LEARNING THEORY:

CONSTRUCTIVISM

By Sarah B

TABLE OF CONTENTSConstructivism: What is it?

Jean Piaget Piaget’s Cognitive Stages

Jerome BrunerBruner’s Spiral Curriculum

Constructivism in the classroomThe Socratic Method

My educational philosophy

CONSTRUCTIVISM: WHAT IS IT? “I hear and forget. I see and remember.

I do and I understand.”-Confucius

A learner never comprehends something “from scratch,” but learns new information by relating it to information they already know

Students form what they learn or comprehend by active engagement

CONSTRUCTIVISM: WHAT IS IT?

JEAN PIAGET

Piaget believed that children and adults think very differently

He believed that children were natural, active learners and did not need motivation from adults to learn

PIAGET’S COGNITIVE STAGES Piaget believed that children were

constructing new knowledge as the moved through different cognitive stages, building on information they already knew

PIAGET’S COGNITIVE STAGES

JEROME BRUNER

Proposed that learning is an active process

Believed that the learner constructed new ideas or concepts based on their current knowledge

Constructivist learners are participatory learners

JEROME BRUNER Constructivism emphasizes an

integrated curriculum where students learn a subject through varying ways and activities

BRUNER’S SPIRAL CURRICULUM

CONSTRUCTIVISM IN THE CLASSROOM Students actively engaged in a variety

of activities which build of knowledge that already have

CONSTRUCTIVISM IN THE CLASSROOM Example: Students studying the parts of

a flower by researching using books, videos, and digital media. Drawing the parts of a flowerReading about the parts of a flowerLooking at a physical flower Working in groups

CONSTRUCTIVISM IN THE CLASSROOM Teachers should encourage students to

discover concepts on their own

Teachers should engage students by guiding them through activities which create opportunities for discussion

Use the Socratic Method

THE SOCRATIC METHOD

When students learn how to analyze problems

Students are able to think critically about their view and the opinions of others

Students can articulate and defend their position

CONSTRUCTIVISM IN MY CLASSROOM My teaching philosophy:

I believe, much like Jerome Bruner, that teachers should actively engage students in their own learning

Children naturally enjoy learning; teachers need only to appropriately foster that drive for students to be successful

CONSTRUCTIVISM IN MY CLASSROOM Students should work collaboratively, to

gain insight on the perspectives of others

I can integrate technology into my classroom to help support constructivism and engage learning too!Digital learning gamesElectronic group presentationsVarious videos, digital media, and Websites