BTW, What does he mean by 'hinges and props?'
When I read it I pictured a trunk with a hinged lid propped open. Just like the child in the quote, I recognize their value but I'm not conscious of their full significance. That goes for props, hinges and ZPD!
I'm not knocking readiness level as a worthwhile goal. I'd much rather have the teacher give DD a book to read independently than sit through a lesson on something she's already mastered. After seeing what benny describes as a student advancing 3 or 4 lessons with scaffolding instead of just one, I'm pretty enthusiastic about ZPD.
To do scaffolding right creates incredible time demands on the teacher but hopefully computers can help alleviate some of that. Some of my enthusiasm is tempered by the thought of children spending so much time on computers.
P.S. Found another interesting tidbit about scaffolding:
Yet another important aspect to scaffolding is the relationship it fosters between teacher and student. In order for students to get excited about acquiring new skills, they have to feel comfortable in knowing that the learning atmosphere the teacher will provide will be interesting, level-appropriate, and enriching.
from Teaching Strategy: Exploring Scaffolding by Elvani Pennill here
http://condor.admin.ccny.cuny.edu/~group4/
