1 Teaching and learning relationships in early childhood
In this course we will look at how children's early experiences with their caregivers and peers contribute to the learning of new skills and problem-solving strategies. We will pay special attention to the way talk is used in teaching and learning exchanges as this is the principal means by which older, more experienced members of a society communicate social and cultural practices, knowledge and collective wisdom to younger apprentice learners.
An interview with Harry Daniels
Read the notes below and then listen to the audio clip attached below. You may find it helpful simply to listen to the interview the first time, and then to listen to it again concentrating and making your own notes on the meanings of the concepts and ideas discussed.
An interview with Professor Harry Daniels (MP3, 4.4 MB)
Transcript: Interview with Professor Harry Daniels
In the interview Martin Woodhead asks Professor Harry Daniels to comment on why it is that Vygotsky's ideas have become so attractive in the world of education. His main questions are:
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(a) What is it about Vygotsky's ideas that make them so attractive to education?
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(b) What is it about Vygotsky's ideas that are distinctive?
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(c) Why does Vygotsky emphasise the role of language in development?
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(d) Can Vygotsky's theory be applied to understanding teaching and learning in classroom contexts as well as to understanding simple dyadic interaction?
In the interview Daniels introduces and defines the following key Vygotskian concepts:
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mediation;
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psychological tools and cultural artefacts;
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the zone of proximal development (ZPD);
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appropriation;
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scaffolding.
Try to familiarise yourself with Daniels’ definitions of these concepts.