ConstructivismBy Tani

What is Constructivism?Based on a type of learning in which the

learner forms, or constructs, much of what he comprehends

Constructivists agree that students learn by doing

Learning is an active, constructive process, and the learner is an information constructor

New information is linked to prior knowledge

Key PeopleJean PiagetJerome BrunerLev VygotskyJohn Dewey

Key PeopleJean Piaget

Psychologist who observed children for many yearsBelieved children think very differently from adults4 cognitive stages:

1. sensorimotor when learning takes place primarily through the child’s senses and motor actions (egocentric)

2. preoperational children begin to use symbols and images (egocentric)

3. concrete operational children begin to think logically

4. formal operational children transition from concrete thinking to more abstract

While children learn, they create schema cognitive understanding or development at any given time

Key PeopleJerome Bruner

Proposed that learning is an active process in which the learner constructs new ideas or concepts based on his current knowledge

Believed learners are actively engaged in the learning process

Discovery learning inquiry-based; takes place in problem solving situations where the learner draws on his own past experience and existing knowledge to discover facts and relationships and new truths to be learned Explore and manipulate objects Wrestle with questions and controversies Perform experiments

Key PeopleLev Vygotsky

Educational psychologist interested in children’s cognitive development

Developed social cognition theory social interaction precedes development; consciousness and cognition are the end product of socialization and social behavior Zone of proximal development the distance between

a student’s ability to perform a task under adult guidance and/or with peer collaboration and the student’s ability solving the problem independently

Vygotsky encouraged collaborative learning

Key PeopleJohn Dewey

An educational psychologist, philosopher, and political activist

The “Father of American Education”An advocate for child-centered instruction and

educational reformViewed school as a community and an extension of

societyBegan the Laboratory School in 1896 (also known

as the Dewey School)Progressive education educating the whole

child – physically, mentally, and socially

Classroom Implications: Teacher.What does the teacher do under this theory?Constructivism is student-centered. So the

teacher plays the role of facilitator, encouraging and engaging students.

With technologyBecause constructivism is student-centered,

teachers can create technology-based activities such as using Web Quests, scavenger hunts, curriculum pages, and computer game activities

Without technologyThe teacher can create experiments, arts-and-crafts

projects, and worksheets that allow students to be actively engaged. Technology isn’t a necessity in activities such as these.

Classroom Implications: Student.What does the student do under this theory?Students serve as “constructors” and active

learners.With technology

Students could engage in activities such as instructional computer games or perform a search on the Internet.

Without technologyBecause technology is not a factor, students may be

better off working together in collaborate groups to complete a task, such as a worksheet. This would keep them actively engaged.

In reading lessons, students could create their own reading questions and try finding their own solutions

Constructivism:For my own teaching

I believe that constructivism is a viable theory for my classroom. To integrate it into my teaching:I would create collaborate group-based

activitiesTechnology would be important in keeping my

students engaged, interested, and involvedMany lessons and activities would be hands-on

learning experiencesWorksheets would require critical-thinking and

analysis skillsStudents would construct their own questions

and try to find the answers on their own

CreditsTextbook: Teachers Discovering Computers: Integrating

Technology and Digital Media in the Classroom 5th ed.http://www.learning-theories.com/First image: http://www.GraphicsHunt.comSecond image: PowerPoint Clip GalleryThird image: http://www.piaget.org/aboutPiaget.htmlFourth image:

http://bruner.socialpsychology.org/countProfile.php?username=bruner

Fifth image: http://faculty.weber.edu/pstewart/6030/6030.html

Sixth image: http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/agexed/aee501/dewey.html