Question

What and how will you teach in a 3rd grade classroom by applying Zone of Promixal Development (ZPD) and Scaffolding?

Answer 1

When someone starts learning then three stages comes in his way. First stage is when he can not learn at all without any guidance or superision. Second stage is when a learner can perform with the help of some guide or mentor. Third stage is when a learner can perform even in absence of any guide, teacher or supervisor.

So, the second stage or in other words we can say that difference of stages of performance of learner without any aid and non performane of learner is known as Zone of Proximal Developement (ZPD). Here Second stage in above paragraph is ZPD.

Process of learning can also be seen as three concentric circles. Larger one/Outer one is the circle defining the zone in which a learner can not perform even in the presence of a guide. This happens because student's age may not allow this learning. Second/Middle circle is known as ZPD where a student can perform with some guidance. Third circle/Innermost circle depicts the zone where a student can perform even in absence of teacher or any senior.

Scaffolding is a teaching method in which a weaker student is allowed to work with more intelligent student or with teacher so that he/she can learn in a more elaborated way. Scaffoding is an important part of ZPD.

In 3rd grade classroom, we can not think about a student solving complex mathematical problems like matrix, integration, differentiation etc. So this stage will be considered as outer most circle or larger circle where a student can't learn even in presence of teacher because student's mind is not developed to this stage of learning.

In 3rd grade students know counting, tables and have ability to subtract, add. multiply and divide. If a teacher provide them proper guidance then students can learn to calculate area of different shapes. This stage will fall under the middle circle of learning or ZPD. Here teacher is acting as a scaffold on which student is developing his understandings of calculation of area of different different shapes. So, this stage will be known as ZPD.

In 3rd grade any student can write counting. This is the task which a student can perform even in absence of his teacher. So, this stage will fall under 3rd or innermost circle of learning. This is how we can apply concept of ZPD and scaffolding in teaching.