Constructivist/Constructionist Theories of Learning

Constructivism/Constructionism Theories of Learning:

The schools I teach at are big fans of this learning method. Most of our teachers use in one way or another during the school year. It comes up most often in the form of projects and presentations. I have to admit that I am also a big fan of this method as well. I believe most teachers would agree that creating finished projects and presentations helps students use higher levels of thinking and creates more connections in their minds. I think another important factor is that when students are able to show what they have learned, they are motivated to learn more. Positive reinforcement creates a greater desire to learn more, and instills confidence in a students abilities.

Aside from the idea of creating GIS maps that I mentioned in my discussion post, I am a big fan of PowerPoint presentations that were created by the students. Instead of having the students create entire presentations, I usually assign them only one or two slides, and have them work as individuals or in pairs. One of the aspects of their slides must be how it is connected to the other slides that are being created. Then, when they are all put together, we teach each other the lesson. I think this helps the students in many ways. First, they can be proud that they have contributed to the overall presentation in a positive manner. In addition, they quickly learn how important their obligation is to the other classmates to do their work so there is not a gap in the information. Second, it helps the students see the overall picture of a concept or lesson. Finally, having all the slides be related to each other in one way or another is a great way to help students understand connectivity, or causes and effects.

While creating the slides, students are often introduced to entirely new concepts. Before they can share them with everyone else, they need to use assimilation and accommodation techniques to understand the information well enough to teach it to others