1st Field Experience Blog, EGL 441 by Samantha Summers
Utilizing Scaffolding to Teach a New Skill
During one of the classes I was observing in on my first day of field experience, the teacher had the students write a letter to the main character of the short story, "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes. The students were instructed to, in their letters, discuss how the main character has inspired them, their "words of wisdom" for the character, and to include personal experiences of failure, growth, and overcoming adversity. This assignment reminded me of our "Echoes of Silence" reading, as the students in Freedman's class were instructed to connect with the characters on a personal level if they could, similarly to the "Flowers for Algernon" letter assignment. In regards to his students, Freedman writes, "They identified with circumstances surrounding these events and took advantage of the opportunity...Most importantly, many students exercised their ability to empathize. If in some instances students were less than empathetic, they at least struggled with their consciences...These students had unique and perhaps troubling experiences. They were being validated and invited to 'speak' out (silently) in a manner that...is all too rare" (Freedman 94-95). In the "Flowers for Algernon" assignment, the students could exercise empathy for the character Charlie, who has an intellectual impairment. Even if they had not empathized with him while reading the story, they could perhaps be more open-minded to empathize with him while completing this assignment. Also, the teacher (who I will refer to by the pseudonym of Mrs. S) was inviting the students to share their personal experiences without having to voice them in front of the entire class. This way, the students felt that they could express these experiences while also keeping them somewhat private. What I really admired was that Mrs. S even offered to change the settings on the students' computer monitors (by adjusting the brightness) if they were writing about something they felt sensitive about and did not want the student sitting next to them to see it. Mrs. S created a safe, welcoming space for the students to express themselves.
Additionally, Mrs. S asked the students to compose their letters in business letter format, which many of the students were unfamiliar with. In Chapter 3 of "Making the Journey," Christenbury and Linblom write, "Remember that when we ask students to attempt new or unfamiliar activities, they can often appear reluctant, possibly even uncooperative....Accordingly, part of our job as teachers is to extend student skill, to nudge them into new territory, so we must be willing to give students clear explanations and, when appropriate, specific models of what we want" (Christenbury & Lindblom 106). In the case of Mrs. S's class, the students did seem to be pretty reluctant to try out the business letter format at first. However, Mrs. S provided the class with a sample letter written in business letter format that the students could use as a model. By providing specific instructions as well as a model to follow, Mrs. S ensured that the students had the tools needed to guide them through the assignment, resulting in their acquisition of a new skill. In essence, Mrs. S practiced effective scaffolding in this lesson.
More info on scaffolding can be found in this video:
Additionally, Mrs. S asked the students to compose their letters in business letter format, which many of the students were unfamiliar with. In Chapter 3 of "Making the Journey," Christenbury and Linblom write, "Remember that when we ask students to attempt new or unfamiliar activities, they can often appear reluctant, possibly even uncooperative....Accordingly, part of our job as teachers is to extend student skill, to nudge them into new territory, so we must be willing to give students clear explanations and, when appropriate, specific models of what we want" (Christenbury & Lindblom 106). In the case of Mrs. S's class, the students did seem to be pretty reluctant to try out the business letter format at first. However, Mrs. S provided the class with a sample letter written in business letter format that the students could use as a model. By providing specific instructions as well as a model to follow, Mrs. S ensured that the students had the tools needed to guide them through the assignment, resulting in their acquisition of a new skill. In essence, Mrs. S practiced effective scaffolding in this lesson.
More info on scaffolding can be found in this video:
Great connections to the readings here! I can see the similarities you pointed out between Mrs. S's assignment and the Freedman one. I'm glad you touched on empathy, which I would say is one of the goals of reading and writing. Mrs. S sounds like a great teacher; I'm not sure how to do that on a computer, but it sounds like a useful solution to make many students feel more comfortable. Even if they're not writing about sensitive or personal material, they may feel judged if classmates have the ability to read over their shoulder. I'm glad the model was helpful!
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