constructivists view of learning
TRANSCRIPT
Constructivists View of Learning
Chapter 8Pgs: 189-
199
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