Constructivists View of Learning

Chapter 8Pgs: 189-

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ConstructivismO Learning is much more than memory

O Understanding and applicationO The task of education is not to pour

information into student’s heads, but to engage students’ minds with powerful and useful concepts

ConstructivismO Students must individually discover

and transform complex informationO How?

O Comparing new information against old rules and revising rules when they no longer work

O Student centered instructionO Teacher is guide o

Teacher-Centered

Student- Centered

Roots of Constructivism

Piaget Vygotsky

Roots of Constructivism

Piaget & Vygotsky

Cognitive change only

happens when previous

knowledge goes through a process of

Disequilibration

Social nature of learning

Learning

groups

Roots of Constructivism

Piaget & Vygotsky

Cognitive change only

happens when previous

knowledge goes through a process of

Disequilibration

Social nature of learning

Learning

groups

Disequilibration: imbalance between what is understood and what is encountered

Roots of Constructivism

Piaget & Vygotsky

Cognitive change only

happens when previous

knowledge goes through a process of

Disequilibration

Social nature of learning

Learning

groups

Constructivism

Piaget Vygotsky

4 Key Principles from Vygotsky’s Theories

1. Social Learning2. Zone of Proximal Development3. Cognitive Apprenticeship4. Mediated Learning

Social LearningO Children learn through social interaction

O Adults and peersO Exposure to the thinking process of

othersO Problem solvers talk themselves through

problems to solve themO Cooperative groups allow children to

O Hear inner speech to learn how successful problem solvers think through their problems

ZPDO The range of tasks that a child might

not be able to do alone but can do with the assistance of peers or adults

ZPD

Cognitive ApprenticeshipX

Cognitive Apprenticeship

Cognitive ApprenticeshipO The process by which a learner gradually

acquires expertise through interaction with an expertO Adult or Peer (older/more advanced)

O Students are the apprentices of TeachersO Engage students in complex tasksO Help students through the tasks

O Cooperative Learning GroupsO Heterogeneous (more advanced students

help less advanced students)

Mediated LearningOSCAFFOLDINGO Students should be given complex,

difficult, realistic tasks and then given enough help to achieve the tasks

O Support the classroom use of projects, simulations, explorations, and other authentic tasks

O Situated Learning: learning that takes place in real-lode authentic tasks

O Emphasizes learning in depth

Constructivist’s Approach to Teaching

O Top- Down ProcessingO Peer InteractionO Discovery LearningO Self- Regulated LearningO Scaffolding

Key Point: Learning is a process of Self-Discovery

Top-Down ProcessingO Students begin with complex

problemsO Teachers then guide students to

solve itO Process of DiscoveryO Give students a problem and help

them figure out how to do it

Top Down Processing

Top Down Processing

Peer InteractionO Interaction among students the

same ageO Students will more easily discover

and comprehend difficult concepts if they talk with each other about the problem

O Cooperative Learning

Discovery LearningO Learn on their own through active

involvement with concepts and principles

O Teachers encourage students to have experiences and conduct experiments that permit them to DISCOVER principles for themselves

O Knowing is a process not a product

Discovery LearningO Advantages

O Arouses curiosityO Motivates work until the question is

answeredO Students learn independent problem-

solving and critical thinking skillsX

Discovery LearningO Can lead to errors and wasted time,

therefore:O Guided Discovery Learning is more

commonO Teacher plays more of an active role

O Gives clues O Structures portions of an activityO Provide outlines

O Teachers interprets the Treasure Map

Self- Regulated LearningThe Ideal Student:

O Has knowledge of effective learning strategies and how to implement them

O Can break down complex problems into smaller/ simpler steps

O Test out alternate solutionsO Know haw to both skim read and read for deep

understandingO Know how to write persuasively and

informativelyO Motivated by learning itselfO Has the ability to stick to long-term tasks until

completion

Self- Regulated LearningOPossession of Effective Learning

Strategies and the Motivation and Persistence to apply those strategies will most likely create an Effective Learner

OSelf- Regulated Learning strategies have been found to increase student’s achievement

Scaffolding

Learning Under Construction

ScaffoldingO Based on Vygotsky’s concept of

assisted LearningO Teacher is the agent that guides

instruction so that students will master and internalize the skills that permit higher cognitive functioning

O Give students more structure in the beginning and gradually reduce that structure

O Gives students more responsibility in their learning

Scaffolding

Remember the

ZPD?

Constructivists Methods in the Content Area

O ReadingO Reciprocal TeachingO Questioning the AuthorO Concept-Oriented Reading Instruction

O WritingO Math O Science

Reciprocal TeachingO Designed primarily to help low achievers

in elementary and middle school learn reading comprehension

O Teacher works with small groups of students

O Teacher initially generates questionsO Students then are appointed “teacher” to

generate questions for each otherO Research indicates this strategy increases

the success of low achievers

Questioning the AuthorO Ages 3-9O Taught to see the authors of factual

material as real people that they can engage in dialogues with

O As students read they periodically stop to as the author questions

O Students then take it upon themselves to take responsibility for formulating questions of the author’s meaning and intent

O Research indicates that students who use this approach are far more likely to understand the reading rather than just memorize it

Concept Oriented Reading Instruction

O 5 Key Elements1. Content Goals2. Giving Students Choices3. Hands-on Activities in relation to

text4. A variety of informational texts5. Collaboration among students

WritingO Peer-response teams

O Students work together to plan, draft, revise, edit, and “publish” compositions

O Review each other’s drafts and give helpful suggestions for improvement in content as well as an editing eye for mechanics

O The composition should be presented for some authentic purpose

O In the process of responding to others’ compositions, children gain insight into the purpose of writing and revision

MathO Elementary age groups:O Students work together in small

groups O The teacher poses a problem and

then circulates among the groups to facilitate the discussion of strategies, join students in asking questions, and occasionally offering alternative strategies when students are stuck

MathO Supporting Ten- Structured Thinking

O Children use basic-10 blocks to invent procedures for adding and subtracting large numbers

O Problem Centered Mathematics ProjectO Leads children through stages, from

modeling with counters to solving more abstract problems with counters

O Cognitively Guided InstructionO Provides extensive professional development

for teachers of primary mathematics

Math

O Emphasis on beginning with real problems for students to solve intuitively and letting students use their existing knowledge of the world to solve problems any way they can

O At the end of the process, when students have achieved a firm conceptual understanding, they can be taught formal, abstract representations of the mathematical processes they have been working with

ScienceDiscovery, Group Work, and

Conceptual Change

Hands-On, investigative Laboratory Activities

Research in Constructivist Methods

O Seek a Balance between direct instruction and constructivist approaches and use them to accomplish a wide range of objectives

Use a Learning Theory: Constructivism

Works CitedO https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=Xa59prZC5gA