In this method, teachers and students collaborate in learning and practicing
four key skills: summarizing, questioning, clarifying, and predicting. The
teacher's role in the process is reduced over time.
social interaction
Vygotsky believes social
interaction is key in cognitive
development
group work is highly important as peers can be
seen as more knowledgable others (not only teachers)
scaffolding
teachers need to scaffold the child's learning according to Vygotsky
If you’re using scaffolding techniques, don’t jump in right away and start
offering advice. Let each student work on their own first. When they begin
to struggle, first start by asking them questions about what they’ve done
and what they think they should do next.
As much as possible, ask open-ended questions that encourage them to find a solution on their own,
as opposed to just telling them the next step.
Having students discuss their thought process is one of the best ways to figure out where their
current skills are (and thus determine their ZPD) and make sure they’re actively learning.
When you give advice, make sure you also explain your own thought process so students can
understand why you’re making the decisions you did.
Before you begin a lesson with ZPD or Vygotsky scaffolding, find their
baseline knowledge by giving a short quiz or having an introductory
discussion on the topic where you ask students questions to figure out
what they already know.
If a class has widely varying ZPDs for a specific topic, it can
be more effective to have them work in groups or
individually while you walk around the classroom and
provide guidance so that you can tailor your techniques to
each student’s ZPD.