Scaffolding and The Zone of Proximal Development

The Zone of Proximal Development is when a teacher or instructor sets a task just beyond the reach of the students capabilities to complete on their own. This creates an environment where a student needs the assistance of an instructor to achieve the task that has been set. The way scaffolding works into this idea is that it turns a one time event (Zone of Proximal Development) into a continual process. It means there is a continual setting of tasks beyond a students capabilities, and therefore a continual need of a teachers assistance.

I believe this method of teaching has so many practical uses. Many people critique Scaffolding and wonder why an instructor would constantly make a student feel incapable of completing something on their own. I can't argue that in a way they are right. It wouldn't be good to use scaffolding all the time. It is however, a very useful tool to get students to interact with their teachers, and to create a meaningful connection with their instructors. Scaffolding is used with the purpose of teaching students to communicate and to receive instruction and to be able to actively listen, which is a very important skill to posses.

Scaffolding can be translated into all areas of life and not only in the classroom. It would be an excellent way to create communication between  employee and employer or even between co-workers. This idea is used more often than even realized by those who are already using it. I think we need to be aware of the potential benefits of using scaffolding and begin to implement it as often as possible. 

Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory

Bronfenbrenner view on how we perceive our world is linked into 5 different but integrated systems. They are as follows:

1. Microsystem: this is the system in which a person is most directly involved in. There is reciprocity in a microsystem (a back and forth relationship. Ex Brandon walking into the classroom, others... family, school, a play area, church group etc... 
2. Meso-system: Meso means in between or in the middle. The meso -system is the system the connects all the other systems. 
3. Exo-system: this is external to an individuals direct influence. 
4. Macro-System: Ideologies of the culture (biases etc...)  Ex. the world may have an idea about adolescent males and the teacher may view an individual through that view when it may not be accurate at all.
5. Chronosystem: Means “Time”. Has to do with an individuals place in history and time. Etc... someone in the 80’s didn’t have the privileges that we have now like if they wanted to watch a movie they had to wait for it to come into theater but for us now we could just download it. So it is the socio-historic conditions of ones life course.

I really like the way Brofenbrennar lays out every area of an individuals life into these systems. I personally believe it is an almost perfect way to view life and be able to identify where we find ourselves at in it.  If we actually use this model to view our lives I believe it will make us so much more aware of where we can be a productive asset in the society in which we exist. It is interesting to think about how we all actually create these systems for each other. As I am existing in a system right now I am also creating a system for someone else at the same time. This percieved view of life proves more than ever how interconnected we all are to one another. We need each other to have a meaningful life and life experience. 
When I spent time studying this model this is the truth that spoke to me: We all need each other In ways we probably don't even know. We affect each others lives in ways we don't know and won't ever know. We are all an electrical impulse on the giant switchboard we call life. 
I guess all there is left to say is thank you, all of you who have helped to make me who I am.
That is all.