Triadic Scaffolds

Meskill, C. (2005). Triadic scaffolds: tools for teaching English language learners with computers, language learning & technology, pp 46-59, 9

In this article Meskill examines the use of computers in the classroom of English learners. She uses the term triadic scaffolds to mean how the teacher, learner and computer all work together in a classroom to build communicative competence (I’m guessing). One interesting point the teacher that she was observing made was how quickly the learner picked up on the language when working on the computer with the teacher.
After reading the article I felt how WAY behind our k to 1st graders are in technology, simply because the children don’t have access to technology. If they do, it is with the outdated computers that can’t connect to internet or the printer but yet we have all these Ethernet-erbobs hanging from the walls (on all four corners might I say). I can only imagine working on the computer with a 5-year old and how all the new terms the child could acquire. I can only imagine going into Word and instructing the child how to make shapes on a page, and how to enlarge it or make it smaller. I can only imagine printing that page off and instructing that child how to add colors inside the shapes, while the page is printing. I can only imagine giving her the paper and having the child color her paper to match what’s on the screen. Imagine how much language can be spoken there. I can only imagine.