Scaffolding Language Scaffolding Learning CH3

My initial reaction to reading this chapter was that I was overwhelmed at the thought of having all but two students be ESL students. However, I have more understanding and respect for this teacher after reading the article.

I found the learning "centers" that she used with her students to be interesting.
1. Small groups
2.Introducing Key Vocabulary
3. Teacher guided response
4. Journal writing

"This cycle was repeated several times during the unit on magnets." (p43)

The fact that the teacher used this process repeatedly with her students, shows that the repetition is effective for her students. Her students got more and more comfortable with this sequence and therefore, they were able to learn so much from this sequence each time.

"What can we learn from this example? First, we can see again how small-group work supports learning" (p44)

Further on in the chapter the teacher explains the vocabulary to the students and she uses actions to reinforce her words. I found this to be interesting because I think using actions with verbal cues in any classroom is effective.