Vygotsky's theory outlines the Zone of Proximal Development, which is basically the gap of what a student already knows and what they can learn. Interaction is a huge aspect of the ZPD, therefore, I think Vygostky would definitely recommend group work, especially cooperative learning, as a teaching tool. Cooperative learning involves students at all different levels, so it can encourage students to develop new skills and knowledge from their peers. Cooperative learning would also work well with Vygostky's idea of intersubjectivity: where two individuals with different backgrounds can come together to one conclusion after adjusting. I don't think age would matter as much to Vygotsky as it would to Piaget, because Vygotsky believes that learning drives development, not that development drives learning. For example, a second grader could learn a lot from a sixth grader, increasing their ZPD. Internalization is also an important aspect of Vygostky's theory. If I were teaching based off of Vygostky's theory, I would definitely use groups. I would put students in cooperative learning singing groups, maybe between 8 and 10 students in each group, and have them work on a song together. All of these students would come from diverse backgrounds and have different singing abilities, especially if they were different ages. They could work together and help each other to sing the piece. This would increase the younger kid's ZPD, and, in all honesty, it would teach the older, more advanced kids a lot about music too.
Thursday, September 15
Blog Post 1, Vygostky/Grouping
One question I have is about grouping in regards to self-esteem. The book mentioned more than once that students self-esteem wasn't all that affected by getting put in groups. I was shocked by this, and am left wondering why that's the case. I know if I was put into a lower reading group, my self-esteem would have greatly been affected. Why is it that self-esteem isn't affected, and how as a teacher can I handle that in a way so that students don't feel like they're "not as good"?
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ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog post. Your question caught my attention, so I thought I would try and rationale with you about the grouping/self-esteem issue. I couldn't find in the book where it says tracking "had no effect on students," but I did find some information about where it discusses self-esteem issues. On page 376, it explains that tracking may have a small positive effect on students in lower tracks and a negative effect on students in higher tracks. Students in higher tracks may have more negative feelings as they 'compete' with their peers for grades, class rankings, etc. Males placed in low tracking groups have more positive self-esteem than do females, as females feel they are labeled.
ReplyDeleteI can definitely understand your concern with the reading about this topic. It is hard to believe that being in a lower tracking group, you could have positive feelings. I agree with you that I would initially feel upset to be put in the lower tracking group. For the benefit of the students though, I think it is important to separate students based on their cognitive abilities. This keeps from holding students back whom excel academically and gives special attention to those who need extra help. In my high school they split kids up this way. It was never an issue of which tracking group you were in because it was for the benefits of the students. On the other hand, I could see where students could get upset by splitting into groups. To answer your question about teaching-- I am not sure how a teacher would go about teaching students of different tracking groups without making them feel bad?
I really liked how you discussed self-esteem because I was also very shocked when I saw that a students self-esteem was not at all affected by getting placed in groups. I really do not know how that would be possible. I know that when I am in a group my self-esteem falls or rises depending on the situation or subject matter I am dealing with. I have never been put in a lower or higher level of any subject in high school but being in the "normal" level classes did make me feel a little self conscious when all of my friends were being placed in honors classes. I agree with you that a students self-esteem must be affected my the tracking method.
ReplyDeleteTracking could be beneficial to someone's self-esteem, though. Think about how in tracking, a student's abilities are only compared to those of others within their same track. If you placed a higher achieving student with one that wasn't such a high achiever, that lower achiever would be constantly compared to the higher achieving students (in regards to grades and scores). I can see how tracking would affect a person's self-esteem, too. I was never in a school system that had the tracking method, but I have read a lot about how people in different tracks receive different 'labels' in a sense. Students in a lower track may not have as much expected from them by their teachers and could form the belief that they are not as important as those in the higher track. I think that it's important for schools with the tracking system to still ensure that all the students are receiving a quality education (but the courses will just cater more towards the students learning styles and learning abilities).
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