ConstructivismShelly Wilke & Christy Boyle

Constructivism: What is it?

✖ Learning is an active, constructive process.✖New knowledge is linked to one’s schema.✖ Students are prompted to formulate their own

questions.✖Group work is encouraged

How does Learning occur?✖Learning is an integrated process✖Information is gathered from one’s

environment and then applied to what they already know.✖Collaboration with other learners ✖Learners seek out meaning for that

they are learning.

LINK FOR VIDEO

What is Thinking to this Theory?✖Learners need to think beyond

simple information gathering.Use critical thinking skills to solve a

problemProblem Solve

✖Think outside the boxHigher level of Bloom's Taxonomy.

Locus of Control

✖ Learner is the active constructor of knowledge- they are making meaning of the world surrounding them.

✖The teacher should provide a complex and realistic learning environment which will challenge the learner to solve problems.

The teacher needs to support the learner’s efforts and encourage them to reflect.

How Does Constructivism Apply to “My” Learning Theory?✖ Shelly: Constructionism really jives with my

learning philosophy. With teaching engineering, there are a lot of concepts that students don’t grasp unless they can really see them. Most of our courses are focused on authentic problem solving. I have also found that I have learned better when I am engaged in an open ended problem that allows me to choose what direction to take, based on interest, as well as discover myself what works and what doesn’t.

✖ Christy: I feel that allowing students to choose what they want to learn about is important. This will allow them to be interested in what they are learning about. I feel that the educator needs to guide the learning and support the content in which is taught and also allow students time to reflect to improve their learning for next time. I love the fact that this theory allows for more complex learning. I feel that memorizing facts is not learning.

✖ Becki:Another area where constructivism and my personal belief system match is with the idea that learners should be challenged. This philosophy does not allow learners to sit idly by. They are given a rigorous task, which will create engagement.

✖ Sami: My personal theory agrees with Constructivism because I think it is important for the learners to make sense of their world. I often use real life examples during instruction such as using egg cartons to discuss arrays. I try my best to have the students tell me about the subject and encourage them along the way.

Tips to Make this Environment work

✖Create authentic problems

✖Construct a relevant learning environment

✖Provide opportunity for social interaction

✖Encourage ownership in learning

Learning Scenario✖ Shelly: I am the advisor of a robotics club. Each

year the challenge presented for the students to solve is different. Once the challenge is revealed, students have to research and brainstorm to create a strategy, then based on what goals they are focusing on, design a robot to accomplish this task. Currently the students are experimenting with different lift mechanisms to see which will work best. The whole process keeps cycling, and the students add more and more knowledge about mechanical advantage, programming and simple machines as they go.

✖ Christy: In a math class in a Kindergarten classroom, students were asked to measure the length of a specific object. Instead of handing out rulers immediately, the teacher allowed the class to construct their own methods of measuring. Some students talked about how they were 3 ft tall and then laid down next to the object to get a sense of how long it was.

✖ Becki:Students are not asked to simply memorize addition and subtraction facts. They are expected to gain a deeper knowledge of these concepts as the year progresses. They are expected to take basic addition principles to solve multi-step real world mathematics problems.

✖ Sami: An example of Constructivism is in a Professional Development setting for teachers each were assigned one part of the Danielson model. They were considered the experts. They then had to explain it to the rest of the class in some form, for example, song, dance, poster, video just to name a few.