Scaffolding in Education | NewTechNetwork
Utilizing Peer Scaffolding
In PBL, collaboration among students is a necessity as it allows them to support each other, leveraging diverse perspectives and skills. Peer supports might include asking students:
- To design and lead workshops for the rest of the class
- To provide peer review on writing assignments
- To demonstrate how to solve problems in math or physics
Asking students to share their expertise allows other students to learn new skills within their zone of proximal development. This approach not only enhances learning but also fosters a culture of community and belonging within the classroom.
Adapting Scaffolding to Diverse Learning Needs
It can be helpful to start with a list of necessary accommodations and modifications so you have those in mind as you begin designing your project and scaffolds. Even better is if the project planning is a joint endeavor between you and the Special Education or ELL teachers. It can also be helpful to have a particular student in mind as you think about the scaffolding necessary for the project. What would that student need to be successful at every stage?
- How will you support that student during the entry event? Will they need any additional support with the reading materials, content, or process?
- How will you support that student throughout the project, as you scaffold based on students’ need-to-knows? When you are planning activities, workshops, readings, labs, etc., what accommodations or modifications will be necessary?
- How will you support that student as they work with their group?
- What additional supports, accommodations, or modifications might be needed for assessments and the final product, including the presentation?
A few specific ways to scaffold for diverse learners are:
- Have students preview the entry event with the Special Education teacher so they can receive extra support with the reading and difficult vocabulary
- Plan to do extra workshops with particular students based on their needs
- Provide differentiated readings or materials for students, delivered individually via an online platform
- Provide extra support for a student who needs to complete their part of project work or model and support group communication and project management skills.
All students must feel supported and included. They must feel safe in the idea that their voice matters and they can contribute to the overall community. This type of culture is foundational so that students can embrace equitable collaboration, discourse, and higher order thinking that they are asked to do in a PBL environment.
Continuous Assessment and Feedback
Frequent formative assessments and ongoing feedback are crucial in guiding students through each benchmark in the project process. PBL prioritizes asset-based feedback to further build on learner strengths and support growth in critical thinking skills over time.
In a student-centered environment, all students take an active role in their own learning. This takes on many forms including allowing students to give and receive feedback so that reflection and revision on their work can occur. PBL uses assessment to inform instruction and emphasize learner growth and intrinsic motivation. Two examples of NTN’s Assessment Practices used to scaffold are:
Running Rubrics: Using a rubric to capture conversations about progress helps students understand the criteria for the task and what next steps they might take so that they take charge of their own learning. Running Rubrics also help students who are working towards mastery take action on feedback in a project or assignment.
I used to think…Now I think: A formative assessment that helps students reflect on their thinking about a topic and explore how it has changed and encourages students to develop their reasoning abilities.
These practices along with other scaffolds teachers can use can be downloaded here in our sample NTN Practices Cards deck.