Constructivist Learning versus Explicit Teaching: A personal discovery of balance Tara Tetzlaff Spring 2009

Teacher gave me information Student gave information back on assignments and tests Assignments & tests proved my accurate understanding of information What it Meant to be a Student

Navigate own path through a framework of information Take responsibility for identifying significance of material Take responsibility for identifying personal use of material What it Means to be a Student

What it Meant to be a Teacher Provide students with specific information Create assignments & tests designed for students to demonstrate their accurate understanding of information Tell students when they are right or wrong

What it Means to be a Teacher Provide students with the tools and opportunities to learn new information Mediate student learning and prod thinking through questions and feedback Model thinking/behavior/communication through own actions

Constructivist Learning Student-driven : responsibility is on learners, - develop their own understanding of information by actively using new information Teachers: provide little direct information, - mediate students learning through questions and feedback

Principles of Constructivist Learning Active Engagement: learning by doing Constructive: new knowledge built on previously learned information Intentional: goal oriented Complex: challenging

Contextual: authentic and realistic framework Collaborative: learn from the perspectives & processes of others Conversational: share experiences and knowledge with others, develop relationships Reflective: connect information to self, think about own thinking Principles of Constructivist Learning

Constructivist Only Workshop

Advantages of an Only Constructivist Learning Workshop Encourages focus on process of learning Students develop their own working understanding of information Students learn from mistakes

Students might not have enough information to work with Difficult to assess students understanding of new information Need to get through certain tasks in limited amount of time Disadvantages of an Only Constructivist Learning Workshop

Explicit Teaching Teacher-driven: responsibility is on teachers, - efficiently pass on specific information and insure minimal chance of student error Students: learn information as it is provided by teacher - demonstrate accurate understanding

Steps of Explicit Teaching 1. Orientation: introduction and overview 2. Presentation: instructor demonstrates completion of task, breaks task into sub goals and steps, models process and thinking strategies 3. Structured Practice: instructor completes task again, this time with students working along

Steps of Explicit Teaching 4. Guided Practice: students complete task individually or in small groups as teacher answers and asks questions 5. Independent Practice: students take work home to complete on their own, then return work for teacher corrections

Advantages of an Explicit Teaching Only Workshop Defined steps and sub goals provide clear task objectives Instructor modeling provides example of expected student behavior and thinking Repeated practice reinforces student learning of process and steps

Disadvantages of an Only Explicit Teaching Workshop Not enough time to go through so many construction cycles Students can feel talk at and get bored, making them less attentive to instruction Students cannot take materials home for independent practice

Combination Workshop

Technic Beams

Plates

Axle

Pegs

Piston Rod & Spur Gear

Combination Workshop Explicit presentation of LEGO parts and use Instructor modeling of building strategies Structured and guided practice Actively Engaged, Complex, Contextual, Collaborative, Conversational, and Reflective

With Grade-School Students: * more structured practice * more guided practice * more conversation * more reflection

Explicit Teaching Constructivist Learning