User:Sfitc004

How can constructivism be used in a Classroom?

By: Sarah Twiford

Ms. Smith teaches her first grade class about the construction of a sentence. Each week the class is given new words to put on the word tree. To create a larger word tree, the students create new sentences on their own using their new weekly words. Then together as a class the students and Ms. Smith will discuss the new sentences and decide which ones should be used for the word tree. Ms. Smith uses constructive theory teaching to create a positive English lesson in the classroom.

Where did constructivism come from?

Bruner introduced the theory of instruction in 1966. Piaget researched childhood development and education in 1967. Piaget believed that childhood development was connected with cognitive learning. (Constructivism, 2008, paragraph 1)Bruner had four main aspects to his theory of learning. One, predisposition towards learning, Two, the ways in which a body of knowledge can be structured so that it can be most readily gasped by the learner, Three, the most effective sequences in which to present material, and Four, the nature and pacing of rewards and punishments.(Constructivism Theory J.Bruner, 1996, paragraph 3) These two philosophers, along with ideas and theories from others, like Vygotsky and Dewey, became the learning theory, constructivism.

What is Constructivism?

The constructivist learning theory states that students use cognitive processes to construct knowledge or understanding of the material to be learned. The student is the key to learning. Constructivism is the way a student is able to build on knowledge to understand and develop new concepts. Bruner’s three main principles of constructivism are: readiness- instruction must be concerned with the experiences and contexts that make the student willing and able to learn. Spiral organization- instruction must be structured so that in can be easily grasped by the student and going beyond the information given- instruction should be designed to facilitate extrapolation and or fill in the gaps. (Constructivism, 2003, paragraph 8) Constructivism is the concept that by reflecting on our own experiences, we construct our own rules and modules of how to do something. From there we try to construct a new way to develop on old idea and module it to our liking. As a student, one most understand the whole concept first. Then the student will be able to construct new meaning. The teacher needs to understand the conception of the student, so the teacher is able to guide the student along. (Constructivism learning intervention, 2008, paragraphs 3-5)

How to use Constructivism as a Teaching Theory.

Constructive teaching is based on the recent research about the human brain and what is known about how learning occurs. The two main types of constructivism are social constructivism and cognitive constructivism. Social constructivism emphasizes on how meanings and understandings grow out of social encounters. Cognitive constructivism is about how the individual learner understands things, in terms of developmental stages and learning styles. This is greatly explained through Piaget. He has a developmental stage called accommodation. This is when a person has knowledge in their head and the person comes across new knowledge. That person will reconstruct the ideas within their head to accommodate the new ideas. In a classroom, the curriculum should not be standardized. It should be related to the students prior knowledge of a subject and emphasize on hands on problem solving. The teacher should focus mainly on making connections between facts and encouragement with new understandings from the students. Teaching strategist should be structured toward encouraging students to analyze, interpret, and predict information. (Constructivism, Instructors as facilitators, 2008, paragraphs 1-2) David Jonassen, a theorist, identified three major roles for a facilitator to support students in constructivist learning environments; modeling, scaffolding and coaching. (Constructivist teaching methods, 2008, paragraph 8) A great technique should be open-ended questions and extensive dialogue with the student. As for assessments, the student should assess themselves. The teacher should not create structured tests for the student. The student needs to judge themselves.

How to use Constructivism as a Learner.

Constructive learning should be based on the concepts of question or issue, case study, long term project or problem (multiple cases and projects integrated at curriculum level). This idea of constructive learning is stated by theorist, David Jonassen. (Constructivist teaching methods, 2008, paragraph 10) Students learn content theory through solving problems. Social constructivism is more widely recognized and accepted by both the teacher and the learner. A learner will use social constructivism to emphasize a discussion on creating and developing their own ideas of a concept. Learners with difficult skills and learning disabilities should collaborate in tasks and discussions in order to arrive at a shared understanding of the specific concept. (Constructivist teaching methods, 2008, paragraph 11) The student will assess themselves through oral discussion. The teacher should present the focus question and the students should accommodate the idea and develop on it. Another great constructive technique is hands on activities. Students seem to correspond better and grasp a concept quicker through hands on activities.

Key terms for the teacher and the learner to use with Constructivism

Key Terms: •	Meaningful Learning •	Discovery Learning •	Situated Learning •	Thinking about Thinking •	Holistic Approach •	Problem-Solving •	Case-Based •	Simulation •	Reflection •	Learner Controlled •	Teacher Facilitation

Key Phrases: •	Emphasize on learning not teaching •	Encourage and accept learners initiatives •	Think of learning as a process •	Nurture learners natural curiosity •	Takes the learner’s mental module into account •	Encourage learners to engage in dialogue with others •	Support co-operative learning •	Involves learners in real world situations •	Considers the beliefs and attitudes of the learners •	Encourages learners inquiry (http://hagar.up.ac.za/catts/learner/lindavr/lindapg1.htm)

Arguments and Misunderstandings behind Constructivism.

In contrast to behaviorism, constructivism focuses on process of learning rather than on learning behavior. (Becoming A Teacher, 2004, Chapter 3 page 90) Some observers of teaching theories confuse the concepts. Behaviorism is a theory of learning as nothing more than the acquisition of new behavior.(Behavorism, 1998-2001, paragraph 1) Experiments done to develop the theory include conditioning, both classic conditioning and behavioral conditioning. This theory relies on the observable behavior not the observation of the learning within the behavior. (Becoming A Teacher, 2004, Chapter 3 page 90) Other fields of study have had their authors voice their opinion on the central claims of constructivism. Groups of cognitive scientist have questioned the central concept, saying they are either misleading or contradicting known findings. Zhu and Simon (1987) state that because the emphasis is not based on acquiring and practicing basic skills, students in constructive classrooms tend to lag behind those in traditional classrooms in these areas. (Constructivist teaching methods, 2008, paragraph 11) What about the strong willed students who take over discussions? Does that mean students are being left out? Is there a way for the students to equally address concepts and have amble information to add? As a future teacher I hate to see a student get lost in the shuffle. Is there a way to have a more standard style of teaching with constructivism as a basis? Here are some concept questions I have thought of.

Summary

Constructivism is a learning theory that has been introduced by some of the greatest psychological theorists of the world; Piaget, Dewey, Vygotsky, and Bruner. Together they have created a theory that has the student as the main focus of learning, not only as the leaner but as the teacher to ones’ self and peers. Constructivism is a theory of perception and analysis. Students are to assess themselves and accommodate the knowledge around them. Teachers are there for the student as a guiding tool. The teacher is to give an initial idea and have the students explore their thoughts. A holistic approach to learning is great way to explain and understand constructivism.

References  1.“Behaviorism” (1998-2001). Fuderstanding. Febuary 1st, 2008. http://www.funderstanding.com/constructivism.cfm

2.“Constructive Theory (J. Bruner)” (1996). The Culture of Education, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. http://tip.psychology.org/bruner.html

3.“Constructivism (learning theory)” (Revision January 6th, 2008). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Febuary 1st, 2008 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructivism_%28learning_theory%29

4.“Constructivism” (1998-2001). Fuderstanding. Febuary 1st, 2008. http://www.funderstanding.com/constructivism.cfm

5.“Constructivism” Huitt, W. (2003). Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved [date], from http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/cogsys/construct.html

6.Educating Everybody's Children: Increasing Interest, Motivation, and Engagement. ASCD. 2001. unitedstreaming. 3 February 2008 http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/

7.Parkay, Forrest W. and Beverly Hardcastle Standford. Becoming A Teacher-6th Edition. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.

Questions

1.Which teaching style is considered a constructive teaching method?

A. The teacher has the students write an essay on nature.

B. The teacher has the students in groups discussing a topic of their choice, related to nature.

C. The teacher has the students practice spelling words.

D. The teacher has the students take a test at the end of each semster to assess their learning.

2.Which two philosophers are mainly resposible for the Costructivism Theory?

A.Piaget and Dewey

B.Dewey and Bruner

C.Bruner and Piaget

D.Dewey and Vygotsky

3.What style of learning falls under Constructivism?

A. Having the teacher give you a word for word assignment.

B. Going along with the other students and not giving an opinion.

C. Having your own opinion and let other student critique it.

D. Not contributing to a class discussion.

4. What are some problems with Constructivism?

A. Scientist feel theat constructive learning is appropriate for all grade levels.

B. Students in constructive classrooms tend to lag behind those in traditional classrooms in these areas.

C. Children have no problems follow along.

D. All of the Above

'''5. Ms. Smith teaches her first grade class about the construction of a sentence. Each week the class is given new words to put on the word tree. To create a larger word tree, the students create new sentences on their own using their new weekly words. Then together as a class the students and Ms. Smith will discuss the new sentences and decide which ones should be used for the word tree. Ms. Smith uses constructive theory teaching to create a positive English lesson in the classroom. Whaich one(s) is the constructive teaching theory?'''

A. Ms. Smith teaches her first grade class about the construction of a sentence.

B. Together as a class the students and Ms. Smith will discuss the new sentences and decide which ones should be used for the word tree.

C. Ms. Smith gives the class is given new words to put on the word tree each week.

D. Non of the Above

Answers

1.B

2.C

3.C

4.B

5.B