Interactive Learning: HE in FE

ZPD and all that

Discussion in our wiki has moved to include Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal development and this has been a theme which has run through today for me both in a professional and personal context.

My son is not a great one for social interaction with peers (and to a lesser extent) or teachers though this has improved over the past few years - and it is clear that his academic progress has suffered a little from this lack of willingness to communicate. He chats away at home with both myself and my partner and with his considerably older sisters. It worries me that he desires limited peer interaction and we are looking at strategies to encourage social activity with other children outside the school environment. He goes to Kids Club after school and now prefers this to the notion of being with a childminder or babysitter so there is progress; he was playing with children a year or so youger than him the other day and this seems to be an emerging pattern.

Social interaction also impacts, I believe, on the effectiveness of professional practice. On Monday I was office bound much of the day and finished my work stint feeling stale and lacking in my usual positivity. Today had involved considerable interaction and, despite having had a couple of less than constructive ( and fairly contentious) discussions and having sat through 5 hours of meetings, I am more alert and able to think in a more reflective and yet energetic fashion. Use of the ZPD has provided stimulation needed to take development forward - even if this is very much at the boudaries of my learning capability.

I think I will kee an eye on my behaviours in both types of context and consider this further.

posted by Jane @ 3:38 pm