2 Replies
2 STUDENT REPLIES
For your replies, respond to 2 classmates, identifying at least 1 strength and 1 weakness in their application of the Constructivist Theory. Reply with at least 300 words each to other classmates’ threads. All writing must follow current APA format, including 2 in-text citations and references.
Student #1
Constructivism is a board topic that seeks to explain how students process and integrate new information. The theories found under this umbrella have excellent suggestions to help teachers develop new techniques in presenting information in the classroom. Not only do teachers need to help students assimilate new content information, they also need to help students learn how to develop critical thinking skills by connecting the information they are learning. Piaget’s theories suggest that all individuals will progress through separate and distinct stages in a particular order as they grow and mature as individuals (Schunk, 2016). Bruner suggested that presenting information in a spiral curriculum would help students with their academic growth and learning (Schunk, 2016). Vygotsky’s approach considered other factors in the learning environment to include interactions with others. The goals of constructivism include enriching the learning process through more engaging activities, environment, and social interactions to help students be more successful in their learning. It is also noted teachers need to add the evaluation process to their planning and instruction to reflect on their best practices. This will ensure they take their individual students into account to maximize the students’ learning.
In my limited teaching experience, I am finding that these methods truly do show great benefits with students of all ability levels. One of the most effective strategies I have used is called a metacognition instructional model. This model helps to explain how the brain processes information related to problem solving skills and critical thinking skills (Martinez, 2006). Students often need help in structuring their learning to develop the more advanced critical thinking skills. Using a model were the instructor uses scaffolding and verbal instruction while demonstrating the procedure, students can develop their own self talk to a higher level of thinking skills. This is essentially a thinking out loud model, so student start to pick up the questions they should be asking themselves as they problem solve. As you complete the example problem or demonstration of the activity, you explain verbally what you are thinking in your mind as you walk through the steps. This will help the students learn a thinking process through a step by step process. I find students tend to give up when the problem gets difficult. If they have some thinking models given to them as possible options, they seem to actually use them to try to ask themselves more questions to explore other possibilities. Critically thinking and problem solving is always difficult to teacher, but it helps to encourage the students that they truly do have the ability, but it does take hard work. Inspiring them to achieve difficult things always requires that we encourage them to give their best just as the Bible instructs us to do (Colossians 3:23, NIV).
References
Martinez, M. E. (2006). What is metacognition? Phi Delta Kappan, 87(9), 696-699. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/218489162?accountid=12085
Schunk, D. H. (2016). Learning theories: An educational perspective (Seventh ed.). Boston: Pearson.
Student #2
Within this chapter about constructivism, many of the key ideas resounded with me, which made me reflect on my journey as a high school teacher. In considering why some teachers are traditionalists and others are constructivists, it occurred to me that we all transcend from one to the other, sometimes even overlapping. Schunk (2016) states: “The task facing teachers who attempt to implement constructivist principles can be challenging” (p. 332). While we all have worked with or had a teacher that was traditional in the sense that the teacher is the center of the classroom, there is a small unit or lesson being instructed, and then an assessment at the end (Schunk, 2016), it seems that this may be a function of survival for new teachers.
As a new teacher, I took every piece of curriculum anyone wanted to share with me and just used it. For example, when I taught Macbeth the first few times, I focused strictly on making sure the students understood what the plot was and assessed them on that. As I became more reflective of my practice and my own self-efficacy increased, my practice changed. When thinking about my “competencies including subject knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and student capabilities” (Schunk, 2016, p. 331), I wasn’t confident in my abilities to teach the material.
The assumptions of constructivism point out the importance in the relationship between curriculum and instruction so that students are actively involved in the learning process, while the teacher provides multiple opportunities for students to understand key ideas by challenging them at their zone of proximal development (Schunk, 2016). I didn’t know this was what I wanted to do - I only knew that I wanted to go beyond plot so that my students understood why we still read Shakespeare today.
I changed my approach to include students reading parts, watching multiple interpretations, acting the scenes out in groups, drawing comic strips of the most important plot pieces, modernizing the language, discussing the characters, all while assessing their interpretation of the play. I found this to be a more successful approach, and even the most reluctant readers had an opinion about the play by the end. Even those who didn’t like the play formed their opinion based on the character actions or the ending, not because it was difficult to read, or they didn’t understand what was going on.
References
Schunk, D. H. (2016). Learning theories: An educational perspective (Seventh ed.). Boston: Pearson.