Constructivism2

~ What is the Constructivist Theory? (constructivism)

Constructivism cannot be summed up with just a few sentences but briefly, constructivists believe that learners are active participants in knowledge. Learners need to engage and experiment with the learning process to make it meaningful. Learning should be a process that is determined in part by personality, prior knowledge, and interpretations of the world.

~ How does or should constructivism function in the classroom?

Students usually will work in groups as opposed to the traditional work alone experience.
The curriculum is presented as a whole instead of an emphasis on basic skills.
Encouragement of student questioning and branching out .
Emphasis on primary sources instead of text books, manipulative, and workbooks.
Students are considered as knowledgeable with their own theories.
Students and teachers are consistently interactive sharing knowledge.
Assessment of student is achieved throughout the entire learning process by teacher observations, presentations, and portfolios.

~ What is a constructivist teacher?

A constructivist teacher is one that is an active learner with the student. Constantly engaging and challenging, accepting new and different ideas, and helping to guide towards developing cognitive understanding.