About Me
My name is Konrad Glogowski and I am the voice behind the blog of proximal development. I hold a PhD degree in Curriculum Studies and Teacher Development from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto. My doctoral research focused on the use of blogging communities in education. My principal research interests lie in the field of middle school and adolescent literacy, and teacher education and development, with a specific focus on practitioner inquiry and communities of practice.
My future research plans are to build on the foundations of my PhD research to further explore the effectiveness and impact of computer supported learning environments and knowledge building in online communities both in teacher professional development and adolescent literacy. Given the focus of my doctoral research, I have a particular expertise and interest in activity theory and cognitive apprenticeship models.
About This Blog
This blog takes its title from the concept developed by Lev Vygotsky. The Zone of Proximal Development, as defined by Vygotsky, is
the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers.
The Zone of Proximal Development refers to those skills that are in the process of maturation. Vygotsky refers to these potentialities as “buds” of development.
This blog began as an attempt to document my doctoral research and has gradually transformed into a place where I reflect on issues surrounding adolescent literacy, the use of technology in education, and, specifically, 21st century literacies and the impact of Web 2.0 tools on literacy development.
Occasionally, you will also see entries here that focus on literacy and the culture of reading in developing nations. My interest in this topic stems from my work with Teachers Without Borders, a non-profit NGO devoted to closing the education divide by connecting teachers with each other and with information that helps them play a more active role in their communities.
Contact Me
You can contact me by following this link.
