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Importance of constructivism theory to teachers
Constructivist is grounded in what philosophy of teaching
Importance of constructivism theory to teachers
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Constructivism
Constructivism is defined by About.com (2008) as a type of learning theory that explains human learning as an active attempt to construct meaning in the world around us. The site further explains that constructivism divides learning into two types: accommodation and assimilation. The focus is on the individual’s desire and ability to learn, and the teacher or therapist is merely there to help guide self-directed learning. In regards to applying this theory within classrooms teachers must first become competent in what can prevent students from becoming active learners. Why is it that they cannot find meaning in what they learn. Why is it they cannot direct and adjust themselves within lessons and activities. It is a teacher’s duty to find such things out being that for some students this is reality and that they tend to struggle academically because of it. Until teachers can come to the understanding of this their curriculum/lesson planning will be defeated. Once they come into the knowledge of what affects or influences students’ constructive way of thinking, they are able to implement effect teaching methods that will effectively guide students in developing self-teaching mechanisms of learning and application of the material being taught.
Major contributors (if any) &/or Principles/Theories
Ernst von Glasersfield, a radical constructivist, was a well-known advocate for teaching practices that encouraged the learner to be an active participant in his/her learning (Joldersma, 2011). He felt that knowledge was a connection between cognition and mind-independent reality. Von Glasersfield believed that learning, a conceptual activity, requires action by the learner, including reflection, verbalizing, and conversatio...
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I would have to contend that the 21st Century learning skills are a model example of effective instruction. In an ever-changing society it goes without saying that our classroom practices will also be revolutionized. In order to successfully prepare a student to enter in to the world outside of high school we must prepare them for the realities that they will encounter. Rotherham & Willingham (2009) state, “… the skills students need in the 21st century are not new” (p.352). Critical thinking, problem solving, the “mastery of different kinds of knowledge”, and multifaceted analysis are all skills that originated with the traditional school setting (p. 352). “What is actually new is the extent to which changes in our economy and world mean that collective and individual success depends on having such skills” (p. 352). With that being said- as our economy and world continue to transform, as educators, we must also renovate our thinking and teaching in order to put our best foot forward; however, some believe that we will never find perfection in the classroom or in preparing our students and that we must not capitulate to every movement we encounter. Senechal (2010) argues that a movement, such as the 21st Century skills movement, is nothing more than a distractor. She acknowledges that our schools “are in need of repair- but we will not improve them by scorning tradition or succumbing to the “claims of the present”” (p. 370). She states that in order to repair the problems that we are to “seek out excellence, nurture it, defend it, and live up to it. We must be willing to lift the levels of the subjects we teach…” (p.370). Perhaps I am reading too much, or too little, into this statement but I would...
Constructivism is a theory of learning that emphasizes the active construction of knowledge by individuals.
Von Glaserfield (1990) acknowledged that constructivism means “knowledge is not passively received.” Piaget (1973) stated that students are not just “empty heads” that can be filled with facts from packaged curriculum that is given out my teachers. Constructivism does not depend on a standardized curriculum. Instead, it promotes using curriculum customized to the students’ prior knowledge. Also, it emphasizes real world problem solving, experiments, reasoning and communication (Au & Carrol , 1997). Constructivism gives students the power to make connections, reformulate ideas, and reach conclusions (Brewer & Daane, 2002). After school programs often focus on teac...
Teaching theories are as much part of the classroom as the student and the teacher. The effect individual theories have on an environment depends how they are incorporated within the classroom in addition to the influence they have had on the curriculum construction. This essay will briefly look at how motivation theory, cognitive and social cognitive theory along with constructivism have impacted on education and the classroom.
Freire states (2000), without dialogue there is no commitment, and without communication there can be no true education (p. 92). Constructivist teaching is based on the belief that learning occurs as learners are actively involved in a process of meaning and knowledge construction as opposed to passively receiving information. Learners are the makers of meaning and knowledge. Without that dialogue learning is meaningless you are just filling an empty vessel. True learning is an open dialogue of debating back in forth about the topic and that creates a deeper
John Dewey once said, “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” You may ask why John Dewey should be given merit for anything he says. In truth, John Dewey was one of the biggest supporters of constructivism in classroom. On a basic level, constructivism is described as learning by doing. This concept, while not necessarily new, is considered progressive. Today, we will explore the history and details of this concept, analyze how constructivism effects the modern classroom, and wrap it up with some concluding remarks.
Brooks, J. G., Brooks, M. G. (1999). In Search of Understanding: The Case of Constructivist Classrooms, with a new introduction by the authors. Retrieved from http://site.ebrary.com/lib/ashford/Doc?id=10078162&ppg=28
In a social constructivist view on learning the brain is a complex, flexible, ever changing organism that reshapes itself in response to challenge (Abbott & Ryan, 2001). Constructivism view is that knowledge is obtained and understood through a student’s mental framework (Abbott & Ryan, 2001). Learning is not a passive process but it is a deliberate and progressive process that deepens meaning (Abbott & Ryan, 2001). The student does not only reply on a teachers lectures but also on their interactions with the environment around them (Abbott & Ryan, 2001). In this view it is important that the teacher sees the student as the centre of teaching endeavours, by assisting them to obtain information they can integrate into their already known knowledge. There are many ways that a teacher can assist their students, one example is Scaffolding. Scaffolding is where a teacher provides students with just enough help in order to complete the tasks themselves, then over time decreasing the amount of help so that a student can master this themselves.
A teacher’s responsibilities are to ensure that every student gets the education that they deserve from a well-structured curriculum and materials. Within the teacher’s responsibilities a strong foundation of instruction has to be implemented, this is why instructional strategies are significant in a teacher’s career. The strategies for instruction vary from teacher to teacher; as a result there are no specific ways to employ strategies within instruction. The main purpose of this essay is to display knowledge of methods that are involved in teaching second language instruction for various ages and levels of students. This essay will also develop from the following components that methods and techniques are important to encourage tactical instructional strategies. These components are comprehensible input, feedback that is on-going, specific and immediate, grouping structures and techniques, building background and vocabulary development along with student engagement.
Pro: By using a constructivist approach to teaching, students will be “fully engaged in their own learning” (Rhinehart Neas). This allows the students to make sense of what they are doing by relating it to the real world and where they could use the information in their future.
Among many teaching styles and learning theories, there is one that is becoming more popular, the constructivist theory. The constructivist theory focuses on the way a person learns, a constructivist believes that the person will learn better when he/she is actively engaged. The person acts or views objects and events in their environment, in the process, this person then understands and learns from the object or events(P. Johnson, 2004). When we encounter a certain experience in our life, we think back to other things that have occurred in our life and use that to tackle this experience. In a lot of cases, we are creators of our own knowledge. In a classroom, the constructivist theory encourages more hands-on assignments or real-world situations, such as, experiments in science and math real-world problem solving. A constructivist teacher constantly checks up on the student, asking them to reflect what they are learning from this activity. The teacher should be keeping track on how they approached similar situations and help them build on that. The students can actually learning how to learn in a well-planned classroom. Many people look at this learning style as a spiral, the student is constantly learning from each new experience and their ideas become more complex and develop stronger abilities to integrate this information(P. Johnson, 2004). An example of a constructivist classroom would be, the student is in science class and everyone is asking questions, although the teacher knows the answer, instead of just giving it to them, she attempts to get the students to think through their knowledge and try to come up with a logical answer. A problem with this method of learning is that people believe that it is excusing the role of...
Today I used a variety of instructional delivery methods to ensure that my students were able to accomplish the learning targets. Having different modes of instruction (direct instruction, individual writing, pair-share, small group discussion, large group discussion, etc.) allows students to demonstrate learning in a variety of ways. If students do not master a key skill, it also provides students to relearn, rework, and rethink key concepts. This type of instructional design also encourages engagement as it appeals to multiple learning styles and builds in time for me to interact with students in multiple ways (including one-on-one) (IE: Chloe can be quieter. I was able to touch base her to make sure that she understood the abstract vs. concrete exercise). Using multiple instructional delivery methods also provides me with opportunities to personally motivate students to be active in their learning (IE: Emily is very creative and likes small group work. IE: Taylor likes politics and would grasp the global climate change example IE: Big Mike works best when he has time to think individually before responding to a group. A notes handout helps him process key ideas before feeling pressured to apply them. IE: Several students enjoy speaking in large groups. Asking for examples and group participation appeals to the sense of camaraderie in the class).
In order for learning to take place in the classroom the teacher has to put in place an effective teaching and learning strategy. Being an effective teacher is not something that can be achieved instantaneously but rather something that has to be continuously developed and improved upon over time. Petty mentions how good teachers are not born but rather make themselves and that effective teaching comes from learning from your mistakes and successes. Petty, p. 516, 2009. This process involves teacher reflection and assessment of the effectiveness of different teaching strategies used in the classroom. It is only then that teachers can learn and advance themselves.
We must first look at the need for a constructivist approach in a classroom, to do this we think back to our days in primary school and indeed secondary school where textbooks we like bibles. We were told to take out our books, look at the board, and now complete the exercise on page z. This approach in a class is repetitive, the teacher holds authoritarian power and learning is by no means interactive. “In a traditional classroom, an invisible and imposing, at times, impenetrable, barrier between student and teacher exists through power and practice. In a constructivist classroom, by contrast, the teacher and the student share responsibility and decision making and demonstrate mutual respect.” (Wineburg, 2001) This approach focuses on basic skills and strict adherence to the curriculum. Children are being forced to learn through repetit...
TASK: Assess four teaching methods and strategies used in your school and discus innovations that should take place to make them more effective and learner centred.