Constructionism is a theory of learning that believes students learn best when they build some sort of artifact that allows them to construct their own meaning. Basically students need to have first hand experiences with the content so that they can construct knowledge through experiences. Technology tools presented this week are used to allow the students to conduct these experiences with the content presented in the classroom.
I really enjoyed reading and learning about the interactive savings and investment spreadsheet created in Microsoft excel in Ch. 11 of Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works. Mrs. Omar designed three scenarios for students to hypothesis and test using Microsoft Excel. The students were able to enter the data and manipulate the information. After the students conduct the test by entering the data they get to see the results in a line graph and compare these results with their hypothesis. This activity is allowing students to experience and create an artifact that shows understanding of savings, investments, and interest rates. The students are an active participant in the learning that is taking place.
I also believe that Dr. Orey’s example of using PowerPoint with students is another great way to engage students in a constructionist tool. When using PowerPoint the students are engaged in creating some sort of artifact that they can present. The artifact that they are constructing is a direct link to the knowledge that they are creating. I shared the pamphlet idea with one of my colleagues that teaches language arts and she thought it was an excellent idea and is going to try it next quarter on a book project. I also believe that I could easily adapt this pamphlet idea into a social studies unit.
Constuctionism alone is not the answer to all the problems that we face as educators, but it is an essential piece to the puzzle that we must allow are students to experience.
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I think constructionism is an essential piece to learning. I like it more than testing because it forces students to show what they know. As you say, it is important that they be active learners in the process.
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ReplyDeleteBryan-
ReplyDeleteI too also liked the suggestions about power point and microsoft exel and can not stop thinking about how I can incorporate them into my classroom. How do you think you are going to use these suggestions in your classroom?
Mrs. Bimbi
ReplyDeleteI am going to try and use the library in a couple of weeks when I am teaching a unit on graphing so that I can get students on computers that have Microsoft excel. I haven't finalized everything yet, but I am going to have the students choose a concern at school. They are going to have to conduct a survey and then graph their data.
Bryan-
ReplyDeleteI too am going to try and take my students into the computer lab next week to work on some computer skills. I am going to have them conduct some research and then conduct a survey and then like you have them use Microsoft excel to graph their data.
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ReplyDeleteI do not know where you are in history in the social studies class; but, perhaps, you could use the pamphlet idea to get new recruits for a war -- revolutionary, civil, WWI or WWII. Each of these times have their own unique set of circumstances of happening and need for more men. Or you could have them do one for each so that they could compare them to see the differences between the reasons behind each war. Then you could have the students create one on the Korean and Vietnam Wars to compare to how much "harder" it was to get people to be voluntarily involved in these two wars.
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