Applying Knowledge - Scaffolding

I had a conversation with one of my classmates last night who suggested I blog about scaffolding - a selfish request as he wanted to know more about it - knowing that it is one of my big areas of study as I got through my lit review. So instead a just telling you what scaffolding is I will exhibit the true characteristics of Constructivism and set the stage for the learning to happen on your own. We know what scaffolding is when it comes to construction - a temporary framework placed around the perimeter of a structure that assists workers as they build and repair buildings. So if we know this to be true with construction, it should look similar in learning correct? Yes. However, the building materials are very different. When Lev Vygotsky developed his concept of the zone of proximal development, he spoke exactly to scaffolding. As a teacher or leader, we provide a framework that assists our students in learning concepts and give them the opportunities to learn things that may be beyond what some believe to be "potential" or independent ability. So in the true spirit of Constructivism, I will not give you more information, rather let you go and discover more about this subject and create your own learning experiences.