2. Lev Vygotsky introduced the social aspect of learning into
constructivism. He defined the ZONE OF PROXIMAL DEVELOPMENT.
3. WHAT IS ZONE OF PROXIMAL DEVELOPMENT? Vygotsky describes the
Zone of Proximal Development as: the distance between the actual
development level as determined by independent problem solving and
the level of potential development as determined through problem
solving under adult guidance or collaboration with more capable
peers.
4. A B
5. The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) bridges the gap
between what is known (result) and what can be known (process).
Vygotsky claimed that learning occurred in the zone of what can be
known. Vygotsky stated that a student is able to perform certain
tasks better under adult guidance or with peer collaboration than
what could be achieved alone.
6. How Does the ZONE OF PROXIMAL DEVELOPMENT (ZPD) Apply SL/FL
Teaching? The Second Language (SL) classroom is an excellent
environment in which to apply the Zone of Proximal Development
theory. The initial step in Vygotskys theory is that having a
student work with a more capable peer is an essential part of the
process.
7. You might look at it as a spiral. When students continuously
reflect on their experiences, students find their ideas gaining in
complexity and power, and they develop increasingly strong
abilities to integrate new information.
8. Vygotsky believed that, what a child (or learner) is able to
do in collaboration today, he/she will be able to do independently
tomorrow.
9. Constructivism is basically a theory based on observation
and scientific study about how people learn. It says that people
construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world,
through experiencing things and reflecting on those
experiences.
10. Constructivist teachers encourage students to constantly
assess how the activity is helping them gain understanding and
knowledge. By questioning themselves and their strategies, the
students in the constructivist classroom ideally become expert
learners. With a well-planned classroom environment, the students
learn HOW TO LEARN.
11. SEVERAL GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF CONSTRUCTIVISM:
Constructivism is a philosophy of learning founded on the idea
that, by reflecting on our experiences, we construct our own
understanding of the world we live in. Each of us creates our own
rules and mental models, which we use to make sense of our
experiences. Learning, therefore, is simply the process of
adjusting our mental models to accommodate new experiences.
12. As teachers, in order to teach well, we must know the
mental models that students use to perceive the understanding and
knowledge. The purpose of learning is for a student to construct
his or her own meaning, not just memorize the right answers and
ignore someone elses meaning. Since education is an
interdisciplinary (involving two or more different subjects or
areas of knowledge), the only valuable way to measure learning is
to make the assessment a part of the learning process, ensuring it
provides students with information on the quality of their
learning.
