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CONSTRUCTIVISM: A LEARNING THEORY
By Alexis
Based on a type of learning in which the learner forms or constructs, much
of what he or she learns or comprehends
Constructivist theory
Key Ideas
Students learn by doing Learning is a search for meaning,
students need issues they want to understand
The learning is centered around primary concepts
Teachers need to encourage students to discover concepts by themselves
Jean Piaget (1896-1980)
Believed children think differently than adults
Felt children were active learners and didn’t need motivation to learn
Defined four cognitive stages:
Sensorimotor
• Birth to 2 years
• Imitation, learn things through senses and motor activities, don’t understand the world around them
Preoperational
• 2 to 6/7 years
• Egocentric, pretend play, drawing ability, speech and communication development, concrete thinking, and intuitive reasoning
Concrete Operational
• 6/7 to 11/12 years
• Classification, logical reasoning, problem solving, and beginnings of abstract thinking
Formal Operational
• 11/12 years through adulthood
• Comparative reasoning, abstract thinking, deductive logic, and test hypotheses
Jerome Bruner (1915 - )
Proposed learning is an active process based on current or past knowledge
Believed constructivist learners are participatory
Felt the teacher’s role should be to encourage students through exploration of inquiry
Thought that curriculum should be organized in a spiral, so students continually build on information they already learned
Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934)
Developed social cognition Believed learning was influenced
significantly by social development Thought children have a zone of proximal
development (difference between the problem solving ability that a child has learned and the potential they can achieve with help from a more advanced peer)
Felt students needed to work together so they can share different perspectives
Proposed teachers should learn each child’s cognitive/social development and then teach them from that information
John Dewey (1859-1952)
Believed education was a social process Founded a school called the University
Elementary School and felt it should be viewed as an extension of society
Viewed learning as student-directed with a teacher serving as a guide for resources
He thought that students learn by doing and should be allowed to construct, create, and actively inquire
Broadened the curriculum and inspired teachers to use other forms of learning such as through science experiments and manipulative
Has been called by some the Father of American Education because of his influence in classrooms today
What does the teacher do?
With Technology Have them do projects with primary data on the
computer Allow the students to write the answers to open
ended questions using a word processor
Without technology Here is an example of constructivism in a
classroom. Ask follow up questions Give students time to answer questions
What do students do?
With technology Looking up information using the internet Using computer software to make a
presentation Doing a virtual science experiment on the
web or through a program Without technology
Working in a group of other students Asking a difficult question to a teacher Building with Lego pieces to make a car
I believe when I become a teacher I will use constructivism a lot. I feel that students learn better when they are involved in the classroom and not just listening to lectures. Also, working in a group allows social skills to develop and as a student, it helps you realize what you’re good at.
My Opinion:
Credits
Images http://ludricus.files.wordpress.com/2009/04
/jean_piaget1.jpg http://faculty.weber.edu/pstewart/images/m
edallist_bruner.jpg http://faculty.weber.edu/pstewart/images/v
ygotsky.jpg http://
www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/spcl/centcat/fac/images/faculty_img18_lrg.jpg
Information http://www.ndt-ed.org/TeachingResources/C
lassroomTips/Constructivist%20_Learning.htm