6 Day Week

Picture located here

Today I lost half of my weekend to be at a block course at uni, however I really enjoyed the day.

The morning session was about unpacking some of the readings to get the most out of them we could. We were split into groups based on which reading we had read and then our task was to collaboratively summarise the article into one paragraph. From there we unpacked a reading we hadn't read and created a Digital Learning Object (DLO) to reflect/teach what the reading was about, using another groups summary as reference.

My group created the below Google Drawing as our DLO, to illustrate Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development. I visioned the ZPD similar to running. We can run on the flat on our own, we need assistance to run uphill, however for many of us rock climbing on our own is way out of our reach and we could fall. Thus, the blue character (myself) is the learner and the others are the teacher and the helping hands.

Our afternoon session intrigued me considerably. We discussed and debated the idea of knowledge and skill. Are knowledge and skill learnt individually, collectively or does one happen as a result of the other? I believe knowledge is learning and discovering new information, and skill is the opportunity to implement, analyse and build upon knowledge. However, I also think knowledge and skill develop as a result of one another both directly and indirectly. If you are interested in this debate, or wish to ponder further, consider reading Greeno, Collins and Resnick's discussion.

(Greeno, J., Collins, A., & Resnick, L. (1996). Cognition and Learning. In: D. Berliner & R. Calfee (Eds.), Handbook of Educational Psychology (15-46). New York: MacMillan.)