Scaffolding Math Learning with Spreadsheets

Assignment Three

Niess, M. (2005). Scaffolding math learning with spreadsheets. Leading and Learning with Technology, 32(5), 24-25 and 48.

Questions are an important tool to stimulate students’ higher level thinking skills. Create two questions that you might ask regarding this article. 

1. Explain the purpose of Scaffolding Instruction in the classroom?

The purpose of Scaffolding Instruction is to provide students, who have learning problems, a teacher supported transition from primarily seeing and hearing the teacher demonstrate & model a particular math concept/skill to performing the skill independently.

2.   Explain how does scaffolding help students who have learning disabilities?

Provides an effective way for students to gradually but thoroughly learn a math concept/skill, rather than being expected to automatically transfer what they see the teacher do to doing it independently. Learning characteristics such as memory problems, attention difficulties, and academic skill deficiencies make this expectation an unrealistic one.

Provides you the opportunity to evaluate student understanding during instruction, allowing you to remodel, provide corrective feedback, and emphasize particular elements of the concept/skill before students are expected to do it independently.

Students are more confident and more successful during independent practice because they more thoroughly understand the math concept/skill due to the scaffolding process. This situation also reduces student (and teacher!) frustration.

Source: http://fcit.usf.edu/mathvids/strategies/si.html