Constructivism

What is Constructivism? The theory behind constructivism is that human learning is “constructed”. Learners build knowledge from what they already know. Learners need to build there own understanding of material Not a linear process Learning is active not passive

Background and History Constructivism has roots in philosophy, psychology, sociology, and education. “Scholars such as Jean Piaget, Eleanor Duckworth, George Hein, and Howard Gardener have explored these ideas in- depth. The Biological Science Curriculum Study (BSCS), a team whose Principal Investigator is Roger Bybee developed an instructional model for constructivism, called the "Five Es”.” (2001 Miami Museum of Science)

The Role of the Teacher: “Teachers do not take the role of the "sage on the stage." Rather, teachers act as "guides on the side" who provide students with opportunities to test the adequacy of their current understandings.” (SEDL Letter, August 1996)

Pros of Constructivism Students are excited to have their points of view valued. Organizes material into primary concepts using “Big ideas”. Can be used not just for Science curriculum but throughout all subject areas.

Cons of Constructivism Assumes all students have prior knowledge. Not all students are going to have the same prior knowledge. Makes learning difficult for students who are not on the same learning curve as others Difficult to adjust for students with special needs in a gen ed setting.

The 5 E’s The 5 E’s are a great way to define and model constructivism in your lesson plans. Engage: Students encounter and identify the task by asking questions and making connections to learning from the past and present. Explore: Students work together to become directly involved with the task.

The 5 E’s Cont. 3. Explain: Students begin to communicate and discuss what they have learned and how it has effected their work with the help of a facilitator (you, the teacher). 4. Elaborate: Students expand on what they have learned and make connections to other ideas and concepts.

The 5 E’s Cont. 5. Evaluate: The evaluation process should be on-going. The teacher uses this step as a process to identify if the students are on track and understanding the concepts. Some ways to assess whether the students are understanding are: rubrics, teacher observation structured by checklists, student interviews, etc.

Constructivism Graphic Organizers

Constructivist Theory

5E Lesson Plan: Introduction to Spanish

Outcomes: Student will be able to utilize information learned in class during the interview and the presentation to the class. They will also have learned more about each classmate. Grade Level: 9th grade

Objective: The student will introduce a classmate in Spanish after interviewing one another. They will be able to utilize basic Spanish phrases learned in class and will be able to use correct Spanish grammar. The student will ask their partner questions and take notes on their answers. Materials: scraps of paper (numbered for students to pick out of teacher’s hand)

Engage Have the students pick the numbers and get paired up according to their numbers Each student needs to prepare and practice on their own the questions they will ask their partner

Explore The students will then interview one another Have the students take notes on their classmates responses

Explain Once the students are finished asking each other a few questions they will be able to communicate the information gained to the class and to the teacher If no one participates to, then the teacher will have to go around and call on each group individually

Elaborate The rest of the class will now have a chance to ask their classmates more questions for clarification

Evaluate The teacher will go around the class and ask each student what they have learned from this activity

Works Cited Hall, R. H. (n.d.). Constructivist Theory. Retrieved October 24, 2010, from http://medialab.mst.edu/rhall/educational_psychology/2001/vl2c/con struct_new.html Miami Museum of Science. 2001. http://www.miamisci.org/ph/lpintro5e.html O, J. (2007, March 5). Constructivist approach to teaching [Web log post].Retrieved from http://janeyospage.blogspot.com/2007/03/boos-vs- leadmanagement.html Robyler, M.D. & Edwards; J., (2004). Integrating Technical Technology into Teaching (3 & 4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ; Prentice Hall. SEDL Letter. Volume IX. Number 3. August 1996. Constructivism. http://www.sedl.org/pubs/sedletter/v09n03/practice.html