STUDY QUESTION: If you exercise this “art of scaffolding,” how do you need to change your educational practice? What serves as challenges, and what does it take to overcome the challenges?
First, I need to see myself as a facilitator, not a controller. Instead of an authoritative way of teaching in the front, I should be more approachable by their side. My role is to maximize students’ zone of proximal development. My goal is to assist their learning process till they can do it independently. I think the challenging part is to know the right time to put the scaffold and the right time to remove the scaffold. I have to find the balance to avoid students relying on scaffolding without even trying and those who try too hard to get frustrated without assistance. If I put efforts to plan lessons delicately, to the extent that students are unconsciously been guided to complete a task that is above their actual level, this will help students construct new knowledge with enough self-autonomy. To modify the metaphor of scaffolding, I think the ultimate art of scaffolding is to make it invisible all through the process.
What gaps are there between learning activities in your classrooms and real life activities in society? What should educators do to help students overcome the gaps? In the ESOL classroom, it seems like it could be easy to make many of the activities meaningful to the students and relevant to their lives within society. For instance, I can use all types of authentic materials (news articles, TV shows, movies, advertisements, magazine articles, tangible items). I can also give students opportunities to practice the types of interactions that they might have outside of class-ordering at a restaurant, going to the doctor, filing a police report, writing a college essay, etc. Yet what is more difficult to create is the sense of urgency or necessity that comes from real-life interactions. Students may realize that the information is relevant and agree that this will help them outside of the classroom, but they may also be tired or thinking about all of the other things that they have to do that day. For me, the challenge is making the “real” activities actually feel real, in the sense that they have no choice but to utilize their knowledge and mental processes to solve the problem. Perhaps I could have students record real conversations that they have had and bring those into the classroom so that the class can work together to decide what went well, where a communicative breakdown might have occurred, and how to address that in the future. Or if a student is anticipating a specific interaction with somebody, we can discuss it as a class and decide the best language to use in that situation. Another option would be to bring in guest speakers to talk about certain topics, so that students feel that rush of the unexpected. They may also be more concerned with utilizing their skills with a stranger than with a familiar teacher and classmates. I also think that presentations work well, as it can create the mild anxiety necessary to focus students’ attention on the task and the language they will use to accomplish it.
How could you create a community of practice with your colleagues at your school? What does it take to lead an attempt successfully?
I could create a community of practice in a school by encouraging teachers to meet regularly to discuss topics that are inherent to the act of teaching, such as: curriculum content, projects and activities, textbooks and supplemental materials used, strategies and methods applied, forms of assessment, and others. However, in my experience, the most relevant factors to be discussed and shared within a teaching community of practice are: classroom management procedures relative to behavior and real classroom situations that challenge teachers in terms of content and student performance and possible solutions for such issues. Because the act of teaching is necessarily dynamic and to a certain extent also encompasses a dose of unpredictability, I believe that the exchange of experiences, perspectives and solutions helps teachers build their set of tools to be used in their educational practice. I can see community of practice among teachers as being legitimately beneficial and useful as it fosters not only mutual learning and the enhancement of a climate of camaraderie among its members, but also promotes the dissemination of knowledge by balancing and connecting both theoretical and practical information. One could also mention some concepts that may complement the idea of a community of practice in terms of social/professional interaction and compare it to social-constructivism and ZPD theories posed by Vygotsky. The first one considers that the learning process and knowledge- building occur through the exchange and internalization of different perspectives among members of a community, and the second poses the importance of scaffolding and modeling. John Dewey also acknowledged communication as the essence of education and his central ideas emphasize the importance of social networks and connections – although the aforementioned thoughts relate mostly to children and young adults, I think that the main considerations can be transposed to the teaching function and the academic community as well, by way of, among other things, communities of practice.
A successful attempt at the idea would, for openers, demand enthusiasm and an initiative on the part of a student or a group of students, or a teacher or a group of teachers. Once the idea of a community of practice is accepted, or even partially accepted, then I think the dynamics will take care of the rest. Easier said than done, perhaps, but I see no practical alternative to just getting started and more or less setting the direction and moving ahead with the idea that a common concerted effort will ultimately be more successful than if each individual tries to go for it alone.
What gaps are there between learning activities in your classrooms and real life activities in society? What should teachers do to help students overcome the gaps? There are gaps between the activities performed by students in the classroom and the same activities performed by the students in real life. I think in all language classrooms, the students start to learn interactions by following textbook dialogues between people. Almost all of these are supposed to imitate real-life yet, they are still using very formal, academic language. In many cases, these dialogues do not reflect the language being spoken every day. When I first went to France, I thought I was completely prepared, but I soon realized that the French language I had been taught was not that of what the people were using in their day-to-day life. I was speaking in a very formal matter and elongating sentences that could be said much more quickly and effectively. I think as teachers, it is important to teach students these ways of speaking but it is also important to show them what the situation will sound like in real time. By learning the formal more and more academic way of speaking, this can help students understand where the language heard by the people comes from. As a teacher, I want my students to learn and have the ability to use the most effective language possible, but in reality circumstances will change and people will ask or say things in different way, so it is important that I prepare my students for these situations. Helping students to learn that there are different ways of saying things and in different tones and matters. One way teachers can go about this is through Experiential Learning, and having students in real life situations and learning on the spot. While all gaps cannot be filled, we can certainly help prepare students to navigate through them.
Q: If our knowledge is embedded in a certain culture, how is it possible for us to be critical about it and go beyond the range defined by the culture, especially if things do not seem to be going well?
R: I think we've taken the first step: We have read about this as a potential hazard. The recognition that this should be a concern -- raising awareness in our minds -- is important in transcending cultural barriers.
I wonder how important distance is in going beyond our cultural ruts. Our program requires an international experience, and in this class we are getting exposure to the Eastern espstimology. It seems that recognition of other cultures -- other ways -- which have desireable characteristics would open our eyes to change.
A third aspect is more individual, I think. Even with the awareness and motivation, there still needs to be the individual fortitude to make the change. Maybe this has the same flavor as "creativity" or "innovation". This is "thinking outside the box" to reach beyond ones own cultural norms and embrace a broader perspective.
Finally, it seems to me that when we talk about going beyond our cultural limits that we put "culture" in a negative light. I don't think it needs to be that way. Relating to the earlier sections in the chapter, maybe we can think of our culture as scaffolding. It provides a familiar framework in which we can grow our views and talents, but eventually we outgrow it.
What role do culturally originated activities play in your educational practice? In what forms and conditions does it influence the ways students learn?
In my classroom sometimes I introduce US cultural material, or bilingual texts. Cultural texts may be about American tradition, or media. Or, I may use bilingual poems to prompt discussions. In using cultural materials like these I must understand that different cultures has different interpretation of certain cultural topics. I must not judge or think that US way is the only way. However, this is hard to understand unless I research or get the student`s opinion. There are different cultural norms, and what is normal or acceptable in one culture may not be in another. So, cultural materials serve as an opportunity to get to know another culture, and become reflective of your own. It is a great way to get to know a student`s inclination through discussing differences in cultures. I have a feeling that US ESL students encounter cultural differences in everyday life. Personally I know that some cultural differences may be uncomfortable, or enjoyable. Especially if a student is new to US they may need help adjusting. At first it might be reassuring that students have somewhere to learn about these cultures, and understand them through a critical lense.
Study Question: If our knowledge is embedded in a certain culture, how is it possible for us to be critical about it and go beyond the range defined by the culture, especially if things do not seem to be going well?
I have attended catholic / private school my entire life. My culture as a student and my understanding of student-teacher relationships was this narrow-minded, one type of outlook, type of way. I had this imagine in my head, that the teacher was the teacher and the student was the student. That they did not connect past the content that was being taught. Meaning that you did not go to a teacher to tell them about your day or problems. I had this idea of what that relationship should look like and then I started teaching in the public school system. Once I was put into the public school system everything had changed. Students wanted to talk to me about their lives and what was happening beyond the classroom. They wanted to hang out with me during lunch and talk. It was weird and it made me feel uncomfortable at first. I did not know how to react and I was unsure of what I should do. Should I talk to them about their personal lives? Should I let them hang out in my classroom during lunch, instead of making them go to the lunchroom? I never wanted to do any of those things with my teachers, because my teachers were always so distant with me. Not saying that I didn’t have a great education, but I always felt that I could have gotten something more. When my role shifted to teacher, I decided to try something new. I allowed the students to hang out in my classroom and I spoke with them. I realize how much that could enhance the classroom dynamics. I realized how much that could improve their motivation. Students knew when they could consider me a friend and when I was their teacher. It was this comfortable environment that essentially went against everything that I knew. Although, it did take me a while to fully become comfortable and to shift, I realized it was a necessity. I think as educators’ change is vital to connecting with students. We have to be willing to take what we know and sometimes allow it to be altered. If things aren’t working in the classroom, we have to find ways to make them work. For me, setting a boundary of friendship was what made it work.
Study Question: How could you create a community of practice with your colleagues at your school? What does it take to lead an attempt successfully?
I believe the best way to create a community of practice with collogues is to have them attend meetings that meet regularly and where the agenda is explicitly known. Meetings offer away for teachers to collaborate ideas, share personal experiences and resources, discuss how to effectively handle students’ behaviors, to present problem and come to solutions, and to know what is happening in other classrooms. This can only be effective if there is a clear goal or reason for why teachers are using time that to some can be spent wither at home or doing something else. This requires a clear agenda when the idea is presented to other teachers, being committed to attend every meeting and contribute, and share leadership roles or run democratically. It also means setting aside pride, being pleasant to everyone (but not a push over), and caring about the needs of not just ourselves but our colleagues. This might mean being kind and respectful to a teacher that has not come to any of the meeting. I also think it would help is teacher meet outside of schools to either get coffee or lunch together. If our students see us modeling what we want them to do I believe they will be more likely emulate.
STUDY QUESTION: If you exercise this “art of scaffolding,” how do you need to change your educational practice? What serves as challenges, and what does it take to overcome the challenges?
ReplyDeleteFirst, I need to see myself as a facilitator, not a controller. Instead of an authoritative way of teaching in the front, I should be more approachable by their side. My role is to maximize students’ zone of proximal development. My goal is to assist their learning process till they can do it independently. I think the challenging part is to know the right time to put the scaffold and the right time to remove the scaffold. I have to find the balance to avoid students relying on scaffolding without even trying and those who try too hard to get frustrated without assistance. If I put efforts to plan lessons delicately, to the extent that students are unconsciously been guided to complete a task that is above their actual level, this will help students construct new knowledge with enough self-autonomy. To modify the metaphor of scaffolding, I think the ultimate art of scaffolding is to make it invisible all through the process.
What gaps are there between learning activities in your classrooms and real life activities in society? What should educators do to help students overcome the gaps?
ReplyDeleteIn the ESOL classroom, it seems like it could be easy to make many of the activities meaningful to the students and relevant to their lives within society. For instance, I can use all types of authentic materials (news articles, TV shows, movies, advertisements, magazine articles, tangible items). I can also give students opportunities to practice the types of interactions that they might have outside of class-ordering at a restaurant, going to the doctor, filing a police report, writing a college essay, etc. Yet what is more difficult to create is the sense of urgency or necessity that comes from real-life interactions. Students may realize that the information is relevant and agree that this will help them outside of the classroom, but they may also be tired or thinking about all of the other things that they have to do that day. For me, the challenge is making the “real” activities actually feel real, in the sense that they have no choice but to utilize their knowledge and mental processes to solve the problem. Perhaps I could have students record real conversations that they have had and bring those into the classroom so that the class can work together to decide what went well, where a communicative breakdown might have occurred, and how to address that in the future. Or if a student is anticipating a specific interaction with somebody, we can discuss it as a class and decide the best language to use in that situation. Another option would be to bring in guest speakers to talk about certain topics, so that students feel that rush of the unexpected. They may also be more concerned with utilizing their skills with a stranger than with a familiar teacher and classmates. I also think that presentations work well, as it can create the mild anxiety necessary to focus students’ attention on the task and the language they will use to accomplish it.
How could you create a community of practice with your colleagues at your school? What does it take to lead an attempt successfully?
ReplyDeleteI could create a community of practice in a school by encouraging teachers to meet regularly to discuss topics that are inherent to the act of teaching, such as: curriculum content, projects and activities, textbooks and supplemental materials used, strategies and methods applied, forms of assessment, and others. However, in my experience, the most relevant factors to be discussed and shared within a teaching community of practice are: classroom management procedures relative to behavior and real classroom situations that challenge teachers in terms of content and student performance and possible solutions for such issues. Because the act of teaching is necessarily dynamic and to a certain extent also encompasses a dose of unpredictability, I believe that the exchange of experiences, perspectives and solutions helps teachers build their set of tools to be used in their educational practice. I can see community of practice among teachers as being legitimately beneficial and useful as it fosters not only mutual learning and the enhancement of a climate of camaraderie among its members, but also promotes the dissemination of knowledge by balancing and connecting both theoretical and practical information. One could also mention some concepts that may complement the idea of a community of practice in terms of social/professional interaction and compare it to social-constructivism and ZPD theories posed by Vygotsky. The first one considers that the learning process and knowledge- building occur through the exchange and internalization of different perspectives among members of a community, and the second poses the importance of scaffolding and modeling. John Dewey also acknowledged communication as the essence of education and his central ideas emphasize the importance of social networks and connections – although the aforementioned thoughts relate mostly to children and young adults, I think that the main considerations can be transposed to the teaching function and the academic community as well, by way of, among other things, communities of practice.
A successful attempt at the idea would, for openers, demand enthusiasm and an initiative on the part of a student or a group of students, or a teacher or a group of teachers. Once the idea of a community of practice is accepted, or even partially accepted, then I think the dynamics will take care of the rest. Easier said than done, perhaps, but I see no practical alternative to just getting started and more or less setting the direction and moving ahead with the idea that a common concerted effort will ultimately be more successful than if each individual tries to go for it alone.
What gaps are there between learning activities in your classrooms and real life activities in society? What should teachers do to help students overcome the gaps?
ReplyDeleteThere are gaps between the activities performed by students in the classroom and the same activities performed by the students in real life. I think in all language classrooms, the students start to learn interactions by following textbook dialogues between people. Almost all of these are supposed to imitate real-life yet, they are still using very formal, academic language. In many cases, these dialogues do not reflect the language being spoken every day. When I first went to France, I thought I was completely prepared, but I soon realized that the French language I had been taught was not that of what the people were using in their day-to-day life. I was speaking in a very formal matter and elongating sentences that could be said much more quickly and effectively. I think as teachers, it is important to teach students these ways of speaking but it is also important to show them what the situation will sound like in real time. By learning the formal more and more academic way of speaking, this can help students understand where the language heard by the people comes from. As a teacher, I want my students to learn and have the ability to use the most effective language possible, but in reality circumstances will change and people will ask or say things in different way, so it is important that I prepare my students for these situations. Helping students to learn that there are different ways of saying things and in different tones and matters. One way teachers can go about this is through Experiential Learning, and having students in real life situations and learning on the spot. While all gaps cannot be filled, we can certainly help prepare students to navigate through them.
Q: If our knowledge is embedded in a certain culture, how is it possible for us to be critical about it and go beyond the range defined by the culture, especially if things do not seem to be going well?
ReplyDeleteR: I think we've taken the first step: We have read about this as a potential hazard. The recognition that this should be a concern -- raising awareness in our minds -- is important in transcending cultural barriers.
I wonder how important distance is in going beyond our cultural ruts. Our program requires an international experience, and in this class we are getting exposure to the Eastern espstimology. It seems that recognition of other cultures -- other ways -- which have desireable characteristics would open our eyes to change.
A third aspect is more individual, I think. Even with the awareness and motivation, there still needs to be the individual fortitude to make the change. Maybe this has the same flavor as "creativity" or "innovation". This is "thinking outside the box" to reach beyond ones own cultural norms and embrace a broader perspective.
Finally, it seems to me that when we talk about going beyond our cultural limits that we put "culture" in a negative light. I don't think it needs to be that way. Relating to the earlier sections in the chapter, maybe we can think of our culture as scaffolding. It provides a familiar framework in which we can grow our views and talents, but eventually we outgrow it.
Culture as scaffolding....yeah, I like that.
KAT
What role do culturally originated activities play in your educational practice? In what forms and conditions does it influence the ways students learn?
ReplyDeleteIn my classroom sometimes I introduce US cultural material, or bilingual texts. Cultural texts may be about American tradition, or media. Or, I may use bilingual poems to prompt discussions. In using cultural materials like these I must understand that different cultures has different interpretation of certain cultural topics. I must not judge or think that US way is the only way. However, this is hard to understand unless I research or get the student`s opinion. There are different cultural norms, and what is normal or acceptable in one culture may not be in another. So, cultural materials serve as an opportunity to get to know another culture, and become reflective of your own. It is a great way to get to know a student`s inclination through discussing differences in cultures. I have a feeling that US ESL students encounter cultural differences in everyday life. Personally I know that some cultural differences may be uncomfortable, or enjoyable. Especially if a student is new to US they may need help adjusting. At first it might be reassuring that students have somewhere to learn about these cultures, and understand them through a critical lense.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteStudy Question: If our knowledge is embedded in a certain culture, how is it possible for us to be critical about it and go beyond the range defined by the culture, especially if things do not seem to be going well?
ReplyDeleteI have attended catholic / private school my entire life. My culture as a student and my understanding of student-teacher relationships was this narrow-minded, one type of outlook, type of way. I had this imagine in my head, that the teacher was the teacher and the student was the student. That they did not connect past the content that was being taught. Meaning that you did not go to a teacher to tell them about your day or problems. I had this idea of what that relationship should look like and then I started teaching in the public school system. Once I was put into the public school system everything had changed. Students wanted to talk to me about their lives and what was happening beyond the classroom. They wanted to hang out with me during lunch and talk. It was weird and it made me feel uncomfortable at first. I did not know how to react and I was unsure of what I should do. Should I talk to them about their personal lives? Should I let them hang out in my classroom during lunch, instead of making them go to the lunchroom? I never wanted to do any of those things with my teachers, because my teachers were always so distant with me. Not saying that I didn’t have a great education, but I always felt that I could have gotten something more. When my role shifted to teacher, I decided to try something new. I allowed the students to hang out in my classroom and I spoke with them. I realize how much that could enhance the classroom dynamics. I realized how much that could improve their motivation. Students knew when they could consider me a friend and when I was their teacher. It was this comfortable environment that essentially went against everything that I knew. Although, it did take me a while to fully become comfortable and to shift, I realized it was a necessity. I think as educators’ change is vital to connecting with students. We have to be willing to take what we know and sometimes allow it to be altered. If things aren’t working in the classroom, we have to find ways to make them work. For me, setting a boundary of friendship was what made it work.
Study Question: How could you create a community of practice with your colleagues at your school? What does it take to lead an attempt successfully?
ReplyDeleteI believe the best way to create a community of practice with collogues is to have them attend meetings that meet regularly and where the agenda is explicitly known. Meetings offer away for teachers to collaborate ideas, share personal experiences and resources, discuss how to effectively handle students’ behaviors, to present problem and come to solutions, and to know what is happening in other classrooms. This can only be effective if there is a clear goal or reason for why teachers are using time that to some can be spent wither at home or doing something else. This requires a clear agenda when the idea is presented to other teachers, being committed to attend every meeting and contribute, and share leadership roles or run democratically. It also means setting aside pride, being pleasant to everyone (but not a push over), and caring about the needs of not just ourselves but our colleagues. This might mean being kind and respectful to a teacher that has not come to any of the meeting. I also think it would help is teacher meet outside of schools to either get coffee or lunch together. If our students see us modeling what we want them to do I believe they will be more likely emulate.