HOW TO APPLY CONSTRUCTIVISM IN THE CLASSROOM

Welcome to Constructivism as a Paradigm for the

Teaching and Learning. Let's start with the Explanation section.
to gain a good understanding of the CONCEPT of constructivism.

Explanation
First, we consider the following questions:
What is constructivism?
2. How does this theory differ from traditional ideas about teaching and
to learn?
3. What does constructivism have to do with my classroom?
4. What is the history of constructivism, and how has it changed with the
time?
5. What are some critical perspectives?
6. What are the benefits of constructivism?

What is constructivism?
Constructivism is basically a theory based on observation and the
scientific study on how people learn. It establishes that the
people build their own understanding and knowledge of the world, to
through experiencing things and reflecting on those experiences. When
we found something new, we have to reconcile it with
our previous ideas and experiences, perhaps changing what we
we believe, or perhaps dismissing the new information as irrelevant. In
In any case, we are active creators of our own knowledge.
To do this, we must ask ourselves questions, we must explore,
and we must assess what we know.

In the classroom, the constructivist perspective of learning can lead to

various different teaching practices. In the broadest sense, it means
usually encourage students to use active techniques
(experiments, solving real-world problems) to create more
knowledge and then reflect and talk about what they are doing and
how their understanding is changing. The teacher makes sure to understand the
student preconceptions, and guides the activity to focus them and then
build from them.

Constructivist teachers encourage students to evaluate.

constantly how the activity is helping them gain understanding. At
questioning themselves and their strategies, the students in the classroom
constructivists ideally become "expert learners." This gives them
tools, always on the rise, to continue learning. With an environment
From the well-planned classroom, students LEARN TO LEARN.

You could look at it as a spiral staircase. When they reflect

continuously about their experiences, students find that their

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ideas gain in complexity and power, and develop strong skills, always
increasing, to integrate new information. One of the main roles of the
the teacher becomes animated in this process of learning and reflection.

For example: student groups in a science class are discussing

a physics problem. Although the teacher knows the "answer" to the problem, he
focus on helping students to rephrase their questions of
more effective way. The teacher encourages each student to reflect on
his current knowledge and examine it. When one of the students
proposes the relevant concept, the teacher takes advantage of it, and indicates to the group that
this could be a fruitful path for them to explore. They design and
conduct relevant experiments. Afterwards, the students and the teacher
they discuss what they have learned, and how their observations and
experiments helped them (or did not help them) to better understand the
concept.

Contrary to the criticism from some educators (conservatives /

traditional), constructivism does not diminish the active role of the teacher or the
value of expert knowledge. Constructivism modifies that role, so that
teachers help students build knowledge instead of
reproduce a series of data. The teacher constructivist provides
tools as problem-solving learning activities and
based on questions, with which students formulate and test their
ideas, derive conclusions and inferences, and are grouped and shared their
knowledge in a collaborative learning environment. Constructivism
transforms the student from a passive recipient of information to a
active participant in the learning process. Always guided by the
master, students actively build their knowledge instead of
simply and mechanically ingest knowledge from the teacher or the textbook.

Constructivism is often mistakenly interpreted as a

learning theory that compels students to 'reinvent the wheel'.
Indeed, constructivism awakens and activates the innate curiosity of the student.
about the world and how things work. Students do not reinvent the
wheel but rather, they try to understand how it turns, how it works. They arrive
to commit to applying their current knowledge and their experience of the world
real, learning to formulate hypotheses, testing their theories, and finally
deducing conclusions from their findings.

The best way for you to truly understand what constructivism is

what it means in their classroom is seeing examples of how it works in the classroom,
talking with others about it, and trying it yourself.

How does this theory differ from traditional ideas?

about teaching and learning?
In the constructivist classroom, the focal point tends to shift from the teacher towards
the students. The classroom ceases to be a place where the teacher ('expert') pours
the knowledge in the minds of passive students who wait to be filled
like empty vessels. In the constructivist model, students are urged to
so that they actively engage in their own learning process. The

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The teacher functions more as a facilitator who guides, mediates, suggests, and helps.
to help students develop and assess their understanding, and consequently,
their learning. FORMULATING GOOD QUESTIONS becomes one of the
most important tasks of the teacher.
And in the constructivist classroom, teachers and students do not think about the
knowledge as inert data to be memorized, but as a vision
dynamic, always changing world in which we live and work
The class aims to improve the ability to successfully expand and explore that vision.
The following table compares the traditional classroom with the constructivist classroom.
You can see significant differences in basic assumptions about the
knowledge, students, and learning. (It is important, however,
keep in mind that students are building knowledge in classrooms
traditional ones, too. It really is a matter of how much emphasis is placed
in the student, and not in the instructor.

Traditional classroom Constructivist Classroom

The curriculum starts at The curriculum emphasizes
parts to the whole. Emphasize big concepts, starting with the
basic skills. everything and expanding to include the
parts.
The strict adherence to a plan values attention to questions and
fixed studies are positively valued. student interests
The materials are mainly The materials include sources
textbooks and workbooks. primary materials and materials
manipulables
Learning is based on repetition. learning is interactive
building on what the
student already knows
Teachers disseminate information to Teachers have a dialogue with
the students; the students are theirs students, helping them a
knowledge receivers build your own knowledge.

El papel del maestro es directivo, El papel del maestro es interactivo,

rooted in authority rooted in negotiation
It is evaluated through tests, The evaluation includes work of the
correct answers student, observations, and points of
view, as well as the tests. The
the process is as important as the
product
Knowledge is seen as inert Knowledge is seen as dynamic,
always changing with our
experiences
The students they work students they work
mainly soils mainly in groups

What does constructivism have to do with my classroom?

As is the case with many of the current paradigms, you
They are probably already using, to a certain extent, the constructivist approach.

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Constructivist teachers propose questions and problems, then guide
the students to help them find their own answers. They use
many techniques in the teaching process. For example, they can:
. encourage students to formulate their own questions
(investigation)
. allow interpretations y multiple learning expressions
multiple intelligences
. encourage group work and the use of peers as resources (learning)
collaborative)

As can be seen, it is important to understand that the constructivist approach

includes contributions from many other practices in the pursuit of its goal
Primary: helping students learn HOW TO LEARN.

In a constructivist classroom, learning is...

BUILT
Students are not blank slates on which knowledge is inscribed.
They enter learning situations with knowledge, ideas, and
previously formed understandings. This prior knowledge is the raw material
for the new understandings that they will create.

Example: A basic level teacher presents measuring as a problem to the class.

the length of the wall. Instead of starting the problem by introducing the
rule, the teacher allows the students to reflect and build their
own measurement methods. A student offers the knowledge that a
the doctor said that he is four feet tall. Another says that she knows that the
Horses are measured in 'hands'. The students discuss these and others.
methods they have heard about, and they choose one to apply it
to the problem.

ACTIVE
The student is the person who creates new understanding for themselves. The
teacher guides, moderates, suggests, but allows students space to
experiment, ask questions, try alternatives that do not work.
learning activities require the full participation of students
(as in experimentation). An important part of the learning process
students reflect and talk about their activities. The
students also help to establish their own goals and means of
evaluation.

Examples: A middle school language teacher includes time in their

weekly planning for a writing lab. The emphasis is
in the content and expression of ideas instead of memorizing rules
grammatical, although one of the teacher's concerns is the skill of
his students to express themselves well through the written language. The teacher
gives students the opportunity to examine the creations, in versions
draft and final, from various authors. He allows students to select and

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create projects within the general requirement of developing a portfolio. The
students serve as peer editors who evaluate originality and
singularity instead of the best way to complete a task.

In a history class, asking students to read and think about

the different versions and perspectives on 'history' can lead to
Interesting discussions. Is history as it is taught in books accurate?
text? Are there different versions of the same story? Whose version is it?
more accurate of a particular story? How do we know? From there, the
students can make their own judgments.

REFLEXIVE
Students control their own learning process, and they lead
the way of doing it by reflecting on their experiences. This process makes them
experts of their own learning. The teacher helps to create situations where
students feel safe questioning and reflecting in their own
processes, either privately or in group discussions. The teacher also
you must create activities that lead the student to reflect on their
knowledge and previous experiences. Talk about what was learned and
how it was learned is very important.

Example: The students keep a journal in a writing class where they

they record how they felt about the class projects, the reactions
visual and verbal contributions of others to the project, and how they felt that their own
writing had changed. Periodically the teacher reads these diaries and
he holds a conference with the student where both evaluate (1) what
new knowledge has been created by the student, (2) how the student learns
better, and (3) the learning environment and the role of the teacher in it.

COLLABORATOR
The constructivist classroom relies heavily on collaboration among the
students. There are many reasons why collaboration contributes to
learning. The main reason it is used so much in constructivism is
that a student learns about their own learning, but also about others'
their peers. When students review and reflect together on their
learning processes, they can adopt strategies and methods one from
another.

For example: when studying the pre-Columbian era, students

they embark on an archaeological excavation. Upon finding the students
different objects, the teacher introduces the classification techniques. The
students are encouraged to (1) prepare a group museum by developing
selection and grouping criteria and choosing which objects should
belong, (2) collaborate with other students who worked in quadrants
different from the excavation area. Each group is asked to develop theories
about the civilizations that inhabited the area back then.

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BASED ON QUESTIONS
The main activity in a constructivist classroom is problem solving.
Students use inquiry methods to ask questions,
research a topic, and use a variety of resources to find solutions
and responses. As students explore the topic, they go
deriving conclusions, and, as they continue the exploration, they take up those
conclusions. The exploration of questions leads to more questions.
Inquiry-based learning

Example: basic education students deducing how to purify water

They are investigating solutions that range from coffee filter paper to a device for
stove distillation, to coal piles, to an abstract mathematical solution
based on the size of a water molecule. Depending on the
students' responses, the teacher encourages the abstract as well as the
concrete, the poetic as well as the practical, the creations anew
knowledge.

Evolutionary
The students have ideas that they can see after they were not -
valid, incorrect, or insufficient to explain new experiences. These
ideas are temporary steps in the integration of knowledge. For example, a
A child can believe that all trees lose their leaves at a certain time.
time of year, until I visited a evergreen forest. The teaching
constructivist takes into account the current perceptions of students and
build from them.

What happens when a student obtains a new piece of information? The

constructivist model says that the student compares the information with the
knowledge and understanding that you already have, and one of three things can happen:
. The new information fits very well with your prior knowledge.
consonant with prior knowledge), so the student adds it to
your understanding. It may take some work, but it's a matter of finding
the correct fit, like in a puzzle.
. The information does not fit with any prior knowledge (disappointing).
The student has to change their prior understanding to find the
way in which the information fits into their cognitive structure. This
it can be a harder job.
. The information does not fit with any previous knowledge, and is ignored.
Rejected pieces of information simply cannot be absorbed.
by the student. Or they can remain latent, waiting for the day when the
the student's understanding has developed and allows for its articulation
with prior knowledge.

Example: A basic education teacher believes that her students are

ready to study gravity. She creates a discovery environment with
objects of various types. Students explore the differences in weight between
blocks of similar size made of durapax, wood, and lead. Some students
they hold the notion that heavier objects fall faster than the lighter ones

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lightweight. The teacher provides materials (stories, posters, and videos) about
Galileo, Newton, etc. She leads a discussion of the theories on the fall of the
bodies. Then, the students replicate Galileo's experiment leaving
dropping objects of different weights and measuring how fast they fall. They see
that objects of different weights actually fall at the same speed,
although the surface area and aerodynamic properties of objects
they can affect the speed of falling.

What is the history of constructivism, and how has it

changed over time?
"As long as there have been people asking each other questions,"
we have had classrooms constructivist. Constructivism, the study of
learning is about how all of us make sense of our
world, and that really hasn't changed
-Jacqueline Grennan Brooks (1999)

The concept of constructivism has its roots in classical antiquity,

going back to the dialogues of Socrates with his followers in which he
he asked directed questions that led his students to become aware
for themselves of the weaknesses in their thinking. The Socratic dialogue
it is still an important tool in the way educators
Constructivists evaluate their students' learning and plan new ones.
learning experiences.

In the last century, Jean Piaget and John Dewey developed theories of
development of childhood and education, what we now call Education
Progressive, which led to the evolution of constructivism.

Piaget believed that humans learn through the construction of a

logical structure after another. He also concluded that the logic of the
Children and their ways of thinking are initially completely different.
to that of adults. The implications of this theory and how he applied them have
constituted the basis for constructivist education.

Dewey asked that education be based on real experience. He

he wrote, "If you have doubts about how learning occurs,
commit to a sustained inquiry: study, weigh, consider
alternative possibilities and arrived at their belief based on evidence.
Questioning is an important part of constructivist learning.

Among educators, philosophers, psychologists, and sociologists who have contributed

new perspectives on the theory and practice of constructivist learning are
Lev Vygotsky, Jerome Bruner, and David Ausubel.

Vygotsky introduced the social aspect of learning in constructivism. He

definition of 'the zone of proximal development,' according to which students solve
problems beyond their actual level of development (but within their level of

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potential development) under the guidance of the adult or in collaboration with peers.
capable.
Bruner initiated a curriculum change based on the notion that learning is
an active, social process in which students build new ideas or
concepts based on your current knowledge.

David Ausubel is an educational psychologist who has made his influence felt through
through a series of important theoretical elaborations and studies about
how intellectual activity is carried out in the school environment. His work and that of his
most prominent followers, has guided to the present not only multiple
design and educational intervention experiences, but rather has largely
marked the paths of educational psychology, especially of the
cognitivist movement. Surely there are few teachers who have not
found in their study programs, training experiences or
pedagogical readings the notion of meaningful learning.
Ausubel, like other cognitive theorists, postulates that learning
it involves an active restructuring of perceptions, ideas, concepts and
schemes that the learner has in their cognitive structure. The nuance
the constructivist approach is based on the fact that it does not consider learning
as a simple passive assimilation of literal information, as the subject
transform and structure.
The notion of meaningful learning, so fashionable in the field, is attributed to Ausubel.
current events; for him, meaningful learning is one that leads to the
creation of knowledge structures through substantive relationship
between the new information and the students' prior ideas.

The innovative work of Seymour Papert regarding the use of computers

to teach children has led to the extensive use of the computer and
information technologies in constructivist environments.

Modern educators who have studied, written about, and practiced

Constructivist approaches to education include John D. Bransford,
Ernst von Glasersfeld, Eleanor Duckworth, George Forman, Roger Schank
Jacqueline Grennon Brooks and Martin G. Brooks.

What are some critical perspectives?

Constructivism has been criticized in various aspects. Some of the charges
that the critics raise against him are:

1. It is elitist. Critics say that constructivism and other theories

"Progressive" educational approaches have been very successful with children from backgrounds.
privileged ones who are fortunate to have excellent teachers, parents
committed, and the full home environments. They maintain that
children in situations of social vulnerability, lacking such
resources benefit more from more explicit instruction.

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 2. Social constructivism leads to 'groupthink'. Critics
They say that the collaborative aspects of constructivist classrooms
tend to produce a 'tyranny of the majority,' in which the voices or
interpretations of some students dominate the conclusions of the
group, and dissenting students are forced to conform to the
general agreement that arose.

There is little strong evidence that constructivist methods

functions. Critics say that constructivists, by rejecting the
evaluation through tests and other external criteria, have lost
the ability to assess the progress of their students. Critics
they also say that studies of various types of instruction--in particular
the Follow Through Project, a long-term initiative of the government
American -- they have found that students in classrooms
constructivists are lagging in basic skills in relation to
students from more traditional classrooms.

Constructivists argue that in studies where children were compared

in relation to higher-order cognitive skills, students
constructivists seemed to surpass their peers coming from classrooms
traditional.

What are the benefits of constructivism?

1. Benefit
Children learn more, and enjoy learning more when they are
actively involved, instead of being passive listeners.

2. Benefit
Education works better when it focuses on thinking and the
understanding, instead of simple memorization. Constructivism is
focus on learning how to think and understand.

3. Benefit
Constructivist learning is transferable. In constructivist classrooms, the
students create organizational principles that they can carry with them to
other learning scenarios.

4. Benefit
Constructivism gives students ownership of what they learn, already
that learning is based on their questions and explorations, and often the
students also lend a hand in designing the evaluations. The
constructivist assessment engages students' initiatives and their
personal investments in their journals, research reports, models
physical, and artistic representations. Engaging creative instincts
develops students' skills to express knowledge to
through a variety of ways. Students will also have greater
possibilities of retaining and transferring new knowledge to real life.

5. Benefit

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By placing learning activities in an authentic context, from the world
Indeed, constructivism stimulates and engages students.
students in constructivist classrooms learn to question things and to
apply your natural curiosity to the world.

6. Benefit
Constructivism promotes social and communication skills by creating
a classroom environment that emphasizes collaboration and idea exchange.
Students must learn to articulate their ideas clearly just like
to collaborate effectively on tasks by sharing in group projects. The
students, therefore, must exchange ideas and thus, must
learn to 'negotiate' with others and evaluate their contributions in a way
socially acceptable. This is essential for success in the real world, since
that they will always be exposed to a variety of experiences in which
they will have to cooperate and navigate among the ideas of others.

Exploration
In this section of the constructivism workshop, you will have many
opportunities both to analyze what you are already doing well, as well as
explore some new techniques that you can add to your repertoire.

Each of the following questions is proposed in order to open an area

for the discovery. We provide some tools and
activities to help you build from the knowledge you created
in the previous sections.
How do I apply constructivism in my classroom?
What are some simple ways to get started?
What are some challenges I might face?
How do I evaluate the student's progress?
How does technology complement constructivism?

How do I apply constructivism in my classroom?

As you have seen, there are several ways and styles in which the approach
Constructivism can be applied in the classroom. However, Jacqueline Grennon
Brooks and Martin G. Brooks formulated some guiding principles in their book.
SEARCH FOR UNDERSTANDING: THE CASE OF THE CLASSROOMS
CONSTRUCTIVISTS.

They are:

Principle 1. Propose problems that are or will be relevant to

the students.

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In many cases, the problem you propose is or will be relevant to the
students, and they will approach that topic realizing the
relevance it has for their lives.
For example, the general music class in a middle school.
American culture is very popular--students find it relevant.
musical composition due to his interest in popular music. The fact
there is an electronic keyboard connected to a computer in which
it can be composed, it raises his interest.

A group of Australian high school students, whose siblings,

Aunts, uncles, parents, mothers, or neighbors are living in East Timor.
find the issues related to global peace immediately
relevant. His teacher acknowledges his strong feelings by creating a
writing unit that allows students to write about these
feelings.

But the need for relevance does not need to be pre-existing for the
students. When they are connected with their Australian peers via the Internet,
U.S. middle school students can empathize and give themselves
account of the relevance of maintaining peace in East Timor. The students
Australians can share via email with American students
some samples of their writing. The teachers exchange photographs
digital of their respective classes, and the children are able to see their peers and the
environments where they live.

Relevance can arise through the mediation of the teacher. Teachers

they can add elements to the learning situation that make it relevant
the activity for the students.
For example, Australian and American teachers can prepare
An exchange where young Australians write poetry and lyrics
about a song about peace that American students dedicate to
the music. Both groups upload the results on a website. The
teachers structure the situation in such a way that the students
gain skills in various areas (writing, music, communication, and
construction of web pages) this is gaining increasing significance in the
the extent to which the project proceeds.

Principle 2. Structure learning around the

essential concepts.

Encourage students to construct meaning by breaking down the whole into the
parts. Avoid starting with the parts to build a "whole."
For example, aspiring short story writers may approach the
concept of 'telling a story' through discovery activities.
These can include a classroom library of books with illustrated stories or the
visit from a storyteller. The teacher prepares the students to write their
own stories, and introduces the idea of sequencing through aids.
visuals. Students can rearrange parts of a known story or

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even if they have CRA, digitized video material. This last
activity could allow students to reconstruct the order in which a
The visiting storyteller recounted his tale.

Oh, considering the world of a terrarium could help students to

to build knowledge regarding flora and fauna and their mutual relationship.

You can define or find 'essential concepts' in different ways.

You could refer to the standards of the corresponding level. Or, you
You can organize your constructivist work by exploring historical events.
significant (e.g., the civil war in the country) from multiple perspectives.

Principle 3. Be aware that the viewpoints of the

students are windows in their reasoning.

The challenge of ideas and the search for development frighten many.
students. The students in the traditional classroom who cannot guess what
the teacher has in mind as the correct answer they quickly get out of the
class discussion. They must be 'introduced' to the environment
constructivist learning through open questioning and without
to judge the students.

Students also need to have an opportunity to elaborate and

explain. Sometimes, how you feel about something or what you think is not
as important as WHY. The use of evidence/proofs to support
your opinion is of the utmost importance! The construction of knowledge requires
not only time to reflect but also time and practice to
explain the constructed knowledge. Neil Gershenfeld from Media Lab emphasizes
it is only through constant demonstration that its students of
MIT becomes good scientists. The many opportunities to explain
What they are doing helps them understand what they are.
learning.

Principle 4. Adapt the curriculum to provide attention to the

assumptions and level of student development
The presentation of work appropriate to the level of development is a good point.
to begin with. Most high school students would find it more
attractive and relevant the preparation of a movie script or a report that the
format of the report that they mastered in sixth grade. The representation of
roles is also an interesting way for students to present
information.

As students engage in the work, the teacher

you must monitor your perceptions and ways of learning.

For example, a social studies teacher at the middle school level

plan for your students to study the concept of immigration,
resources y strategies like movies, readings, stories of

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 protagonists, photographs, and a field trip. In the discussion of the
class, she comes to perceive that her students found effective the
multimedia presentations. She also realizes how many
of her students empathize with the stories of immigrants. She
collaborate with the computer science teacher to offer lessons on
presentations with multimedia. The students work in groups
to archive material and give multimedia presentations that illustrate the
immigration experiences of families.

Principle 5. Evaluate student learning in the

teaching context.

I changed from measuring how well or poorly a student performs on a test to

evaluate how much and what type of assistance that student needs to succeed.

By removing the evaluation based on the normal curve, students are freed from
the need to surpass others and allows them to collaborate, how
specialists, in any learning activity.

Authentic assessment occurs naturally and durably when it is in a

significant context and when it relates to authentic concerns
and the problems faced by students. It is likely that the
students evaluating their efforts to pass a bill in a
simulated legislature shows greater mastery of how the government works
than those who face a multiple-choice test about the organ
legislative. The tests--particularly the short answer ones, tests of
multiple-choice-- they ask, 'do you know this material'?. The activities of
authentic assessment asks, 'What do you know?'

What are some simple ways to get started?

Here are twelve strategies that you can implement to transform your
work in the classroom:

I encourage and accept the autonomy of the student and their initiative. This is a
of the ways we motivate students to take on the
responsibility for their own learning. But guide them through the process of
create meaningful activities, assessments, etc.

You can try activities such as preparing a constructive environment.

learning--inviting students to bring recyclable bottles for a
science project--or welcoming your proposals for theories
alternatives.

2. use raw data and primary sources, along with materials

manipulable, interactive, and physical.

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Privilege the discovery process by providing manipulatives of
mathematics, appropriate computer software, etc. But also present
appropriate ways at their level of development to collect and track
information.

Community resources such as historical sites, local experts in fields

different specializations, museums, all provide opportunities for the
students to collect and classify primary material. The societies
historical sites and libraries may have historical documents to see.

Websites are becoming increasingly valuable. The American Memory project of

the Library of Congress, for example, gives students access to the
primary sources. Students can find historical photographs there.
digitized, eyewitness testimonies, diaries, newspapers, and work of
art y they can consequently incorporate them soon into the
demonstrations of knowledge.

Without dismissing that the pre-prepared information (textbooks, books of

work, and similar) can be valuable, such sources demonstrate the
construction of knowledge of someone else, not of their students.

3. When designing tasks, use cognitive terminology such as 'classify.'

analyze,
that students explore learning.

4. allow the student's answers to guide the lessons,

change the instructional strategies and alter the content.

Do not misunderstand this to mean that all lessons should be

popular. But a blank stare from all the students, afterwards
that you thought I had told an absolutely metaphorical story
suitable, it may mean that you need to reform the way you establish
the bridge between the knowledge that your students already have and the one you
he wants them to build.

5. inquire about the understanding that students have of the

concepts before sharing your own understandings of those
concepts.

Wait before you say, 'Inertia is the tendency of an object to

to remain at rest or to remain in motion unless acted upon
"he is an external force." It may be more significant after the
students prepare for the concept by playing and then discussing a game
of football--what happened to the ball, what happened when two players had a
collision, etc.

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6. Encourage students to engage in dialogue, both with you
as among themselves.

In a traditional classroom, dialogue is often stifled. Teachers

they often monopolize the discourse, and the monologue takes the form of a dissertation.
The shift from a traditional approach to a constructivist one means breaking this
habit.

Students formulate concepts through dialogues in the classroom. They must

therefore be encouraged to engage in dialogue during discussions of
the class. The group work must be organized to facilitate dialogue. The
dialogue can be extended through electronic means such as e-mail or conference
online.

7. Activate student inquiry by asking reflective questions,

open and encourage students to ask questions
mutually.

You must supervise the functioning of the group and the peer editing.
to ensure that this productive dialogue is taking place. Model how the
students can learn from each other. "That interests me," "I didn't think
about that in that way," and "can you tell me more"? are the types of
stimuli that shape constructivist accompaniment.

8. seek the preparation of the initial responses of students.

Let students express themselves. This is particularly crucial for

those who are shy or inarticulate.

You may find that the use of email and online conferences for
extending class discussions is valuable. Studies show that
most of the time, in the electronic forum, gender - and the prejudices of
any kind no longer hinders the necessary free speech for a good
learning.

involve students in experiences that could engender

contradictions to their initial hypotheses, and then promotes the
discussion.

This is an effective technique for the constructivist teacher when facing

deeply held convictions or a concept that requires to be
revealed.

When students experience situations that test their

understanding, they review and strengthen their knowledge.

10. Allow for 'waiting time' after asking questions.

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Allow ample time to think during the class discussion. (This
goes hand in hand with learning to come up with questions for which there is not just one
correct answer.)

11. Give students time to build relationships and create.

metaphors.

And, model how to build relationships and metaphors. An English teacher, by

for example, I might want to show the drafts of a work by an author as well
of the finished novel. This will provide students with insight into
the creative processes of the writer. First-person testimonies of
individuals from many professional fields can help students to
seeing the value of time and reflection in the construction of knowledge. You
You may wish to invite a local writer or a scientist to visit the class.

12. Nurture the natural curiosity of students through the use

frequent of the Three-Step Learning Cycle Model:
Discovery, Introduction of Concept, and Application of Concept. The Cycle
Learning is a design that can be used as a general framework for
many types of constructivist activities. It is discussed in more depth in the
Application section of this workshop.

What are some of the challenges that I can face?

confront?
You will be challenged in various areas:

his role as a teacher will change.

. Giving up the role of 'expert' to become more of a facilitator can
It can be very difficult for some teachers. Practice will help.
. You must interrogate the students to find out how
they are learning, as well as what they have learned.
. You will likely have to commit to some study and
discussion to strengthen the foundation of your learning philosophy
constructivist.
. The noise level in your classroom when discussing and questioning more of your students.
It can drive you crazy at first.

The papers of your students will change. (It may take time)
to change habits formed over the years.) Hopefully,
. They will come to understand that multiple responses are expected from them and
that they will be challenged to document and defend their thinking. They
they will also come to understand that changing one's point of view is acceptable and
part of growth and learning.
. They will develop hypotheses and test their knowledge by presenting it and
working on it with others.

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. They will begin to take an active part in the evaluation of their own
knowledge and in the assessment of the learning situation.

You will face institutional challenges.

. The constructivist learning environment has an order and structure that
are not often perceived by the casual observer. The institution must
to commit to an incessant analysis of what is happening and how
can effectively communicate the educational approach to the community.
. The Director-teacher relationships must change from supervision and control.
to the guidance and support.

. Assessment has probably always been based on measurement.

standardized. Constructivism requires a reconsideration of the
evaluation and the grading assignment procedures. This will take
more time and effort on their part. There may be resistance from the parents,
the community, and even the students.

How do I evaluate the student's progress?

Next, some guidelines are presented to you on how you can evaluate the
learning of their students.
Evaluate the student's progress by examining the process of
student's thinking. This can be done in several ways.
ways. Try asking them a their students who
develop a solution to a problem and then what
defend their decisions.
- For example, to assess the understanding of the
properties of substances, assign to the equipment
of students the task of identifying a 'substance
mysterious" formulated by the teacher. Provide
the tools, devices, and techniques that they have
revised or are ready to adopt. Each team
inform its results a the class, with
demonstrations of successful techniques and problems
what happened.
- Oh, after a study of the animals and their
habits, you could present to the students a
problem that they know will culminate in a
evaluation. You could present a new
set of animals to the class. Then offer the
next problem: Choose three animals from
set and build a habitat that will welcome them to
all of them.

The students and teacher could build a rubric to guide the

work. The rubric could have general categories in the form of
a checklist: food, protection from the elements, etc.

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 2. Have the students document their learning at
through an individual diary or a similar activity where
reflection on your learning.
- For example, to document learning in
language, you can assign 'The Diaries of
"Reader Response," where students
they identify significant passages in their books of
reading. In this class diary, the students
typically record the passage in a column in
a page, then they write their observations
personal next to him. Sometimes the students
they use 'stickies' to note and mark their
readings.

A graphic organizer tool (whether in

a computer or handwritten) can be a
effective way for students to map their
learning. This is especially effective if you
practiced in the most important phases of the unit.
Then the students will see how their
understanding has progressed and how it connects to
other topics and learnings.

3. Encourage students to create new environments of

problem solving.

How does technology complement constructivism?

Constructivism proposes that learning environments should support
multiple perspectives or interpretations of reality, construction of
knowledge, and highly contextualized activities based on the
experience.
--David H. Jonassen

The rapid development of increasingly powerful computers and systems

communication has great implications for the constructivist approach to
education. It offers a tremendous amount of information, tools for
creativity and development, and various environments and forums for communication.
Within a student-centered curriculum plan, based on the
student performance or research, the new tools of the
technology provides many opportunities for students and teachers to
build knowledge in a stimulating environment.

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The Internet and its graphical interface, the World Wide Web, have made it
immense amounts of information are available in a form
opportune.
- Students can start research.
more and more independently using the
information technologies.
- Teachers can strengthen research and
classification more promptly in a rich environment
in technology. (filter software protects the
younger students from inappropriate areas in
the World Wide Web
- the material from primary sources is increasing
available in forms that allow it to be
incorporated into the files created by the
students and in knowledge constructions.
Educational institutions have put a
a lot of useful material in the sciences,
mathematics, literature, and social sciences.
- Current high-quality material on events
magnos is immediately available. A
landing on Mars, a comet that impacts
Jupiter, a space walk, photographs and statistics
of major storms. Students can
research, classify, and store information from
multimedia of these events and more.

more powerful software applications have put

tools for the interpretation and creation of knowledge in the
hands of learners of all ages and abilities. Processing of
words and text publication, databases and spreadsheets, photography
digital art and applications, multimedia and programs for publishing on the Web
they have greatly strengthened the students' potential for expression.
These computer-based tools have impacted the
multiple intelligences of students, and enabled those with aptitude
in visual learning, for example, demonstrating the creation of knowledge more
effectively. Teachers are restructuring their classrooms so that the
students can participate as producers. For example, the teachers
they could organize the students to create a museum stand and thus
demonstrate their learnings.

Type of program activity Example of a program

graphic organizer Conceptual mapping Inspiration
Language of Logical Structures - the Prologue, Logo,
programming students use Microworlds, Turtle
mathematical thinking
with visual objects
Simulation Programs Representation from Stella
construction systems
Graphical applications Visual illustration CorelDraw

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Authoring Tools Presentations HyperStudio, Director,
multimedia, portfolios PowerPoint

3. computer technology has improved opportunities for

students communicate with each other.
- Students and teachers can extend their
dialogue beyond physical restrictions or
temporary using e-mail, listservs, and talks
real-time virtual. Electronic files of
data, websites e e-mail allows a
increasing and effective collaboration among the
students.

Application
In this final section of the constructivism workshop, you will have the opportunity
to test ideas about constructivist learning in their classroom. In
In particular, this section provides a framework. in which you can
develop your own constructivist lesson plan.

The points to be developed are:

Important principles
3 constructivist learning design models

Important principles
As we saw in the Explanation section, Jacqueline Grennon Brooks and
Martin G. Brooks offers five important principles of the approach
constructivist of learning. You can use them to guide the structure
of the curriculum and class planning.

Five Guiding Principles of Constructivism:

1. propose increasingly relevant problems to the students.

2. Structure learning around primary concepts.

3. seek and evaluate the viewpoints of students.

4. adapt the instruction to address the student's assumptions.

5. evaluate student learning in the context of teaching.

These principles are absolutely applicable at all levels and phases of

learning. When you work with the ideas of constructivist learning,
You will develop personal versions of these principles.

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Three Constructivist Design Models
The Learning Cycle is a three-step design that can be used
as a general framework for many types of activities
constructivists.

The Learning Cycle is a venerable model of the learning process.

what was used first in education in the area of sciences. The process begins
with the phase of 'discovery'. The teacher encourages the students to
generate questions and hypotheses when working with various materials. Then, the
The teacher provides lessons on 'introduction to concepts'. Here is the teacher.
focuses on the students' questions and helps them create hypotheses and design
experiments. In the third step, 'the application of the concept,' the students
they work on new problems that review the concepts studied in the
first two steps. You may find this cycle repeating itself many times
times throughout a lesson or unit.

2. Another model of constructivist learning design was developed

by George W. Gagnon, Jr., and Michelle Collay.

In this model, teachers carry out several steps in the structure of their
instruction plan. They:
- They develop a situation for it to be explained by the students.
- they select a process to group the materials and to the
students
- they build a bridge between what students know and what
teachers want them to learn
- they anticipate questions to formulate and the ones they might ask
the students without having to give an explanation
- they encourage students to showcase a record of their
thinking shared with others, and
- They request the reflections of their students on their learning.

3. Robert O. McClintock and John B. Black from Columbia University

Teachers College derived another design model from several
computer-supported learning environments in the Dalton
School in New York.

The Information Construction Model (ICON) contains seven phases:

1.Observation: Students make observations of materials.

primary sources in their natural or simulated contexts.
2. Construction of interpretation: Students interpret their
observations and explain their reasoning.
3. Contextualization: Students build contexts for their
explanations.

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4. Cognitive learning: teachers help students in
learning to gain mastery of observation, interpretation, and
contextualization.
5. Collaboration: Students collaborate in observation,
interpretation and contextualization.
6. Multiple interpretations: Students gain flexibility
cognitive exposing itself to the multiple interpretations of others
students and specialists.
7. Multiple manifestations: Students gain transmissibility
seeing multiple manifestations of the same interpretations.

Adapted by Alfredo E. Ramos and shared in Seminars

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