1. I think the learning theory that most represents me would be Vygotsky's sociocultural theory. This is because I find that a students culture and social interactions can definitely have an impact on their education, and that learning is definitely something that occurs over a period of time, not just in a moment. Also, I know that I learn best with the scaffolding technique, which is a proponent of this theory.
2. With this theory, learning is something that is scaffolded, meaning that the teacher shows the students what to do and leads by example. Students then follow the example set and learn something in steps, one at a time. This theory also includes the zone of proximal development, meaning that a student can achieve and learn something that may be above their level to learn by themselves with the help of a teacher.
3. To support this theory, I would create an English lesson that allowed me to use the idea of scaffolding. If I was teaching first grade, I could do this by having them write a short narrative about a certain experience they had. All of the students would have their lined paper and a pencil, and I would start out the lesson by telling them what we were going to be doing. Then I would write one example of the opening sentence, such as "One time my friend and I...". This would give the students a starting point for their writing. They would each copy that onto their papers and then write their first sentence. From there I would tell them that they need to have at least two sentences that describe what they did with their friend. Lastly I would ask the students for examples of closing sentences, and write different examples they come up with on the board. The students could then find one they liked or come up with their own to finish their narrative. By doing this, the students will be able to see my example and follow it, and they can write the story in pieces, step by step. The student would also be motivated, because the story would be written from their own life, allowing them to make connections. This would help with their intrinsic motivation for other writing assignments.
4. I would assess learning in the theory with this activity by using a formal and formative assessment. It would be formal because I would want to see what students have learned about writing. Even though I am giving them the first and last sentence of their story, they themselves must come up with everything in the middle. I can assess how well they are using the other writing tools such as description and spelling with their writing. It would also be a formative assessment because I am looking at the end product of a writing exercise, but it is just a portion of the larger writing process. The in class writing assignment would be worth three points. 3 points would be given for following the directions and writing about an experience, and also for copying down the opening and closing sentences, unless they created their own. They would also need to have minor spelling mistakes and I would need to see that they tried to add a little description, such as the color of something. 2 points would be given if the student did not have the proper amount of sentences, major spelling errors, and little description. 1 point would be given out if the assignment was at least attempted, or if the student did not follow directions clearly. It would also be if the student had a majority of their words misspelled, and had no description. No points would be given to a student who did not attempt the assignment.
Olivia, Vygotzky's learning theory would also represent me the best. I think that students, especially young children, learn best with the help of the society and culture around them. Scaffolding is a big idea which I feel helps them learn because they are being guided. Your English lesson is a great idea, however, I feel that you could get the students to think more outside the box using the idea of the zone of proximal development and take it a step further than just them writing the story on their own. One way you could do this would be by asking the students questions to get them them to think about what type of detail they should include in the story or have them even try and peer edit another person's story. I think that your ways of assessing this activity are great. Formal and formative assessing are both good because you are seeing if they are understanding the basics about writing and its structure as well as the content that it includes, quality and quantity. My field experience teacher would do similar writing activities but use the 6+1 writing traits to grade their writings. I think that you could use this as well as a way of assessing.
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