Post by congl95 on Sept 28, 2017 14:22:52 GMT
The zone of proximal development is the area in which an individual could learn a concept with the scaffolding another could give to them. Put another way, it means a individual can only learn a certain idea by collaborating with someone else, and that they wouldn't be able to do it on their own. So if a concept of skill is in the area of proximal development, I could only reach it I had someone to aid me; though this doesn't mean someone would tell me the answer or show me how to do it explicitly, but help me to get to a place where I myself could understand and solve the problem.
When I was much younger, I couldn't write properly and had trouble holding a pencil. I wasn't taught how to hold a pencil properly, and had gotten used to holding it in a inefficient way resulting in illegible penmanship. My teacher correctly helped me acquire the skill of holding a pencil properly and writing semi-neatly. She did this by showing me the correct way, and slowly building up my comfort and confidence in writing that way. I was too young to be able to get over the hump of practicing the skill effectively, and with her help I could bridge the gap and learn a skill that was perfectly in my Zone of Proximal Development.
When I was much younger, I couldn't write properly and had trouble holding a pencil. I wasn't taught how to hold a pencil properly, and had gotten used to holding it in a inefficient way resulting in illegible penmanship. My teacher correctly helped me acquire the skill of holding a pencil properly and writing semi-neatly. She did this by showing me the correct way, and slowly building up my comfort and confidence in writing that way. I was too young to be able to get over the hump of practicing the skill effectively, and with her help I could bridge the gap and learn a skill that was perfectly in my Zone of Proximal Development.