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Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development and Optimal Mismatch

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 The role of Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal development in children’s acquisition of new skills is supported by scaffolding from the instructor constructing knowledge based on current schemas. The teacher’s role is to “boost” students into the next level of learning ((Joyce et al., 2003). According to Joyce et al. (2003) if students become matched to the developmental level of the learners, they may become content in that level and remain there. This limits the ability for students to move beyond concrete thinking and stalls the progress into conceptual understanding. Joyce et al. (2003) explains that deliberately mismatched student and environmental conditions hinder the maintenance  of familiar patterns to encourage growth to more complex comprehension. This process is considered “optimal mismatch” (Joyce et al., 2003).  This is a significant consideration in developing conceptual understanding in science concepts. In science we cannot look at scientific explanations as “black and white
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Differentiating Explicit Instruction and Direct Instruction / Teaching in the Web 2.0 Era

Differentiating Explicit Instruction and Direct Instruction The difference between explicit instruction and direct instruction involves the instructional strategies and how mastery of concepts is determined in learners. The role of the educator in instruction and how content is delivered are addressed in discussing these instructional methods.  In explicit instruction, learning strategies are modeled, explained, and applied through practice (Joyce et al., 2003). This method of instruction follows a more holistic model and is more focused for Tier 2 Response to Interventions (RTI). These comprehension skills resist segmentation and operate as a whole. According to Joyce et al. (2003) the learner acquires skills by degrees as opposed to assembling them from subskills. The teacher models during the instructional process by demonstrating skills as opposed to telling students what to do.  In explicit instruction of comprehension, meta-cognition in which students are able to think about what
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Experiences with Informational Communication Technologies and How Experiences with Distance Learning Have Made System Issues Evident

  Since the global pandemic, the need to adapt with technology happened seemingly overnight as brick-and-mortar buildings shut down and restrictions of quarantine required swift adjustments to instructional delivery. In my own classroom, I have used learning management systems to deliver instruction to absent students, but only in a shallow presence by posting in class worksheets online. Then when the pandemic happened, it became imperative to ensure that students could still be successful when out for weeks at a time. The learning management system used the most has been google classroom. I posted videos, interactive assignments, worksheets, and discussion boards online. Zoom meetings were utilized to supplement where face-to-face learning takes place with instructional videos providing direct instruction.  The advantages to distance learning are that there is more access to learning materials and students have the opportunity to stay caught up on work when gone. However, even though
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An Analysis of Group Projects and Role Playing in Developing Social Skills in Science Education

 A Reflection on the Experiences and Applications of Group Projects In my own previous experiences with group projects, I have had both positive and negative results. In the negative experiences I had people who were procrastinators and it really stressed me out when I had everything finished and the other participants would wait until the last minute. Being grouped with people with different values of learning and different degrees of time management skills can be very frustrating. When everyone does not do their part it is difficult to feel you have gained any experience other than frustration with your peers. Therefore, when I give group assignments in my classroom I assign specific roles/jobs that students are required to do. An example given would be in labs when I have a “Measurement Manager” who is responsible for assuring the right units of measurements are being used with the right tools. By giving students specific jobs to do they feel they have a purpose in the learning expe
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Scientific Inquiry in a 2nd Grade Lesson and Scaffolding Student's Scientific Inquiry When Using Digital Resources

Reflection of “What’s Growing In Our Neighborhood?” - 2nd Grade Lesson            Ginny Townsend’s teaching approaches in which she guides 2nd grade students in a study of the vegetation in the neighborhood of their school demonstrates inquiry learning. Having students collect data by taking pictures as they walk around the neighborhood and journal their findings, Townsend is having students participate in scientific processes scientists use to make observations about the world around them (Joyce, 2003). The data is then examined and classified using digital resources. Students then synthesize information by creating a PowerPoint presentation to create a “virtual plant walk” and share it with other classes and parents (Joyce, 2003).            This student-centered lesson provides students with the experiences to develop science literacy and conceptual understanding of how organisms are categorized. By having students gather data using digital tools and journaling, this represents auth
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The Impact of Stereotypes in Education and Addressing the Whole Child in Web 2.0

Stereotypes in Education Stereotypes about educators exist in our society. I have experienced many stereotypes early on in my career. The second year I started teaching was the year Oklahoma had its’ teacher walkout. During this time, I realized how teachers are viewed by society. When teachers asked for a livable wage it was proclaimed that teachers did not really care about their students and that we should not teach for income. This brought me to the realization that education has been built on the idea of martyrdom and has been precariously constructed on the unpaid overtime of degree holding professionals. The gaslighting phrase of “Teachers teach for the outcome, not the income.” is intended to make teachers feel like they are making this sacrifice for the greater good when in reality it is devaluing the expertise and professionalism educators bring to the profession. I want to believe that these stereotypes can change, but there must be a shift in the current zeitgeist.  My reac
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Location: Wynnewood, OK 73098, USA
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Application of Universal Design for Learning to Technology Driven Instruction

 A Reflection of K12 Online Alignment to the Principles of Universal Design for Learning: the Khan Academy Online learning has increased in use in the past five years and students with identified disabilities make up a large portion of the student population. The flexibility of content and instruction delivery that online learning affords to students is potentially beneficial to students with exceptionalities (Smith & Harvey, 2014). The main question Smith and Harvey (2014) aim to answer is whether blended or fully online options for learning are effective for the K-12 learners with identified disabilities. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is the framework used to guide instructional goals, assessments, methods, and materials that meet the individual needs of students. Using UDL allows for instruction to cater to the individual student’s unique way of learning by designing curriculum based on the needs of marginalized groups (About universal design for learning. [AUDL] CAST, 202
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