In constructivism, learning is active, reflective, inquiry based, collaborative, and evolving. In a constructivist classroom students are constructing knowledge and understanding. The focus is on the students and their thinking more than the actual lesson. In a constructivist classroom questions are key, there is guided problem solving, process is as important as product, group work and collaboration, respect for multiple intelligence. The Foundational Theorists Behind Constructivism are Jean Piaget, Jerome Bruner, David Kolb, Lev Vygotsky, and John Dewey. There are several differences between constructivist and traditional ideas. Curriculum emphasizes big concepts beginning with the whole and expands to include the parts. Teachers structure lessons around big ideas not small bit of information this allows students to take the big idea and find relevance of small bits of information. Students are viewed as thinkers with emerging theories about the world. They connect what they are learning to their surrounding environment. Students’ work in groups they have peer discussions and have hands on activities. The teacher has several roles. They find children’s current understanding and knowledge level, provide students with activities, hands on learning and opportunities to experiment and manipulate the things in the world, Foster higher order thinking skills. Teachers are not the only source of information they are there to assist and guide students as they actively work to construct knowledge. Teachers can stimulate ideas and facilitate learning with a method called scaffolding (which is when the teacher carefully leads and directs a student to correct answers without giving away the answer) Assessments can be made by students work, observations, test, discussions, portfolios. Some examples are ask question to the class in reflective discussions, ask question individuals during group work or individual task, take questions from students, have an end of the lesson assignments that reflect what the know (journal entry, worksheet quiz or test) The PAR model of learning relates to constructivist classroom because constructivism is all about active learning and the learners thinking process. In this model of teaching that is exactly what is going on. The learners are involved in activities to further enhance their understanding of a topic. The PAR Model of learning stands for Present Apply and Review. During the PAR model of learning teachers present the topic and new information of learning to his or her students. The students then do an activity that will require them to apply this new information. After the activity they will have some sort of review. In this review the teachers can see how well the students understand the new information. The PAR model includes hands on activities, which is how students work in a constructivist classroom. The teacher’s role during PAR model of teaching is just like in a constructivist classroom, they are the facilitator. The review during PAR modeling is part of the assessment. These assessments can be the same as those discussed about constructivist assessment.
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November 2016
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