The constuctionism theory adds into the equation of learning the idea of intentional and accidental learning. When we want to learn we turn on our receptors and observe the world around us and consciously alter our schemas. This is because our beliefs and knowledge are constantly being added to. If I observe something that solidifies my beliefs I will use it to defend them. If something is observed that contradicts my beliefs I will either find a way to discredit that piece of information or change my belief.
More important is probably the process of accidental learning. There are some things that we observe that add to our knowledge but that do not require us to immediately act on. Take fashion as an example. As new styles emerge we begin to incorporate them without any real conscious decision. That explains why so many people wore leisure suits in teh 1970's, there was no conscious thought. Since motivation is so important in the education of our students we need to activate this intentional learning becuase it is much more powerful. One way that we can do this is to get students to use resources and information in novel ways. With that in mind the strategy outlined in our course text is a perfect example. A teacher can tell her class in about five minutes that investing leads to longterm wealth, it actually isn't that hard of a concept. The problem is that intentional learning has not been activated. To activate this type of learning the teacher does a wonderful job of having her students jump into the world of investing and experience the different choices. By doing this the students are realizing the true difference betwwen the options without the teacher's voice going in one ear and out the other.
That is what we need to be aware of when previewing any resource of lesson plan, whether they use technology or not. The beauty of constuctionism is that it is a pure application of the higher levels of Bloom's Taxonomy. That is exactly what our goals should be. If we want to move beyond route memorization we have to get our students to use information in a manner in which they are creating new products and solving problems that may not have answers.
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3 comments:
I have and will use Constructionism in the classroom. The big difference is technology. In the text Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works several examples of technology were given to incorporate into assignments. The teacher is asked to find, create new lessons that allow students to construct by generating and testing hypotheses. I agree this is a great way to utilize Bloom's Taxonomy. What technology are you using or planning on using in the classroom? Do you have access to technology to implement spreadsheets software, data collection tools, or web resources that were mentioned in chapter 11 of our text?
cmbrady,
In the past I have used "basic" technologies like projectors for websites and PowerPoint as teacher lead applications. I have a standing reservation for the computer lab where students typically conduct webquests. I have assigned wiki assignments. I have not done much with spreadsheets, they don't truly fit with my curriculum. I am contemplating adding a unit on research methods where spreadsheets would be implimented. My district is fairly technology backward so I don't have many resources. I am attempting to convince my administration to purchase interactive whiteboards (we only have one for 86 teachers currently). I am also always looking for grant opportunities. Apart from whiteboards my big push right now is to find funds to purchase five to ten netbooks for my classroom. If you know of any resources I would greatly appreciate them.
Your explanation of how constructionist activities aligns with the higher levels of Bloom's Taxonomy struck a chord with me. Throughout this week's assignments and resources I have thought about the value of these activities because of the strong critical thinking skills they encourage. Thank you for helping me soldify this. This is where we need to get our students and constructionist activities promote the deeper understanding resulting from higher level thinking.
Carolyn
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