Vygotsky laid the groundwork for sociocultural theory. His ideas about the importance of social and cultural interactions and their effects on learning helped to clarify the role of adults in the education of children. Vygotsky believed that with the help of an experienced adult, children could be pushed to the next cognitive level (Ormrod, 317). He said that there was a limit to the tasks that children could accomplish on their own, but could learn to do increasingly complex tasks with the help of an adult. Vygotsky also believed that "Every culture passes along physical and cognitive tools that make daily living more effective and efficient" (Ormrod, 315). This basis of sociocultural theory is something that resonated with me. The effects of social interactions and cultural beliefs on learning cannot be discounted. They have a tremendous effect on the students that walk into our classrooms.
I particularly connected with the idea of authentic activities. This, I believe, provides a strong foundation to work from that allows the teacher to reach all students. Ormrod wrote that "Children should have opportunities to engage in activities that closely resemble those they will encounter in the adult world" (332). This is of the utmost importance. If we as educators are to convince our students that what we teach is worth learning, the students have to see some value in it. The simplest way to demonstrate this is through authentic activities: "tasks identical or similar to those that children will eventually encounter int he outside world" (Ormrod, 332). This is something that I strive to do in all of my classes. No matter the subject, I make real-world connections with the projects I teach. I try to have the students think of themselves as professionals who have been hired to shoot a sporting event, design a company logo or animate a PSA for a local organization. I find that when students can see the real-world application of a skill I am teaching them, they work harder to achieve the objectives.
One of the challenges is that it isn't possible to jump into authentic activities right away. The foundations of basic composition in photography, basic applications of the elements of art in design class, and program functions in animation must all be laid before a truly authentic activity can be given to the students. Getting the students to see the value in the projects that build up (scaffolding) to the real-world applications is the hardest part. This is where I as the teacher must model carefully to show each project's inherent value. I am the experienced adult that they have to help them on their digital art journey, and I cannot control what cognitive tools they come into my classroom with. This is why in addition to making my projects authentic activities, I must make them diverse. They must allow for student choice and various interpretations of the assignment specifics because each student will have a different understanding of the material being taught.
References
Ormrod, J.E. (2012). Human Learning: Sixth Edition. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.
