Student-centered instructional strategies
Quality teachers respect learners: Thus, they
rely on constructivist teaching & learning
approaches
Student-centered instructional strategies
• Cooperative Learning, Group Learning, & Discussions
• Constructivist theory
– Inquiry/Problem-solving
– Discovery learning
– Experiments
• Approach:
– What is?
– What’s the focus?
– What’s the teacher’s role?
– What’s the learner's role?
– What are the benefits?
– How is it structured?
– How might it impact your philosophy/values?
Constructivism– Problem-based learning (chap.
11&12)
What is constructivism?...p. 17, 206 &526
Theoretical support and teaching strategies
consistent with constructivism … p. 399
What we need to know about problem-based
learning….p. 402…
Teacher & Students’ roles .. p. 410…
Discussions…. p. 429
Promoting thinking skills… 432
The learning environment….p. 416…
Other items in the rubric will be explored as we discuss the
above
Project (PBL)
• Read chap. 11 (Problem-based learning) &
chap 12 (discussion) and do the following:
– Identify a teaching project/lesson plan/activity/topics
based on what you know about constructivism (Civil
war, Writing, Biomes, wind energy, food groups,
story telling, addiction)
– As you prepare your project, use the knowledge
gained from Chap. 11&12 to answer the following
questions:
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Why did you choose this project?
What is your (teacher’s) role?
What are the students’ roles?
What challenges do you think might arise?
What is your solution to expected challenges
How might this project influence your philosophy?
What else (Aha? Confusion?, etc) would you like to discuss?
Constructivism
“Never doubt that a small
group of thoughtful,
committed citizens can
change the world. Indeed, it
is the only thing that ever
has” ~Margaret Mead~
Constructivism
• Is a theory or a philosophy about teaching
and learning that supports the notion that:
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–
–
–
–
–
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Learners must be independent thinkers (cognitive)
Learners create their own knowledge
Learners should be independent thinkers
Learners expected to understand in addition to
knowing
Learners are expected to question, question
Learners work in teams
Learning is active & student-centered
Learning is evident is Behavioral change (do)
Constructivism
“Traditionally, teachers
present knowledge to
passive students who
absorb it. No wonder
students are often
bored” ~Orlich, et al, 2007)
Constructivism
• What is constructivism?
“ I cannot teach anybody anything. I can
only make them think” ~ Socrates- 469399B.C.~
Teachers can’t make children learn because
children learn through problem-solving ~
Ms. Linch 11/9/2010
Constructivism
• Teaching strategies:
– Primarily Problem-based such as: ..pp. 400…
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•
•
•
Discovery learning (Jerome Brunner)
Inquiry learning (Richard Suchman)
Reflective/experiential learning (John Dewey)
Inductive learning (Greeks) that focuses on:
– Inductive reasoning= specific to general and/or
– Deductive reasoning= general to specifics)
• PBL eliminates learners boredom by
engaging H.O.T.S.
Constructivism
• The big picture is:
– Problem
– Freedom to think
– Respect
– Solutions and developing more problems
– Understanding in addition to knowing
– Creativity
Constructivism & creativity
• Creativity is “allowing people to make
mistakes” … Nancy Freudenthal, 2007
• The permission and freedom given to our
children to be creative is the single most
important difference between American
and other education system… Mike Enzi, 2007
Constructivism
“There
are nine and sixty ways of
teaching these days, and
everyone of them is right” ~ Claude M.
Fuess, 1939~
Theorists… Greeks
• SOPHISTS.. Traveling teachers who
believed in knowledge transmission
through lectures and modeling.
• SOCRATICS.. Believed learning was an
internal vs. external experience
– “ I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only
make them think” ~ Socrates- 469-399B.C. ~
1700s Educators
– Knowledge is constructed by the
knower.
– Human mind is capable of constructing
it’s own meaning- knowledge (Von Glaserfeld,
1993)
Theorists ..p.399..
• John Dewey 1920s--- Learning should mirror
practices in a Democracy… problem-solving .. (ask
for their input; democracy is messy)
• Children are innately curious… went to school.. We
“domesticate” them
• Thus need meaningful, purposeful and real-life
learning experiences vs. abstract learning
– Learning should address social and intellectual
challenges and opportunities
– Reflective thinking
Theorists
• William Kilpatrick…1920s
– A disciple of Dewey
– Supported project-based learning driven by
learner’s interests
• Jean Piaget … 1950s
– Children are innately curious
– Thus, will explore and investigate their world
through:
• Experiments, Discoveries, Manipulation of
objects and discussions
• They construct cognitive representations of
their experiences (schemata)
Jerome Brunner …1950s
• Father of discovery learning
• Hands-on or active involvement promotes
learning
• Learner’s prior experiences are crucial
• Scaffolding--- learners should be assisted
as needed (ZPD)
Richard Suchman..1960s
• Associated with inquiry/ problem-based learning
• Learning should be based on problem (puzzling)
situations
• Supported:
– Active learner involvement
– Inductive (specific to general) thinking
– Discovery learning
– Learner-constructed knowledge
Lev Vygotsky…1970s
• Learning is a product of discrepancies between
existing and new experiences
• Learning is connective---link of new knowledge
to exiting knowledge
• ZPD—gap between what a learner can do alone
and with help of others
• Learning is enhanced in a
social/team/cooperative setting
Constructivism
“It is the supreme art of the
teacher to awaken joy
in
creative expression and
knowledge ~ Albert Einstein- 1879-1955~
Teachers
– Are experts, but they refrain from pouring knowledge
into learners’ minds
– Help learners relate new knowledge to existing
schemes
– Expect knowledge application
– Expect construction of new knowledge
– Are interactive… type of questions ..p.434
– Present curriculum from whole to parts
– Seek students’ points of view
Teachers
• Rely heavily on primary resources
• Use authentic assessment –(interwoven with teaching
and has a variety of approaches)
• Help learners construct knowledge through
– Inquiry learning (Ask a lot of questions)
• Convergent v. Divergent questions
Avoid dead-end, chameleon, fuzzy, putdown, and programmed answer
questions…p.440
Wait time .. P. 435 (A+P+C)
Knowledge construction cont..
• Teachers help learners construct knowledge
through:
– Authentic experiences
– Collaborative activities
– Discussions & reflections
• Increased participation by:
– using U-shaped and circle space..p.441
–Using cooperative strategies such as
Think-pair-share, Buzz groups, Beach
ball, etc. p.450
Constructivist Classroom
• Emphasis on themes and big concepts
• Learners question ideas, concepts,
principles, knowledge etc.
• Respect for primary resources and
manipulatives
• Students are thinkers
• New theories are developed and tested
• Teachers are managers and facilitators
Constructivist Classroom
• Learner’s ideas are implemented when
necessary
• Authentic assessment is the norm
(portfolios, exhibitions, presentations, oral
discussions etc. )
• Team learning is the primary approach to
teaching and learning
• Five Es (Engage, explore, explain,
elaborate, and evaluate) are followed.
Teaching Strategies
• Teaching strategies consistent with
constructivist theory are problem-based
such as:
– Discovery learning
– Experimental/inquiry learning
– Classroom discussions/strategic
learning
Constructivist teacher
• Teaching is a process that continues well
after your first, third, or twentieth year. It’s
what keeps it interesting. Teachers must
be thinkers and decision makers who take
full responsibility for their classrooms and
students. It’s a continual search for
knowledge. Teaching relies on the
judgment of its “individual practitioners” –
it’s called the art of teaching ~ Kathleen Lange, 5th
grade teacher in Tennessee
Learners
– Learn largely on their own through structured
discovery, experimentation and inquiry
learning
– Think for themselves… Independent & selfregulated
– Are respected thinkers
– Knowing is encouraged as a process
– Independent problem-solving & problem
builders
– Manipulation resources & information
– Ask a lot of questions
– Highly involved in their own learning
Advantages
• Increased:
– Self-regulation
• Reading comprehension
• Curiosity and cognition
• Self-esteem and motivation to learn
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Increased H.O.T.S
Reduces achievement gaps
Increased knowledge retention
Preferred by learners (Guthrie et al., 2004)
Problems/Accommodation
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Time consuming
Noise level
Power and control… teacher’s perception
Culture.. Learners’ dependence on
teachers
• Assessment… may not teach to the test
• Individual differences (chap. 2)
– Unsolved problems are identified.
Lesson Planning
• Planning for constructivism is informed by
5 Es
– Engage
– Explore
– Explain
– Elaborate
– Evaluate
Lesson Planning
• Using the template provided, please
prepare a constructivist lesson plan
on a topic of your choosing
–Please remember to apply the
lesson planning knowledge already
gained in this course.