Alyson Cotter ZPD

Vygotsky’s theory on the zone of proximal development was much easier for me to understand as I was able to see and use it in the classroom. I was able to use my previous knowledge from what I have learned in other classes to make better sense of the information. Zone of proximal development (ZPD) is the difference between the actual development level and the level of potential development. A child’s actual development is what he or she can do independently, while potential development refers to what a child can do with help. The key for the teacher is to understand just how much support to provide. The right amount of guidance will challenge the child to think, reason, problem solve, and learn. Not enough support will make the task too difficult, and too much help will not allow the student to grow and develop. The teacher, peers, or parents guide learning so that students are able to connect the new information to prior knowledge, and to expand on what they already know. If teaching is kept at what the child already knows, then learning will not happen. When the student is challenged and then supported with the right amount of help, this allows him to develop to his full potential.
When thinking of my own learning experiences, I think of my field experiences. Last Friday, my group of four students was solving a math problem. They were to find how many quarters were in three dollars. One student was able to complete the problem, but needed assistance. I had to guide him by prompting questions and connecting the material to what he already knew. Once he was able to make the connection that four quarters equaled a dollar he was able to solve the problem by drawing a picture and counting the quarters.
Math is probably the best example of my learning and ZPD. If an instructor gives clues to a problem, this leads me to discover a solution. I feel that this is the best kind of learning for me. Without the clues, nothing new is learned. I am unable to solve the problem. With the help I am forced to think, study, and push myself to find a solution.

Courtney Silverstein's ZPD

Vygotsky’s concept of “zone of proximal development” describes a range of what/how children learn. Each child has two zones-actual development which is what the child already knows/can do, and the zone of proximal development is the “range” of what the child can do with guided instruction from a teacher or peers. The child can be guided by an instructor in order to reach understanding of the topic. Once the child can perform or understand the information alone, the zone of proximal development shifts. Now the child’s actual development includes information which was once unknown, and other topics/information become attainable for the child. The idea can be confusing, so here is an example: Let’s say the student is learning how to add more complicated double digit numbers (like 13+18). He has an actual development of knowing how to add single digit numbers. However adding double-digit numbers falls in his zone of proximal development. Using his background knowledge, and the teacher’s use of scaffolding, the student begins to understand how to add double digit numbers. Eventually he will know how to add them by himself. Once he can, this information becomes his actual development and now for example, adding three digit numbers may now be in his zone of proximal development.
ZPD connects to my learning all the time. One subject that this is especially clear about is math. In high school especially, the teacher would explain a new topic and once we could do it on our own, our zone of proximal development expanded. Math is a topic that builds off of itself so it would be important to expand my zone of proximal development often. Also, in college it is still present. Every time I learn something new in a classroom, my teacher is explaining the information to me (guiding me), and then once I understand it I can gain more knowledge that may have been farther out of my reach before. Also, it is prevalent when I study for tests with friends. If we understand different concepts, we can use scaffolding and help each other understand the material and again shift our zone of proximal development. Using the concept of ZPD would be beneficial for children so they can effectively grasp the material taught. If students have a good understanding of material at the beginning, as the year progresses they will be able to use their basis of knowledge to help them understand the new information.

Courtney Dressler's ZPD

As a teacher, I believe it is so important that educators understand the difference between a student’s actual developmental level and potential developmental level, or that which is supported and encouraged by an adult’s supervision and interpretation. We must admit, standardized and IQ tests can only show so much of a child’s potential. What we should really be aware of is what our students can show us when they are discussion, learning, and connecting information. Take, for instance, an individual who is studying addition concepts throughout his math unit. When given a worksheet comprised of unfamiliar problems, he may hesitate to solve the equations or even fail to complete the activity; this hesitation by one’s self represents a student’s actual developmental level. With a teacher by his side, he may show a different amount of knowledge; the instructor’s prompts and encouragement of using background knowledge may help that same student to make meaning of and solve the solutions at hand. This, of course, is where the Zone of Proximal Development comes into play. Although a child may not be able to explain or incorporate particular knowledge individually, with the help of a more knowledgeable peer he or she may be able to understand concepts that previously seemed in possible, showing his or her potential developmental level. Take, for instance, my educational experiences during my time at Indiana University. In so many different college level courses I have found myself baffled and bewildered by topics at hand; Biology, mathematics, even special education courses; they have all introduced me to new information that I have had difficulty learning and applying to assignments and discussions. This struggle that I have shown throughout my past into my present can be seen as my actual developmental level. The key to overcoming this struggle was asking questions and applying previous knowledge. After showing trouble in certain subject areas, my teachers helped me to find my potential developmental level through engaging discussion and application that helped me to understand new topics and information. As teachers, we must appreciate and accept the Zone of Proximal Development; it allows us to appreciate the difference between what our students can do alone and what they have the potential to do with minimal guidance and encouragement.

Amy Stone's ZPD

Children’s thinking can be thought of in two different zones. The first zone is the actual developmental level, which is the area of a child’s learning process in which they are able to complete problems and understand information independently. The thinking within this level has already been completed and fully developed. The second zone is the zone of proximal development. This is the area between where a child is able to problem solve independently and cannot complete problems at all. This space between their thinking can be scaffold by adult guidance and allows the student to complete the problem solving with help from others. This zone is not the space in which a child is to be taught about new subject but an area where they can gain more knowledge on areas that are not completely developed but are in the process of developing. By understanding the zone of proximal development within each child, as a facilitator of their learning, the teacher can provide scaffolds to help the students develop their thoughts further and solve issues independently that are in the process of budding.

Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development can be connected to my own thinking on an everyday basis. There are often several issues that are brought up in lectures that I understand the basis of but not the entire issue. When my peers or professor provides an example or explains the topic in their own words, something clicks to the point where I understand it completely. These are not issues that I have no previous concept about but are topics that I cannot understand independently. As the article stated the information about primates, they have no zone of proximal development. Humans are able to understand information further through imitation of the problems that they have a general understanding of. I think that the zone of proximal development is a very important stage in children’s development that needs to be taken into consideration. By providing students with scaffolding, the teacher is able to further their understanding of topics and allow their confidence to increase because they will be able to problem solve on their own. Constant learning allows the students to awaken parts of their internal developmental components and although learning is directly related to the zone of proximal development, they should never be thought of in equal measure. Every issue within learning has its own relation to the child’s development therefore they cannot be thought of as one in the same. Providing learning opportunities to help close the zone of proximal development is the best way to complete learning of several subjects.

Jennifer Wolff's ZPD

Vygotsky proposes the idea of ZPD, also known as Zone of Proximal Development, where a student's academics should be at the same level as their mental development. By completing tests, children's mental age is figured. It is assumed that what children do are actually doing is compatible with their abilities. Vygotsky uses the example of two students entering school at the age of 10, yet their actual developmental age is 8. This means that these students are on the same developmental age whereas they can complete tasks a 8 year old can. He furthers his explanation with the zone of proximal development by saying that it is the distance between the actual developmental level and and the level of potential development.
After reading this, I thought it was somewhat confusing. However, then I related it back to my experience during elementary school and I think I somewhat understood it. I always had to leave the classroom to work on my reading and speech. I had a lower reading level and speech level compared to my age group. This is why I had to leave, so I could work one-on-one with a specific teacher to get my level back up. Therefore, when learning about ZPD, I figured my actual development age was lower than my potential level of development. I'm not sure if this is a correct example, but after reading the article this is what came to my mind.