Instructions
In this online activity, you will explore Providing Instructional Supports: Facilitating Mastery of New Skills. You will read the module on Providing Instructional Supports: Facilitating Mastery of New Skills, answer all of the questions, and submit the assignment (Assessment) for review (80 points). You will have to copy and paste the module questions from the Assessment into a Word document and then answer the questions and upload them to Brightspace for your assignment.
M6: IRIS Module Activity 3
1. What are the two critical elements to keep in mind when using instructional scaffolding?
The two elements required to keep in mind when using instrumental scaffolding are-
a. Model
Teachers have to showcase one step at a time. In this way, students can adequately understand the application of the steps.
b. Practice
Students need to practice the task at hand as many times as possible. Through practice, they will be able to garner independence.
2. Briefly describe the three approaches to instructional scaffolding presented in this module.
The three approaches related to instructional scaffolding are mainly stated in this module content scaffolding, material scaffolding, and task scaffolding. In order to define content, scaffolding happens to select content that is not that difficult or unfamiliar to different students who can actually learn new things. This happens to allow the students to actually focus on the skills that are actually being taught to them, or they are not getting bombarded with any content. On the other hand, in the case of material scaffolding which is mainly written-based, consisting of written prompts with materials that assist the students in improving their performance based on their task and making use of their strategies. Alternatively, task scaffolding is when the teachers actually start to specify the different steps taken in order to learn about a particular process or instruction with relevant models and steps to deal with the task verbalizing the thought process of the students. Moreover, students in task scaffolding are required to practice their own tasks independently.
3. List at least two reasons why modeling error detection and correction is important.
Two reasons behind the importance of modeling error detection and correction are-
a. It aids the students in functioning independently in terms of their work. This is the main aim of the scaffolding approach, as it encourages the student to develop independence and formulate new skills (Vaughn & Bos, 2019, p.25). The teachers can model getting caught in a problem and then showcase to the students the manner in which they can solve the problem. This visual presentation stimulates independence among students.
b. It also helps the students understand their mistakes and the way they have made them in their work. This helps the students understand the methodology they can use in order to fix these mistakes. This will prevent the students from repeating the same mistakes repetitively, improving their work in the process.
c. Imagine you are a fourth-grade teacher and one of your students, who has a learning disability, is experiencing difficulty with long division:
d. Which of the approaches discussed in this module would you use to scaffold instruction for this student?
The approach I would apply in order to scaffold instruction to this student would be a combination of task scaffolding along material scaffolding. In this combination, task scaffolding would be applied in order to adequately explain the steps of the task to the student, and after that, material scaffolding would be applied to showcase students the involved steps in front of them. This will help the students to understand the manner in which they can adequately use these steps to complete their objective of finding a solution through long division.
4. Why did you choose this approach?
This approach was chosen because the students in this combination of task and material scaffolding are provided with a proper process, which the students are able to grasp visually. The presence of a process that is visually accessible aids the students suffering from learning disabilities to properly execute their tasks.
5. Give a detailed description of how you would use this approach to scaffold instruction for this student.
Firstly, I would provide the student with a detailed description and stepwise breakdown of the method he or she would have to use in order to solve a problem with the long-division process. Thereafter, in order to support the process being presented, I would also solve a problem in front of the student so that he or she can visually analyze every step that is being performed in order to solve the problem at hand. Each step will be explained in great detail. After this, I would introduce a new problem for the student. While solving this problem, I would take a collaborative approach. Throughout the problem, I would encourage the student to name as well as explain the steps that are being applied in order to solve the problem. Finally, I would provide the student with a new problem, which would be solved by the student independently. I would be by their side if they need any kind of help, but it will be their effort solely. As a teacher, I would provide them with a visual aid of the problem they are working on so that they can refer back to it whenever they are solving the problem. The visual aid will slowly be removed after the student becomes proficient in the steps.
Reference List
The IRIS Center. (2021). Providing Instructional Supports: Facilitating Mastery of New Skills. (2021). Retrieved from https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/sca/
Vaughn, S., & Bos, C. (2019, October 19). Strategies for Teaching Students with Learning and Behavior Problems (10th ed.). Pearson.
