Discovering my Zone of Proximal Development (Thanks, Vygotsky)

 

My foray into the blog world has been a series of triumphs. So far, I've created a blog, learned to post pictures and images on a hosting site, created my own blog button, and used a third-party free site to host a giveaway on my blog. Even figured out what the "currently" thing is all about. I'm pretty darn proud.

As good teachers though, we all know there's always a lesson beyond the obvious, some subtle subtext that links the plot to a greater theme. Beyond making me feel super-uber techy, creating a blog has allowed me to feel the accomplishment that comes from learning something new, sticking with it, and creating a final product. I hate to admit it, but I'm the queen of unfinishing projects: a cute little crochet shirt that only has a front panel done, the pile of clothes that could give my lonely sewing machine some company, the recipe book turned to the most delicious looking chocolate cookies you've ever seen. Finally, I finished something!

But what was different? Knowing I want my blog to evolve into a resource space for the teachers, students, and parents I'll be serving as a reading specialist gave me a greater and long-term purpose. As I worked on each piece, it was still a finished product. But most of all, my little bit of technology savvy made me feel like I could handle this (I'm way better on the computer than on the sewing machine!). In edu-speak, this was really in my ZPD!

When I learned to crochet, I got a quick lesson from my mom, read a book, and then had a lot of failed attempts. Eventually, I put it away. Then I took a class where we worked step by step through various stitches and patterns. When I ran into a problem or something started to look funky, I could turn to the instructor and say, "I think I did something wrong. But I'm not sure what." And she would teach me how to fix it. Unlike using technology and creating this blog, I didn't have enough experience to problem-solve on my own.

Whether we're introducing something new or asking students to practice a familiar skill, it's important to think about the extent to which they can problem solve on their own when they get into a difficult place. Even though I feel more frustration when I'm crocheting, having a finish product makes the struggle of crochet as rewarding as the ease of the blog. Working in my ZPD just makes me want to blog a little bit more than I want to crochet.

How do ensure students are working towards a final product and not just practicing? How do you structure students' work so they can triumph in their ZPD? Let us know!