Scaffolding to Bridge the Gap

From www.cbsrentals.ca

In our social studies class, our professor has introduced us to a very common scaffolding strategy - breaking down an assignment in chunks, giving us a deadline to complete each one.  The idea here is to get us to complete our assignment in steps, while giving us meaningful feedback along the way.

Scaffolding is an old concept that originates from Lev Vygotsky's 'zone of proximal development' (ZPD) theory (ASCD, 2010).  ZPD "is the difference between what a learner can do without help and what he or she can do with help" (Innovative Learning, 2011).  In other words, teachers will scaffold in order to guide students toward reaching the next level up in their understanding of a concept.  It is a temporary strategy that is gradually lessened as students master the new learning level.

Thus, in order to successfully scaffold a student, a teacher must know where a student is in their learning and understanding.  This can be assessed through questioning, and other formative evaluation strategies.  From there, it becomes just a matter of knowing effective scaffolding methods to get students to reach their next level of learning.  Five (5) great scaffolding strategies are presented here:

1.  Always Demonstrate:  Many learners are mostly visual and tend to prefer seeing what they have to do instead of trying to figure it out on their own, with written instruction.  I am one of these students.  I find that modeling is a critical scaffolding strategy that should be used as often as possible, no matter what.  It is a wonderful way to show students exactly what is expected of them. (Alber, 2011).   This strategy involves showing how to complete an assignment (or lab) and the use of Examplars, an example of the final product sought.

When a project or assignment is assigned to students, share an exemplar with them so they know exactly what your level of expectation is.  Have the rubric that will be used to assess their work handy, and go over the rubric with them while evaluating the exemplar.  This also provides a great opportunity for students to ask questions for further clarification of the assignment.  (Alber, 2011)

2.  Daily Discussions:  Ever heard of the expression "Two heads are better than one"?  Discussions can be viewed in this way, in terms of scaffolding strategy.  It encourages students to engage in whole class and or small group discussions in order to deepen their understand of the concept being explored.  It gives them the opportunity to connect ideas to see the bigger picture as well as relate what is being learned to previous experiences and knowledge (Alber, 2011).  It can also be used by way of debates, think/pair/share, triad teams and more (Alber, 2011).  Daily discussions should be part of the every day lesson and thus, it is imperative that teachers put the extra effort to ensure students feel safe to share in the classroom.

3.  Visual Aids:  Graphic organizers have been repeatedly used by teachers as an aid in learning for students with special needs, such as English Learners and children with exceptionalities.  But it is important to note that they can be just as useful for other strong students as well.  The main purpose of using visual aids is to help students organize their thoughts to further understand the concept being taught.  Graphic organizers can be used by teachers during the course of a lesson, or they can be used by students during the course of study.  There are various websites online that offer graphic organizer templates, which any teacher can use (TeachingHistory.org).

4.  Effective Questions:  Coupled with daily discussions, asking effective questions can deepen thought and improve understanding of a lesson.  As stated by Rebecca Alber (2011), there are certain types of questions you should aim for:  specific, guiding, and open-ended.  Additionally, it is crucial to allow students enough time to think about the question prior giving an answer.  Read All Teachers Should Ask Good Questions for details on how to create effective questions.

5.  Small Group Work:  Small (3-4 students) group work leads to collaborative learning, which is again, extremely important for students to increase their levels of understanding.  Not only that, it also gets them to refine their social skills, such as negotiation, conflict resolution, communication, and listening skills (Alber, 2012).  I personally really like to incorporate group work as much as I can, because I believe in community-based learning.

What is your favourite scaffolding method both as a teacher and a student?