A Constructivist View of Learning

1. A Constructivist View of Learning

2. What is learning? • Is it memorizing information and being able to repeat it on an exam?

3. How do we learn? • Think about times when you have learned a lot and times we you haven’t. What makes the difference? • Think about something you can do well. How do you learn to do it? • We learn best when…

4. Views of learning… • Transmission view: The teacher or text transmits knowledge which goes directly into the learner’s brain.

5. Views of learning… • Constructivist view: Each learner must construct his or her own understanding, based on his/her own experiences. Knowledge & experiences Under-standing New ideas, readings, etc.

6. A Constructivist view of learning says… • Knowledge is both individually and socially constructed. • Learners construct their understandings by relating new information to their background knowledge and experiences (Piaget). • Social interaction furthers our learning. Adults provide scaffolding that allows learners to be successful with more and more difficult tasks (Vygotsky).

7. Vygotsky… • Adults scaffold children’s learning by providing assistance in the Zone of Proximal Development. • “What I can do with assistance today I can do on my own tomorrow.” • The ZPD describes things the child cannot do on his own, but can do with assistance.

8. What I cannot do even with assistance. What I can only do with assistance. “ZPD” What I can already do.

9. Scaffolding Students’ Learning • Choose an activity within the students’ Zone of Proximal Development. • Decide what students need to be able to do to successfully complete the activity. • Design activities to help the student successfully complete the activity, such as demonstrations, group practice, rehearsal, self-assessment.

10. Scaffolding Students’ Learning: Writing an online riddle • My struggling students really dislike writing. To help them be successful at writing, I can • Create a motivating activity: writing online animal jokes. • Provide examples. • Provide assistance with the writing: giving them a format to follow. • Publish their work.

11. I have four legs. I live in the desert. I have a hump. What am I?

12. I have _______________. I live ________________. I have _______________. What am I? Choose Insert, Picture, and Clip Art. Then double click on the picture you want and delete this box.

13. Scaffolding Students’ Learning: Writing an Animal Poem • Read examples. • Write an example as a group. • Guide students’ writing by borrowing the structure of an existing poem. • Publish students’ work.

14. Giraffes. I like them. Ask me why. Because their necks stretch to the sky. Because they’re quiet, calm and shy. Because Because Because. That’s why I like giraffes.

15. Zebras. I like them. Ask me why. Because they are striped. Because they look like horses. Because Because Because. That’s why I like zebras.

16. . I like them. Ask me why. Because . Because . Because Because Because. That’s why I like .

17. How would you provide scaffolding for… • Successful reading of an article on tornadoes? • Writing a book report? • Giving a mock TV newscast? • Writing a poem? • Writing a play? • Answering on-demand test questions?

18. In class writing: • How would you provide scaffolding for a task in your classroom? • Consider trying out this idea and including it in your Application Paper.