1. Lev Vygotsky

2. BIOGRAPHY
Lev Vygotsky was born in Orsha, a city in the western region of the Russian Empire. He attended Moscow State University, where he graduated with a degree in law in 1917.
Formal work in psychology did not begin until 1924 when he attended the Institute of Psychology in Moscow and began collaborating with Alexei Leontiev and Alexander Luria.
Wrote Thought and Language & The Historical Meaning of the Crisis in Psychology
Died June 11, 1934

3. LANGUAGE Language is a symbolic system by which we communicate.
Second Signal System -- Vygotsky believed that we encode and represent our world through language.
Language is a symbolic system by which we communicate.
Language is a cultural tool. History and culture are transmitted through language.
Our thoughts are based on language -"inner speech"
Social Interaction plays an important role in the transformation and internalization processes.
social plane -Vygotsky argued that development first takes place on a social plane. The child observes the parents' behavior, listens to the parents' speech, and tries to imitate. The parents guide the child in his/her efforts, making corrections when needed and providing greater challenges when appropriate.
internal plane -- as the child becomes more competent information becomes internalized. For example, language is now represented in the mind as thought or inner speech.

4. Zone of Proximal Development
The range of tasks between one’s actual development level and one’s level of potential development.
The range of tasks that one cannot perform independently but can perform with the help and guidance of others.

5. ZPD DIAGRAM ZPD Can solve w/help or Cannot solve “scaffolding” problem
independently
ZPD

6. ACTIVITY
ARE YOU READYYYYY?

7. What letter is missing in this series?
ZPD IN ACTION
B C D E I K O X
Work by yourself...

8. DID YOU FUGIRE IT OUT
TRY WORKING
WITH A PARTNER

9. NEED SOME HELP?
The solution to this kind of pattern guessing question has to do with the physical properties of the given letters, objects, or figures.
ANY IDEAS NOW?

10. ANSWER! H B C D E I K O X B C D E I K O X
When you flip the letters vertically, you still have the same letters.
B C D E I K O X
B C D E I K O X H

11. WHATS THE MISSING LETTER?
TRY ANOTHER
A H I M O U V W X Y

12. WHEN YOU FLIP THE LETTERS VERTICALLY YOU GET THE SAME LETTER
ANSWER! T

13. Vygotsky’s Assumptions
Children perform more challenging tasks when assisted by more advanced individuals.
Learning mostly takes place in ZPD not in working independently.
Complex mental processes begin as social processes that children gradually internalize and use independently.
Thought and language become increasingly interdependent – private speech.

14. CLASSROOM Implications for teachers: 1. Encourage self-talk
2.Provide support and assistance
3. Small groups for complex tasks