Connections
Constructivism manifests itself in a variety of classroom instructional practices. When we implement constructivist teaching practices, every aspect of the classroom is affected. eMINTS teachers find that some of their habitual teaching and classroom-management practices continue to work effectively in a technology-rich, constructivist environment, while other practices require major overhauls. Consider the following:
Prior Knowledge Central to Planning As we plan learning experiences, students’ background knowledge becomes an important consideration in the learning design. Look for student perspectives, misconceptions and immature or advanced understanding of concepts. Classroom activities will challenge current understanding and push for deeper insight. Diverse Learner Needs Considered Diverse background experiences require instructional planning that acknowledges diversity in terms of what students understand and need. Assess where students are individually and support them by meeting personal learning needs throughout the learning process. Connections Made to Bigger Ideas Build learning experiences around primary concepts and bigger ideas. Design lessons that connect facts and topics to bigger ideas to help learners make connections to concepts, principles and theories as they create meaning and expand mental models. Learning Occurs in Meaningful Contexts Recognize the importance of designing learning experiences that are relevant, meaningful and interesting to the learner. Use methods such as inquiry-based learning or problem-based learning to pose realistic problems to students so learning is rooted in student investigation of personal questions and the quest to find a solution. Drawing students into the learning experience with inquiry and real-world problems makes them more apt to become actively involved in learning. Learning focuses on the learners and their interests as a central part of the experience rather than memorization of isolated pieces of information. Varied Resources Provided Provide students the opportunity to work with multiple, varied resources as they become actively involved in learning. Recognize that diverse learners acquire information differently. To facilitate understanding, select resources that will support diverse learning needs and expose learners to different opinions and perspectives. Assessment for Learning Assessment is part of the learning process. Students use assessment to guide reflection on learning and the learning process. Teachers use assessment data to inform instructional decision-making. Collaboration becomes Fundamental to Learning Structure collaboration into the learning process. Make collaboration an essential piece of learning and the norm for how learning takes place in the classroom. Structure collaborative groups so students are exposed to different points of view and engage in discussion and reflection related to the concepts they are learning. Teacher Functions as Facilitator and Guide Developing meaning and understanding is a personal experience. Realize that for students to develop meaning, they need to be guided and coached through the process of constructing knowledge. Relinquish the role of being an expert who transmits knowledge to students to a role of learning guide and facilitator. |
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