Bloom's Taxonomy and Vygotsky's Scaffolding
Multiple Choice
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1.
Bloom´s Taxonomy is concerned with helping teachers identify the cognitive skills they want students to practice in a lesson, whereas Vygotsky´s theory of scaffolding describes the assistance that a teacher gives a student to help him/her safely take risks and reach higher than would be possible by the student´s efforts alone. In other words, Bloom´s taxonomy helps identify the target skills, and Vygotsky´s theory of scaffolding helps teachers assist their students in achieving those skills. In this activity you are to write a short essay discussing why Bloom´s Taxonomy and Vygotsky´s Scaffolding might be useful knowledge for a teacher to have. Example questions you might address in this activity are ´Why is it important for a teacher to know the difference between the knowledge and synthesis levels of Bloom´s taxonomy?´ and ´How might a working knowledge of scaffolding help a teacher assist a struggling student?´
(Expected response is 100-400 words.)
example:
Imagine taking a trip across the country without first consulting a map. Although you might enjoy the spontaneity of the trip, you could have difficulty ending up where you would like to be. However, a map would guide you to the most efficient route to your programmed destination. In a sense, Bloom´s taxonomy helps the teacher plan the ´destination´ skills that they would like for their students to achieve, and Vygotsky´s scaffolding helps the teacher choose the ´roads´ that will help their students get there. For example, when a teacher sits down to plan a lesson, he/she must decide what skills should be developed. Should students improve their map reading skills, or should they work on graphing? Regardless of the skills chosen by the teacher, the goal should be clearly stated. Material should be presented sequentially, so that students are building upon previous skills and are active participants in their own learning. This is a key concept in Bloom´s taxonomy, since much traditional learning involves the teacher merely serving as the source of knowledge, with students simply ´parroting back´ this knowledge. According to the taxonomy, this would be the lowest ´knowledge´ level that students can achieve. Bloom´s taxonomy helps the teacher identify goals that promote active learning though intrinsic student curiosity and motivation. Instead of regurgitating information, students are encouraged to actively participate in both the content and pace of instruction, striving to develop their higher order critical thinking skills. Students may first be exposed to a concept at the knowledge level, but then are asked to apply this knowledge in a new, creative way. Since some students have greater difficulty as they are called upon to demonstrate the higher levels of the taxonomy, Vygotsky´s scaffolding becomes a useful set of strategies for helping students achieve what they would otherwise have difficulty doing on their own. Teachers encourage students´ internalization of strategies through a conscious focus on the implementation of plans of attack, and foster student autonomy through self-monitoring and self-assessment. Other scaffolding approaches involve the use of graphic organizers, manipulatives, and realia (educational objects and materials used as teaching tools to improve comprehension and retention of key concepts). The idea here is to help students to develop their higher order critical thinking skills through a variety of different approaches.
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