A short presentation outlining the basics of the Constructive learning theory, how its applied in the classroom and my personal opinion. Enjoy!

1. CONSTRUCTIVISM

2. TABLE OF CONTENTS
What is Constructivism?
Who came up with this?
How can it be applied?
What’s your opinion of
Constructivism?
Works Cited

3. What is Constructivism?
Student-focused learning theory
As learners, we construct meaning and knowledge
individually from experiences
Teachers are used as guides to encourage the
students to pursue meaning and knowledge
There is no knowledge independent of meaning

4. What is Constructivism?
☆“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I
understand.” –Confucius
☆This quote sums up what Constructivism is all about.
Important to:
Focus on the learner and their thought processes
Engage the students to encourage
exploration and discovery

5. Jean Piaget
Believed children were active learners
Construct knowledge as they move through life’s
schema (stages)
Cognitive Learning Theory (4 stages)
Sensorimotor
learn through senses/motor actions
Preoperational
Use symbols/images and play pretend
Concrete Operational
Think logically and understand other points of view
Formal Operational
Hypothesize, abstract thinking and moral development
Adaption (cognitive development)
Assimilation: Addition of new information
Accommodation: Revision of old information due to new
discovery

6. Jerome Bruner
American psychologist and educator
☆Participatory learners
☆Integrated curriculum
☆ various activities to encourage learning
☆Study of cognition
☆ Individuals progress through different intellectual
stages
☆ Mental models are created that provide meaning
☆Socratic Method
☆Solving problems through questioning and
answering techniques
☆Spiral Curriculum
☆ Building upon what is already learned

7. Lev Vygotsky
Russian educational psychologist
Social Cognition
Learning significantly influenced by social environment
and culture
Positive or negative effects
Zone of proximal development
Difference between a child’s problem solving ability and their
potential when working with someone more advanced (ex.
Teacher)
Promotes collaborative learning
Scaffolding
Discovering a child’s level of development and building
their learning experiences from that point
Altering schemata (mental framework)
Anchored Instruction
Learned concepts become a basis for other information
to connect to and build upon

8. John Dewey
Educational psychologist, political activist
and philosopher
Father of Education
☆University Elementary School
☆ School is a community and an extension of society
☆ Student-directed learning with teachers as guides for
resources
☆Progressive Education
☆ Educating the whole child (physically, mentally and
socially)
☆Pragmatist
☆Truth of a theory could only be determined by whether
it worked or not

9. Constructivism in the Classroom
Teacher’s Role
Act as a guide to students
Encourage students to ask
questions and find answers
Provide helpful resources,
but not answers
Foster an environment that
encourages exploration and
experimentation

10. How can it be applied?
☆Student’s Role
☆Pursue knowledge through
questioning and analytical thinking
☆Build on what is already known
☆Search for meaning, instead of
memorizing facts
☆Collaborate with other students
to reach your full potential
☆Explore and experiment, don’t
accept fact for truth

11. Constructivism in MY Classroom
☆As a teacher Constructivism is an
excellent way to help your students
succeed, not only in your class, but in
the future as well.
☆Teaches them analytical skills,
encourages exploration and fosters
experiments and quests for more
knowledge.

12. Constructivism in MY Classroom
Student-centered learning is a great way
to cater to each child.
It requires you to step outside the box
and come up with innovative ways to
introduce curriculum.
Not to mention that a child feels far
more accomplished when they have
achieved on their own

13. Works Cited
http://www.exploratorium.edu/IFI/resources/constructivistlearni
ng.html
http://www.notablebiographies.com/Pe-Pu/Piaget-
Jean.html#betc
http://ece205.wikispaces.com/Jerome+Bruner
http://www.goodtherapy.org/famous-psychologists/lev-
vygotsky.html
http://www.iep.utm.edu/dewey/
http://www.sparkenthusiasm.com/teacher_treasures.html
http://www.fil.ion.ucl.ac.uk/essay2009/text/whocanenterTXT.ht
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