Scaffolding

Vygotsky defined scaffolding instruction as the “role of teachers and others in supporting the learner’s development and providing support structures to get to that next stage or level”

In scaffolding a more knowledgeable person helps individual learners by providing them with the support they would need to move forward to  complete a task. The role of the expert is that of a guide who shows the path  to take the learners to the final destination. Some of the key elements of scaffolded instruction should be :

• to have common goal
• ongoing diagnosis and support
• dialogues nad interactions
• fading and transfering of responsibility.

Scaffolding helps to motivate or enlist the child's intert related to the task. It helps in breaking and making the task more manageable and achievable for the learners. providing them instructions and reducing the pressure and frustration.

One of the key features of scaffolding is that it is temporary and fades away when the task is achieved.

Differentiation: Past and Future

Differentiation is understanding that every learner a differnt background of knowledge and experience, interest and readiness, and reacts differently. some students display gifted characteristics and have unique learning style.
While the content to be taught remains the same, the approaches to it differ and vary according to the learners' need.
I have been using various strategies for differentiation in the classroom. Word limit, listing the key words instead of a writing a paragraph,  drawing mind maps, being the expert, teaching the whole class, effective questioning,worksheets etc, etc......
I would like to try more active learning strategies such as group work, pair work and tiered assignments.
These may differ as per the learners need and interest. Reserach and mini presentations might also help the gifted learners.

One of the beauties of life is that it always moves forward….

However, if it ever gave me a chance to go back and change something………………..….Ah! my list would have gone on and on and on, but  for now as the question demands and I would go off the purpose if I don’t say this, I would like to  change something in module 1 of CICT’s tasks and activities,

 I would change and take up effective questioning task again as I feel it is a very effective tool for active learning and ensures the participation of all levels of learners and being pressed against time I wasn’t able to take it up efficaciously.

 The training sessions conducted by Mr. Rohan Roberts have brought about a paradigm shift in everyone’s thinking process and has led each one of us to retrospect and analyse how much and how effectively are we drawing from the immense wealth of knowledge which we were all oblivious too.

Furthermore, it has helped us enhance our teaching processes and value the effective learning tools that we took quite lightly.




    What Would I like to do in Future Training Sessions?

As far as  the question of what would I like to do in the future training sessions us concerned, I think that the interactive sessions conducted are something that all of us look forward to, hence I would like to continue with the same momentum and grow personally and professionally.

The various teaching and learning tools learned during the training session are very effective and when used during the classes prove to be very strong motivators in active learning. I would like to learn more such active learning practical tools and use them in my teaching. Also, I would like to focus on various ICT tools which will enable me to get more and more students involved in the learning process and make learning fun.