Dr. Lev Vgotsky believed a child learned more the child is around others. An example of this would be if a child tries to ties his shoe and has little to no luck therefore he gives up. Enter his older sibling whom offers stepped directions, thus giving the child a chance for learning and ultimately opportunity for success. Vgotsky also coined this theory as Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), which states the child is “ready to learn” (Orey 2009).
Social Learning Theories such as students working together in my classroom for success and the theories of Social Dimensions are the basis of both Constructionism and Constructivism. Each of these situations is primarily built on student led conversations, which reinforce learning and content knowledge. When we promote Constructionism / Constructivism, we as teachers, are enabling the students with the necessary tools to build an intricate schematic that will benefit them and their lifelong learning.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008).Social Learning Theories. [DVD]. Baltimore: Author.
Mcleod, S.A. (2007). Vygotsky. Retrieved 26 July 2011, from http://www.simplypsychology.org/vygotsky.html.
Your classroom environment is very familiar. I too have students sitting in groups allowing them to socially interact throughout the day. I like the example you used with a child learning to tie shoes and giving up. Others can really influence a student and encourage the desire to learn and not give up. My kids are always seeing what others can do and then making every effort to learn and mimic what they like. If one child can whistle, the others all want to be able to whistle to. They will work hard to learn the skill and the child who can whistle will teach all the strategies and techniques necessary. I always enjoy watching the social learning occur.
ReplyDeleteMs. Kitchens,
ReplyDeleteI too have a community classroom; as a high school teacher I know peer pressure can be both a negative and a positive. In my classroom I have base groups where students develop their teambuilding skills all year. My students are grouped in no more than five students, and the groupings are heterogenous. I really try to mix the ability levels so all the students benefit from working together. Students are the best teachers for other students and with guidance and practice they will reap the benefits of these skills long after they leave our classrooms.
Traci,
ReplyDeleteSocial learning can be expanded to incorporate the entire community, and not just the classroom. I am happy to know that you have adopted the social learning environment in the classroom as an ongoing activity. I totally agree with you that community learning not only fosters relationships academically, but also communally. Students, as well as adults enjoy relationships in and outside the classroom, and sometimes build life-long friendships through the interactions on a daily basis. Good post.
Patrice
Traci,
ReplyDeleteAwesome post! I cannot agree more with your assessment on Social Learning, and I think that it is outstanding the way you have incorporated it in your school. I think that collaboration and cooperation are not only essential within the classroom, but are even more important within the school community. In that sense, EVERYONE has a vested interest and connection with school activities, thus creating a more positive and engaging learning environment. Have a great week!
Traci,
ReplyDeleteEven in my Pre-K classroom last year I too incorporated the community atmosphere and mixed the groups heterogeneously. I had a wide variety of learners and this type of classroom benefits everyone in it. Thank you for your post! Have a good week!
I teach pre-engineering courses and I have implemented a Partnership Team into my classroom which has brought in community member that are engineers into the school to talk to the students and prepare them for what to expect in a college engineering program. This starts to expose them to talking to professionals and they start to network throughout the community in a field where they could end up working some day. Things like this Partnership Team are very beneficial to the students in many ways. Group work and problem solving skills will help these students to succeed in the engineering work where they may have to work with somebody for another country or different culture.
ReplyDelete