jessica

Social Constructivism0

This weeks reading was on the topic of social constructivism. It spoke about a study that was undertaken to see what some teachers thought constructivism was and if they actually implemented a constructivist approach to their teaching. 

Constructivism can be defined as “the theory according to which every child builds his own knowledge from the inside, through his own mental activity, in interaction with the environment” (Kamii, 1985, as cited in Brewer & Daane, 2002, p. 417). This theory recognises that the child actively builds their knowledge instead of passively recieving it (Brewer & Daane, 2002).

I believe that adopting a constructivist approach to teaching is beneficial to the students. It encourages students to use their prior knowledge in order to increase their understanding of a new topic; that is, they are building their new knowledge upon their prior knowledge. It also encourages students to be autonomous learners and make their own judgements instead of “accepting what everybody said or what the teacher said” (Brewer & Daane, 2002, p. 418). Students are also given the opportunity to learn from each other and share their thoughts through peer interaction, group work and class discussions (Brewer & Daane, 2002). 

It is for these reasons that I think that students can benefit from constructivism in the classroom and I will certainly aim to implement this approach to teaching in my classroom in the future. 

The link below is an example of how ICT can be used in a constructivist approach to teaching. It is a link to an online game where students have the opportunity to actively build their knowledge and build on their prior knowledge.

Gold Rush: Level 2

References:

Brewer, J. & Daane, C.J. (2002). Translating constructivist theory into practice in primary-grade mathematics, 123(2), 416-421.

Curriculum Corporation (n.d). L680 Gold Rush: Level 2. Retrieved March 12, 2008 from http://econtent.thelearningfederation.edu.au/ec/viewing/L680/index.html

Speaking partner to help out at the board by Ewan McIntosh (flickr).

Posted under: Weekly Reflections