What is activity theory?
A lot is circulating surrounding the reading from this week. Through Vygotsky's work I have had to reexamine the use of tools other than language and there were clear examples given throughout the reading. Activity theory essentially is
a framework for examining the use of tools in our environment. Tools are
examined in a multi-layered approach based on how the tool is used. (Bomer,
2003). Comparable to Meta-theory, Activity theory is using the meaning beyond the set of assumptions to help guide us through unknown territory.
What does it mean to “mediate” activity?
To mediate activity is to make thinking
possible that would be too challenging otherwise. Within the Martinez-Roldan (2003)
article, the teacher creates a mediation by creating goals as a reading teacher. She creates an environment where her hope, for her students, is to leave the classroom with a love of
reading. The curriculum in this classroom was structured around that
goal. The teacher offered students with a variety of opportunities to use
language through reading to activate connections within student's lives. We can
mediate activities, but the meaning of objects, signs, and tools cannot be
"standardized"
because they are multilayered. When engaged in different settings meaning is changing from person to person. This teacher created an environment, but it was important for the students to use the tools available to situate their own meaning.
Reflect on activity theory in your life:
My most recent experience has been with my own boys. They are lovers of books and will listen for long periods while I read to them. When they began school they didn't engage in literacy the way I was seeing at home and I was worried they would not keep that passion. Through experimenting with tools placed inside the classroom their teacher gained their interest using legos. Through these experiences they were creating stories with friends and then individually.They still were writing and wanted to use story telling as their primary tool for communicating their ideas. Every child in the classroom has a draft book:
When the teacher offered their writing to be on paper with squares (like a comic book) they suddenly weren't afraid of writing. Just giving them opportunities in the classroom has fostered a love of literacy and gives them a purpose. From these experiences they have created stories and been inspired from authors that write like them!
I like how your boy's teacher used different tools creatively to engage them, and still get them to love writing which was the goal. It reads to me just like you stated in your observation of the teacher in Martinez-Roldan's (2003) article, "She creates an environment where her hope, for her students, is to leave the classroom with a love of reading".
ReplyDeleteAlso you description of objects, signs, and tools as "multilayered" makes so much sense to me because we sometimes tend to ascribe more meanings to these tools depending on the context we find ourselves in.
Beth,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your thoughts and your boy's work for explaining Activity Theory. As I have shared with you before, I really like that your kids attend a school that fosters their love of literacy and engages them with so many tools. Upon reading what you said about the classroom teacher's actions - "When the teacher offered their writing to be on paper with squares (like a comic book) they suddenly weren't afraid of writing", I am drawn to a quote from the Bomer (2003) article that states, "the teacher also attempted to motivate children to buy into her perspective on tool use by bringing tool-related problems to the class in meeting" (p. 234). I love that the teacher serves as a guide in this instance and provides the tools and hints or suggests how the students might approach it, but ultimately gives students creative license to get to the intended or desired goal on their own.
Beth,
ReplyDeleteYou shared Bomer's (2003) idea that tools are examined in a multi-layered approach based on how the tool is used. Monica's post does a great job explaining how messy this it is and not in the neat concentric circles from the graphic she shared. I think that when working with students, it is challenging to figure out these different layers and what the tool's intended use is. Some are straightforward, like the example Bomer (2003) shared of Cassy, who needed tape to make her book. Cassy had a vision of what a book should look like, different that her peer, Maria. Maria needed the tools of scissors and adult help, Cassy needed her pages to be stuck together and therefore looked for a tool to help mediate her book making activity. You shared a more intricate, or messy, situation with your boys. Your boys were being asked to participate in the literacy activity of writing. When they were given the tools of just paper and pencil, they weren't able to or hesitant to mediate the activity. But luckily, the boys had a teacher who was sensitive to this and was able to find a tool, shapes and the design of a comic book, to help them be able to express their thinking.
This brings me to Martinez-Roldan's (2003) article where Isabel's teacher incorporated fluidity in how students mediated the Book Club activity. Martinez-Roldan (2003) also shows how students mediate the activity in different contexts. Isabel was more likely to share her thinking about her identity through the narrative tool when she was with Spanish-speaking students, but more reserved when she interacted with Spanish and English speaking students. I realized how context can also shape tool use and mediation.
~Sarah