While in college we read about Vygotsky and his Zone of Proximal Development. At the time I had no connection to seeing this in real life. However, now as a teacher, I am able to see this zone. There is always a gap between actual development and potential developmental level. As teachers it is our goal to lessen that gap and help our students reach their potential.
As much as a love a quiet classroom of students diligently working, I have realized that it is so important that students communicate in order for them to develop not only socially, but academically as well. I know that I sometimes need to talk through ideas with a peer, so I allow my students to do the same. As Vygotsky declared, we cannot learn without social interaction. Language is a critical part in the formation of thoughts. Allowing students to work together and talk through ideas or questions helps them develop and move toward their potential developmental level.
I always knew that we learned from things around us, yet I did not know what a large impact it had on cognitive development. Children need to be situated in a culture to learn. They grow into the intellectual life of those around them. Just like we begin to wear clothes or eat foods like the people around us, we also begin to learn and interpret information like the people around us! Students learn best when tools, culture, and activity are integrated into their learning experience.
Most importantly, let students PLAY! Play is a form of learning, it may not teach them social studies facts, but it will allow them to grow and develop in other ways that will in turn help them show more of their potential cognitive ability.
I am thinking of your remark of letting the students play - I am going to equate that also to explore. This year I am doing what I call STEAM centers. I FINALLY have 5 ipads for my library. This is not very many but is a lot when before I had ZERO! So I have created both low tech an high tech centers. I got full support from my admin team to just let the kids play and explore the centers. We just finished our last rotation having all the grade levels 1-5 finish the stations. I was almost happy crying with all the excitement and chatter that went with watching them interact, create and explore. I believe they need this time to just create and realize there is no right or wrong answer just possible solutions whether they are using KEVA planks or coding a robot. It has been the best week and a win for everyone!
ReplyDeleteHi Jordyn,
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this book I too think children need PLAY and also to communicate with each other. I do a pretty good job with the communication piece in my classroom. There is always so much to get done even in second grade. Two boys ask me almost every day since the first day of school if they can play with the leggos so I used this as an incentive for filling the marble jar this week. They earn marbles as a whole group for warm fuzzies (doing good things for others, following our character traits,etc.) when the marble jar is full they get a class reward so this week we had Fun Friday afternoon where they chose games and played with legos. Most of the students played with legos and created some pretty impressive things. They communicated while building their creative pieces. I was impressed and they were happy. We need more play in our day. :)
I'm moving with you towards to idea of having students talk more. I've done the traditional turn and talk giving them guidance as to what to discuss. I always have trouble with them furthering the conversation themselves. I'm trying something new this year (though I haven't gotten my act together yet)...I bought clear stand-up document holders for each of my table groups. I plan to type of more questions that guide them to further their conversations. I've thought about changing the questions obviously for when I have social studies to when I teach reading. I'm hoping the large VISUAL ON THE TABLE will remind them and me as to what should be happening when I ask them to turn and talk.
ReplyDeleteI am a math teacher, but ultimately, I am a Spanish teacher (I am in a Spanish immersion school). Our principal and our math coaches LOVE noisy classrooms because they mean that the kids are talking, something they do not get to do. The key to Vygotsky was language and culture, and at the end, play to construct symbolic meaning.
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