Wilhelm

      What struck me while reading Wilhelm's article was the fact that it is important for teachers to be able to recognize a theory of learning and be able to answer questions about their theory in order to put it into practice and apply it to teaching. According to the article, an important aspect of this theoretical application is for the teacher to be able to develop methods of articulating their theory to students in order to cultivate critical "readers, writers and thinkers." What I found the most relatable in the beginning of the article is Wilhelm's suggestions that teachers must be able to take a step back and analyze their theory and their methods. It is one thing to know what you want to teach, but it is important to also look at how you are going to teach it, and why in order to foster success of the students.
        Another important and interesting focus was on Vygotsky's idea of "scaffolding" and the importance of establishing teacher-student relationships through an understanding of cognitive development and the role teachers play with this development. According to Vygotsky, it is important to recognize that there are social and cultural aspects of one's cognitive development that are just as present as the biological aspects. For me, I tend to agree that learning is heavily based on these social and cultural aspects. Although environment can play a significant role on student learning, knowledge is something that is acquired through the interactions of students and their expert counterparts. Teachers must work alongside students in order to aid them in their development, but eventually must "release responsibility to the student." Through these interactions, students are able to become independent thinkers. I believe that I have experience this particular learning theory as a student and recognize certain methods in my education courses.