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7The Constructivist Approach to
teaching and learning
What is Constructivism?
A view of learning based on the belief that knowledge isn't a thing that can simply be given by the teacher at the front of the room to students in their desks.
Students learn by fitting new information together with what they already know
Learners are the builders and creators of meaning and knowledge
Knowledge is constructed by learners through an active, mental process of development
Jean Piaget, 1896-1980
Piaget believed learning occurs by an active construction of meaning, rather than by receiving it passively.
He states," when we, as learners, encounter an experience or situation that conflicts with our current way of thinking, a state of imbalance is created”
We must alter our thinking to restore equilibrium or balance
To do this, we must associate it with what we already know
The developing child must build cognitive structures through the use of …..
Mental maps
Concept maps
Concept maps help us begin with information we are familiar with and branch out to build new ideas.
To further Piaget’s thinking....
We must alter our thinking to restore balance or equilibrium
To do this, we must associate it with what we already know
Piaget’s 4 Stages of Development are…
Sensorimotor stage: (birth-2)
Preoperational: (2-7)
Concrete Operations: (7-11)
Formal Operations: (11-15)
During all development stages, the child experiences his/her environment using whatever mental maps he or she has constructed so far. If the experience is a repeated one it fits easily. For example:
http://www.coe.uga.edu/epltt/Piaget.htm
Please visit this site for two examples relating to Piaget’s stages of development (scroll down!)
Lets move on, shall we? Can any one tell me one reason why constructivism is important?
Fosters critical thinking
Creates active and motivated learners
Students are able to learn through constructing their own understandings
This approach frees teachers to make decisions which enhance and enrich student’s development.
How does the constructivist teacher make this style work?
He/she is flexible
She/he creatively incorporates ongoing experiences with real-life situations
Students work in small groups
Students work individually
Interactive activities become main focus (if materials can be related to an interest of the child, they are more apt to remember them)
What does student-centered mean?
The students are the center of attention, not the teacher
Children are placed in groups, they work together to find meaning
Each student takes on a different objective or part of the assignment or project
They become “experts” on their subject
Students teach one another to become experts on their “piece of the puzzle”
Together, as a whole, the group becomes experts from one another
The teacher = facilitator, guide on the side NOT mentor in the middle
What about the constructivist classroom?" S t u d e n t s s h o u l d b e p re s e n t e d w i t h r e a l l i f e p ro b l e m s a n d t h e n
h e l p e d t o d i s c o v e r i n f o rm a t i o n re q u i re d t o s o l v e t h e m " J o h n D e w e y
As we now know, the environment is a student-centered one
Students are empowered by a teacher who operates as a “guide on the side” vs. a “mentor in the center” or “sage on the stage”
Classrooms are structured so that learners are immersed in experiences with in which they may engage in meaningful………
Inquiry
Action
Imagination
Invention
Interaction
Hypothesizing
Personal reflection
Important roles of the Teacher
Watching
Listening
Asking questions to learn about students
Having the ability to observe and listen to one’s students and their experiences in the classroom contributes to his other ability to use a constructivist approach
A constructivist approach contributes to one’s ability to observe and listen in the classroom.
In conclusion…
Teaching through constructivism would…
1. Allows for students to become engaged with one another
2. Cuts out the “talking head”
3. Children learn through own experiences based on their lives
4. Remember information down the road of life instead of memorization
Resources
Piaget, J. (1977). The development of thought: Equilibration of cognitive structures. (A. Rosin, Trans). New York: The Viking Press.
Rosenblatt, L. (1978). The reader, the text, the poem: The transactional theory of the literary work. Carbondale, !!: Southern Il l inois University Press.
Smith, K. (1993) Becoming the “guide” on the side. Educational Leadership, 51 (2), 35-37.
Zemelman, S., Daniels, H., & Hyde, A. (1993). Best practice: New standards for teaching and learning in America’s schools. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Twomey Fosnot, C. (1989). Enquiring teachers, enquiring learners: A constructivist approach for teaching. New York: Teachers College Press.
McNeil, L. (1986). Contradictions of control: school structure and school knowledge. New York: Routledge.
Mezirow, J. and Associates. (1990). How critical refl ection triggers transformative learning. In J. Mezirow and Associates (1990), Fostering critical refl ection in adulthood: A guide to transformative and emancipatory learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers