Comparative Analysis of Two Learning Environments - Essay Example

Comparative Analysis of Two Learning Environments Introduction Environments suitable for learning vary and are unlimited. The changing environments are aimed at ensuring the child undertakes a continuous learning process. Teachers and parents play part in ensuring the students effectively utilize these environments to enhance their learning and literacy activities. To enhance learning the students need to identify their role in all environments. The comparative analysis will focus on two environmental settings, the classroom and home settings. It will also focus on the ability of the student to apply their cognitive skill and will determine pedagogy of literacy applicable in two different environments. The comparative analysis will focus on two transcripts one designed in a school and a classroom setting and the other transcript is designed to suit home setting. From these transcript a discussion on how the scaffold cycle is applicable in various environmental settings. The conversation and interactions in the essay will be the focus of the discussion. Cognitive skills The first transcript involves a dialogue between a Sarah and her mother and later owns her aunt joins the conversation. The eggs are used to test Sarah’s cognitive skills. Sequences of question suggest the nature in which children acquire this skill (O’Neill, 2009). The child has the ability to identify their surrounding and apply their literacy capability to differentiate what he knows from new elements. The foreign elements are essential in designing pedagogy. Cognitive skills are all about knowing the soundings and children relates to these new elements to prior knowledge acquired in different settings (Byrnes & Wasik, 2009). Sarah understanding and interpretation of the questions asked by the mother shows her ability to connect school concepts to the different questions asked by her mother. The child needs to study the environment and be able to recognize the new elements being introduced. The ability to recognize the language being used in different settings assists the child to recognize the new elements. The child is able to respond effectively to her mother and is able to counter any complex scenario introduced by her mother. The concept also is illustrated in transcript two where the students effectively respond to questions that indirectly relate to the book understudy. The general concepts of the student’s relate directly to their cognitive skills. They use the text to draw lifetime experiences. The first transcript reflects the on the ability of Sarah to relate the surrounding to the text. Sarah’s dialogue with her aunt shows a balance approach to literacy. The gingerbread in the baskets relates to the gingerbread man storybook bought by the aunt. Sarah is able to relate and predict the outcome of the novel (O’Neill, 2009). The similarities between the gingerbread man and the illustration at the cover of the novel acts is used by the child to prepare her read the novel. At the stage, Sarah is involved in connecting the surrounding to the text. The concept allows the child to effectively break the code as the print in the book would be effectively be related to the book (O’Neill, 2009). The concept is applicable in transcript two where the teacher engages the student after reading the text. It allows the students to elaborate what they understand form the text and their own interpretation of concept in the book. The concept allows the teacher to gauge and access the progress of the child before introducing new elements. Scaffolding interactional cycle The scaffolding interactional cycle consist of three cycles, which are visible in both transcripts one and two. The first aspect of the cycle involves prepare which is a concept that entails the role of the child together with designed pedagogy to enhance the child’s understanding of literacy and language (Lowe et al. 2013). The first transcript elaborates this concept in it the aunt brings along the ginger man biscuits in an attempt to prepare Sarah towards the reading of the text. The same concept portrayed by her mother as he prepares with a series of eggs by arranging eggs (O’Neill, 2009). Sarah is involved in the preparation a concept adopted in the second transcript where teacher Hammond where he involves the students in the analysis of the book before engaging them in conceptualizing of the content of the story (O’Neill & Gish, 2008). The second aspect of the cycle involves the identification process where the child is able to apply his or her cognitive skills and relates the concepts in the book, as it is evident on transcript two where the students respond effectively to questions but across by Mr. Hammond (O’Neill & Gish, 2008). Answers given differ in theory indicating the concept of diversity in designing pedagogy of literacy. The teacher allows the student to respond freely to questions and issues surrounding the book. The teacher has set an environment where the students are at liberty to experience and practice their cognitive skills. The aunt in transcript two indicates the home set up which initiates the continuous process in which both the parents and teachers needs to subject to the student. The third concept in the scaffolding cycle is the elaboration aspect. The teachers design their plans and responds based on the cognitive skills demonstrated by the students in the identification process. The teacher in the second transcript allows the students to give their own account of concepts in the book and later on uses these concepts to ascertain their logical application (Lowe et al. 2013). The teacher’s responds are what the third concept of the cycle entails. At the stage, the students are to give maximum attention to what the teacher has to define. The teacher explains the technical concept and defines terms that are difficult to conceptualize. The three stages of the cycle demonstrate applicability in both school and home setting with the outcome assessed by determining the ability of the student to respond effectively to questions related to the text (Byrnes & Wasik, 2009). The students are also involved in the elaboration stages of the cycle in different settings. Sarah’s mother in the first transcript involves her daughter in defining concepts surrounding the eggs and its distribution (O’Neill, 2009). The teacher engages the students in transcript two, allowing the students to learn from each other. He intercepts in between each students response with an aim of substantiating the students concepts and introducing elements that are ignored in the student’s response. The second transcript defines the relationship between the teacher and the student. The classroom setting demonstrates the teacher’s ability to involve the students in each discussion expressed by the students (Rose, 2005). The initial cognitive concepts are enhanced by the cultural practices surrounding the students. Sarah in the first transcript indicates a culture in which the student is engaged in a continuous learning process beyond the schooling hours. She is able to relate lifetime activities to studies she undertaken. The home setting identifies the student’s ability to conceptualize literacy (McCarty et al 2014). Pedagogy of literacy is driven from the prior knowledge and understanding portrayed by the child prior to introduction of new concepts. The progressive learning process by the students enhances the student’s interaction with literature materials and their immediate environment. The cycle is applicable in various environments as illustrated in the two setting with both transcripts indicating the three elements of the cycle. School and class pedagogy The school pedagogy should allow the students a chance to operate in various environments and integrate different learning concept to guide the teacher and the students towards their learning process. The various curriculums and directions from the school administration and the government influence the school pedagogy (Byrnes & Wasik, 2009). The class pedagogy as illustrated in the second transcript is designed depending on various elements. It is adjust to accommodate different students need (Collins & Blot, 2003). The second transcript indicates a scenario in which the students are directly involved in their study. The concept allows the students to draw concepts from three dimensions. The first concept of the pedagogy bases on the student’s own interpretation of a given concept. The second concept is the teacher who defines the environment and corrects the students where possible (Lowe et al. 2013). The third concept is the other students where the students combine different thoughts to give a unified conclusion. The pedagogy dwells majorly on diversity and the ability of the student to define his or her immediate environments (Lowe, et al. 2013). Conclusion The two transcripts represent two environments that the scaffold cycle works. The transcripts illustrate the unlimited scenarios in which the concept become applicable. The role of children in these settings is the ability to identify their cognitive skills. The teachers and other educators use the cognitive skills in designing pedagogy. The classroom setting gives room for diversity with students being allowed to define concept based on their understanding and a conclusion drawn based on these concepts (Rose, 2005). The teacher in this setting freely engages the students. The home settings only allow the students to think based on a limited environment and application based on defined surrounding. The teachers are at liberty to adjust the teaching plan based on the caliber of the students. The students have a defined role and dialogue between the two parties essential in enhancing learning. The various models employed in language and enhancing literacy bases on environmental settings and the relationship between the students and the educator or the parent. Reference Byrnes, J. P. &. Wasik, B. A. (2009). Language and Literacy Development: What Educators Need to Know. New York: Guilford Press. Collins, J. & Blot, R.K.(2003).Literacy and Literacies: Texts, Power, and Identity. Melbourne: Cambridge University Press. Lowe, K., Shaw, K. & Kitson, L. (2013). Literacy in Australia: Pedagogies for Engagement. Queensland: John Wiley & Sons Australia, Limited. McCarty, T. L.,  Watahomigie, L. J., Dien, T., Perez, B. & Torres-Guzman,M.(2014). Sociocultural Contexts of Language and Literacy. London: Taylor & Francis. O’Neill, S. & Gish, A. (2008). Teaching English as a second language. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press. O’Neill, S. (2009). Transcript 1, Home parent-child interactive talk, Unpublished resource Rose, D. (2005). Democratising the classroom: literacy pedagogy for the new generation. Journal of Education, 37, 131-167. Read More