I appreciate the scaffolding metaphor, (although it makes one think of a gallows t00) but it evokes a narrow defintiion of how students learn and think. Also, the emphasis on"tasks" and "staying on task" paints a picture of students as factory workers. Students learn to "climb" but they can also learn to investigate and explore without being subjected to the hidden curriculum of intellectual obedience. This may include passive acceptance to the opinions of their teachers. Students, and even children, should be encouraged to think for themselves. There should far more emphasis in thinking as part of the scaffold metaphor.
