Constructivist Theory of teaching

Constructivist Theory of teaching Presentation by Daniel McCloud Tara LeQuire Leslie Mitchum Nate Prior Leslie Murillo

Overview of Theory • Concerned with Individual Cognitive Development • Hands-on instruction • Student centered • Lets students show what they have learned in different ways • Knowledge is constructed, not transmitted • Student do activities that help them generate their own knowledge • The constructivist theory of learning is congruent with both concept attainment and concept development. • People have different views of situations. • Shaped by experience • personal experience, culture, past learning, and worldview. • Knowledge to the constructivist means how does the learner construct meaning?

In Simpler terms… The opposite of this

The Major Theorists Jerome Bruner John Dewey Jean Piaget Lev Vygotsky

John Dewey (1859 – 1952) • Believed that children needed to learn via practice and application to real-world events • Education should be experienced and made applicable to the students current “world” • Students learn best by natural curiosity • Education is child centered Chomsky on Dewey Video

Lev Vygotsky (1896 - 1934) • For learning to occur: • Child will use cognitive tools: • Culture • History • Social context • Traditions • Language • Religion • Child interacts with social environment on an interpersonal level • Child internalizes experience • Child synthesizes environment and new experience and then develops new ideas/knowledge

Jean Piaget(1896 - 1980) • Major developer in this theory • Explains the learning process by: 1. Schemes- the organization of information on how things work 2. Assimilation- the placing of new information into schemes 3. Accommodation- transforming existing schemes or creating new ones 4. Finding equilibrium- aligning learning with rest of life http://www.fountainmagazine.com/Issue/detail/CONSTRUCTIVISM-in-Piaget-and-Vygotsky

Jerome Bruner(1915 - ) Lessons should be guided in 4 steps: • Teaching in way that the student is able to comprehend • Structure knowledge so that it can be most readily grasped by the learner • Use the most effective sequences when presenting material • Provide incentive for learning (Behaviorist) http://www.instructionaldesign.org/theories/constructivist.html

Terms • Assimilation-complex but familiar external objects are simplified to fit pre-existent categories in your head. • Accommodation-changing the ideas in your head to fit the realities of external objects. • Consonant – new information matches up with previous knowledge. • Dissonant – new information doesn't match previous knowledge. The student will need to change their previous understanding to match the information.

Role of the teacher Facilitate, coach, moderate and suggest Teach and model strategies Co-constructor (co-participant) Encourage the learning and reflective process Provide problem solving and inquiry based activities Challenge students Guide students to accurate understandings

What does teaching look like? Teacher changes role from “Gatekeeper” of all knowledge to “facilitator” or learning Learners are no longer passive receivers of information, but active constructers of their own understanding/meaning/learning. Instead of teacher “out in front” of learners, teacher is “alongside” guiding or “behind” prodding. Less emphasis on directly teaching specific skills More emphasis on learning in a meaningful way Not dispense knowledge but provide students with opportunities and incentives to build it up

Role of the student Active thinker and participant through the learning process Reflect on their own understanding and how it relates to the new information (consonat, dissonant, ignore) Draw conclusions Construct own knowledge Build knowledge through experience Actively involved with the teacher to create new meanings Assimilate what the teacher presents

Lesson Types The following teaching methods exemplify constructivism: • Reciprocal Teaching • Peer Collaboration (Think-Pair-Share) • Cognitive Apprenticeship • Problem-based Learning • WebQuest • Socratic Seminar How does constructivism look in the classroom?

Lesson types • General Features of a Constructivist Lesson (Confrey, 1990) • Teachers provide opportunities for students to use active techniques such as experimentation and real-world problem solving to create knowledge. • Teachers must understand students’ preexisting conceptions, and address them by guiding the classroom activities. • Teachers continuously encourage students to assess how the activity is helping them gain understanding. • As students question themselves and their strategies, they develop new skills, thus providing them with effective tools to keep learning. Source:http://pslade.webs.com/lessonstructure.htm

Lesson types • Reciprocal Teaching • Small/whole group reading • Students become teacher • Focus on: • Summarizing • Questioning • Clarifying • Predicting • Role of the teacher • Guide – model how to generate & lead discussion • Facilitator – students assume responsibility for learning • Why it works • Encourages metacognition & self-monitoring • Teaches students how to ask questions • Builds comprehension Video of Reciprocal Teaching in the classroom Source: www.readingrockets.org

Lesson types • Peer Collaboration (T-P-S) • Think: students think about a higher-level question related to the content • Pair: students are arranged in pairs to share ideas and/or solve problems • Share: each pair will share their ideas with the class, resulting in a whole-group discussion • Differentiation strategy • Useful assessment tool • Role of the teacher • Facilitator – students learn by thinking, articulating & listening • Why it works • Builds conceptual understanding of a topic • Develops skill of identifying main points & drawing conclusions • Encourages students to consider alternative perspectives Video explaining Think-Pair-Share Source: www.readwritethink.org

Lesson types • Cognitive Apprenticeship • Teacher leads: • Modeling • Coaching • Scaffolding • Students lead: • Articulation • Reflection • Exploration • Role of the teacher • Model – demonstrates thinking & procedures • Coach – provides feedback to novice students • Guide – scaffolds for support • Why it works • Enables metacognition & self-monitoring • Facilitates knowledge discovery • Develops reflective & problem-solving skills Video explaining Cognitive Apprenticeship Source: www.learning-theories.com

Lesson types • Problem-based Learning • Student-centered inquiry & problem-solving • Hands-on, authentic tasks • Critical thinking & analysis • Self- and peer-assessment • Small group cooperation • WebQuests optional • Role of the teacher • Facilitator – students assume responsibility for learning • Coach – provides feedback, encouragement & resources • Co-participant – teacher may learn from students • Why it works • Builds upon prior knowledge • Places learning in real-world context • Supports learning through collaboration Video showing Problem-based Learning Source: www.samford.edu

Lesson types • WebQuest • Type of problem-based learning • Hands-on, authentic tasks & processes • Critical thinking & analysis • Teacher-created, student-directed • Role of the teacher • Facilitator – students assume responsibility for learning • Guide – help students locate & use resources if necessary • Tutor – teacher can answer technical questions • Why it works • Makes use of available web resources • Provides real-world experience Video explaining WebQuests Sources: webquest.org, www.teacherweb.com

Lesson types • Socratic Seminar • Formal, text-based discussion • Open-ended questions • Critical thinking & reading • Requires articulation • Allows for reflective writing • Role of the teacher • Facilitator – leads discussion initially; may occasionally redirect later • Why it works • Builds cooperative & listening skills • Encourages sharing of multiple perspectives • Links content to real-life experience Video showing a Socratic Seminar Source: www.readwritethink.org

Classroom activities • Experimentation • Research projects • Field trips • Films • Class discussions • Information Banks • Construction Kits/ Simulation

Assessment practices • Journal writing • The scoring rubric • Portfolios • Observation checklists

Authentic Assessments Reports of issue/concepts Research on Internet resources Problem solving assessments Testing should be integrated with the tasks and not be a separate activity. Assessments include; Student work Observations Points of view (discussions) Assessments

Connections to big ideas Big Idea 1: Ensuring students Learn Constructivists encourage active techniques and self questioning In order for students to be “expert learners”. Students are required to be active participants in the learning process Big Idea 2: Culture of Collaboration Constructivists classrooms are interactive, consist of dialogue, focus on the process and consist of group work (Constructivist social).

Constructivism in relation to “The new sciences of learning” article • Students learn best: • They actively participate in their own learning • Are submerged in learning environments • Teachers build on students prior knowledge • Students reflect and verbalize what they have learned • Students must be able to relate what is learned to real world settings • Professionals learn when they are driven by a question that must be answered • Lessons must be learned in a way that is developmentally appropriate

Link to P21 Standards 21st CENTURY INTERDISCIPLINARY THEMES • Global Awareness • Using 21st century skills to understand and address global issues • Financial, Economic, Business and Entrepreneurial Literacy • Knowing how to make appropriate personal economic choices

Link to P21 Standards CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION • Think Creatively • Use a wide range of idea creation techniques (such as brainstorming) • Work Creatively with Others • Develop, implement and communicate new ideas to others effectively

Link to P21 Standards CRITICAL THINKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING • Reason Effectively • Use various types of reasoning (inductive, deductive, etc.) as appropriate to the situation • Use Systems Thinking • Analyze how parts of a whole interact with each other to produce overall outcomes in complex systems

Link to P21 Standards CRITICAL THINKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING • Make Judgments and Decisions • Effectively analyze and evaluate evidence, arguments, claims and beliefs • Analyze and evaluate major alternative points of view • Synthesize and make connections between information and arguments • Interpret information and draw conclusions based on the best analysis • Reflect critically on learning experiences and processes

Link to P21 Standards CRITICAL THINKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING • Solve Problems • Solve different kinds of non-familiar problems in both conventional and innovative ways • Identify and ask significant questions that clarify various points of view and lead to better solutions • Collaborate with Others • Demonstrate ability to work effectively and respectfully with diverse teams • Be Self-directed Learners • Go beyond basic mastery of skills and/or curriculum to explore and expand one’s own learning and opportunities to gain expertise

Constructivist Theory of teaching