I have the great fortune of coming from a family of builders, so I got a lot of experience building as I grew up. I worked summers and school breaks through high school and college with my uncles and later with my brothers - painting, papering, remodeling, and building homes. I’ve gotten pretty handy in the process. In every building project, you start at the bottom (or base) and work your way up or out. For a house, you build the foundation first and then add floors, walls, and a roof before paint and finish. For a wall, you build a frame before adding a wallboard and then plaster and paint. Building from the bottom up creates a solid foundation and a quality project. However, during this process, we sometimes need help. Sometimes, we need different tools or scaffolding to work on things that are out of our reach, or we need a specialist to do our plumbing or electrical work. This support helps us to build a better end product.
Scaffolding is when various levels of support is provided to help learners achieve higher levels of comprehension and skill acquisition. Traditionally - it is seen as temporary, but scaffolding can also serve as a permanent resource, enhancing proficiency and efficiency in areas where mastery is complemented by supportive tools (ex. spellcheck or grammarly).
Just as scaffolding in construction provides essential support and access to areas beyond reach, in education, scaffolding refers to the method by which teachers provide various levels of support to help students achieve higher levels of comprehension and skill acquisition. While traditional views on scaffolding emphasize its temporary nature, aimed at gradually reducing support as the student becomes more proficient, we also recognize that some forms of scaffolding may remain valuable tools throughout a learner's journey. For instance, professional writers continue to rely on tools like spellcheck for ongoing support. This broader perspective on scaffolding acknowledges that it not only bridges the gap in learning during initial comprehension and skill acquisition but can also serve as a permanent resource, enhancing proficiency and efficiency in areas where mastery is complemented by supportive tools.
As teachers, we can become architects of learning so that all students can achieve high levels of mastery. We know that every student is different and has their own set of skills and attributes as well as their own barriers to learning. As good craftspeople, we can support student learning by providing students with multiple opportunities to learn and share what they know, as well as strategies, tools, and supports to help them build their knowledge and skill set.
Scaffolding, rooted in educational theories like Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development, takes on a new dimension through the lens of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). In universally designed classrooms, we encourage students to analyze firm goals and then self-reflect on their learning so they can choose pathways that best accelerate their growth. This personalized approach often necessitates access to various scaffolds and supports, empowering students to become more self-aware and expert in their learning.
Scaffolding in education can be provided in multiple ways. We can:
With these scaffolds in mind, we can create a personalized, student-centered learning environment that respects individual differences and empowers students to take charge of their learning, fostering deeper engagement and understanding.
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