Looking back, I was the one who used "scaffolding" first in this thread--so I apologize for that :-). To give a simple example of how I would use what I consider to be scaffolding, consider this real-life example from my teaching the IMP math curriculum: When in the "Solve It" unit, some of the problems quicly go from this problem: 1) 7t-5=10t+8-4t to this one: 2) 6(x-2)=4(x+3)-32 (p.70 IMP Year Two). Now I'm pretty entrenched in the constructivist approach, but when people have studied my teaching style, they have pointed out how much "scaffolding" I do. That was the first time I heard the term, so I went and looked it up. For me, though, it's basically seeing that students may not be able to make the leap in front of them, but they can make smaller leaps leading up to that. Thus, I may put a problem like this one between #1 and #2 above: 1.5) 8(x-4)=64 That way, I'm able to tell if they even understand that distribution withough having two cases of distribution and some simplifying coming at them all at once. This may sound like "dumbing it down", but somehow I have to know where and why students are tripping up. Your term "guided exploration" seems right to me. Richard ----- Original Message ---- From: Tom Hoffman <tom.hoffman@gmail.com> To: kirby urner <kirby.urner@gmail.com> Cc: "edu-sig@python.org" <edu-sig@python.org> Sent: Sunday, July 8, 2007 1:12:35 PM Subject: Re: [Edu-sig] Scaffolding On 7/8/07, kirby urner <kirby.urner@gmail.com> wrote:

So I've learned a new term from ya'll: scaffolding. Of course I knew it from the namespace of construction, but here it means a framework or prewritten code or auxiliary aids such as diagrams. Anyone want to elaborate?

I see links between "scaffolding" and the concept of "immersion", already well established in the language learning community -- human languages that is.

I think of "scaffolding" as the difference between "exploration" and "guided exploration." To flesh out the architectural analogy, it is as if the teacher builds a scaffold around empty space & provides an array of tools and materials. It is clear that the objective is to build within the space provided, and more or less direct instruction may be given on the tools provided, but within this context the students have freedom to create and explore. But in particular, an emphasis is made on making sure kids have access to the intermediate skills necessary to complete the task. How much scaffolding to do is a central issue in constructivist education. I've read studies that indicates there was a huge difference between the amount of scaffolding done in a classroom by Papert (a lot! but mostly informal), how he described the process (downplaying his role), and what happened when people tried to replicate his process without the scaffolding he provided (didn't work well). --Tom _______________________________________________ Edu-sig mailing list Edu-sig@python.org http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig ____________________________________________________________________________________ Park yourself in front of a world of choices in alternative vehicles. Visit the Yahoo! Auto Green Center. http://autos.yahoo.com/green_center/