#yosso

R2L is literacy immersion and experiential learning that builds from the preexisting knowledge of students. Vygotskian theory of proximal development deals with the term internalization “by which a student first experiences an idea, behaviour, or attitude in a social setting then internalizes experiences” (Doolittle, 1977). The teachers of R2L curate an experience by which students can actively see their own development progress; see their own connections develop into well-formed ideas; see their previous knowledge as imperative to their academic and personal growth. Internalization is further defined as: “[…] the [students’] actively processing an experience, modifying the experience based on past experiences, and then integrating this experience into [their] way of thinking in such a manner that the old way of thinking is changed (or developed)”(Doolittle, 1977). This active processing of an experience is curated from the beginning of the day until home time.

What do the students already know?

Internalization, as pedagogy, first acknowledges what students already know. In a room full of strangers, what does anybody know more than themselves? The first class session gave the students a chance to introduce themselves to each other verbally and through writing. Students were asked to introduce themselves by their first names, name their favourite things to eat; journey to school; favourite item; describe the place they keep their favourite item; name a place they wish they could return to if money and time allowed; name a holiday food, song, or tradition; an everyday activity.

The introduction writing exercise was first done on Post-it notes in point form as a rough draft individually and then drafted their versions to be included in small groups. Four groups of about five students compiled their introductory notes into a large group document that read like a poem where each student’s favourite food, favourite item, everyday experience etc. were organized  by line. The end of the activity called for each group to present their group and the compiled “poem” to the rest of the entire class. The class was then asked to analyze the group by asking them to speculate: how can the group be described? What kinds of activities stand out in the poem? Is there a common theme?

In using existing knowledge, all students, regardless of reading, writing, or verbal communication skills, could see themselves in the capacity to express themselves. Already, students are immersed in the experience and can build from a place of existing knowledge. In processing this experience, students are also developing the skill of organizing thought and modify the thought through the incorporation of collaborative writing. Further, verbal presentation and discussion challenges students to think outside their own practice and critique objectively based off of the experience they just engaged in.

Proximal development is a strategy strung throughout R2L as a way of developing critical thinking and sharing knowledge in objective ways. This strategy has also assisted shy students in asserting their knowledge and shows all students how to develop, organize, and conclude a train of thought in order to present. By sharing peer-to-peer, students can gauge their own development by their own standards and be assisted accordingly. 

This is also a best-practice scenario of pedagogy in praxis. Progressive pedagogy shifts away from instilling social capital into students to the activation of community cultural capital. Community cultural capital is defined as“[…] an array of knowledge, skills, abilities, and contacts possessed and utilized by Communities of Color to survive and resist racism and other forms of oppression” […](Yosso, 2006). Internalization is the utilization of community cultural wealth that allows students of colour to build lenses of critical analyses that can lead to success with tests, but more importantly, helps build confidence in one’s own lived experience.  Cited: Doolittle, P. E. (1997). Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development as a theoretical foundation for cooperative learning. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 8(1), 83-103.