Constructivism

Constructivism

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  Constructivism By: Michelle C.
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  Menu  What Is It?  Key Figures  Use in the Classroom  Practical Applications In My Classroom
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  What Is It?  A theory that states students learn by doing  Theorists believe children are intrinsically motivated to learn  Requires active student participation  Students will form/construct their own understanding
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  What Is It?  Learners base new information on past knowledge  Students learn through many different activities  Involves higher order thinking skills  Employs collaborative learning
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  Key Figures  4 main theorists: Jean Piaget, Jerome Bruner, Lev Vygotsky, and John Dewey  Piaget is the most influential figure  All believed that learning requires active learner participation
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  Jean Piaget  Swiss psychologist  Children learn by seeking to find meaning in the world around them  Students learn by building off what they already know  Construct new meaning based on prior knowledge  Proposed 4 stages children pass through: Sensorimotor, Preoperational, Concrete Operational, and Formal Operational
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  Jean Piaget  Sensorimotor (birth-2 years): Learning through senses and motor actions  Preoperational (2-6 years): Begin to use symbols and images  Concrete Operational (7-11 years): Logical thinking begins; learning through facts  Formal Operational (12-adulthood): Concrete thinking to acstract thinking
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  Jerome Bruner  American Psychologist  Believed learning is constructed based on past knowledge  Technology is key in offering proper learning environment  Employed Socratic method for student analysis of problems
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  Lev Vygotsky  Russian educational psychologist  Added ideas of social cognition to Constructivism  Social cognition is learning influenced by social development  Zone of proximal development: potential a child can achieve with assistance  Emphasized collaborative learning
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  John Dewey  American educational psychologist and philosopher  Learning should engage and expand the experience of learners  Believed education was a social process  Students should play an active role in school
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  Use in theClassroom  Teachers/instructors must become “facilitators”  Facilitators allow students to work through new material  Allow for students to construct their own understanding  Learner plays an active role in their education
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  Use in theClassroom  Facilitators encourage conversations/discussions instead of teacher lecture  Help students with zone of proximal development  Encourage collaborative learning
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  Practical Applications InMy Classroom  Important to create an atmosphere with hands-on activities  Provide multiple methods of presenting material  Use technology as a strategy to assist constructivist learning  Create an emotional connection with material for students
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  Practical Applications InMy Classroom  Allow students to come to answers on their own  True understanding is when students can do something without assistance  Become a facilitator and not just a teacher
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  Photo Credit  Free Digital Photos