scaffolding and how it connects with Vygotsky’s theory of ZPD. I am curious if/how the two ideas overlap and whether the answer will bring clarity to my teaching of storytelling to my students.
Reference: Chaikin,S. The Zone of Proximal Development in Vygotsky’s Analysis of Learning and Instruction. In A.Kozulin, B.Gindis, V.S.Ageyev, S.M.Miller (Eds.), Vygotsky’s Educational Theory in Cultural Context. New York: Cambridge University Press.