Constructivism/Constructionism in Practice

This week I am examining the use of Constructivism and Constructionism in the classroom. Constructivism is defined by Dr. Orey as "a theory of knowledge stating that each individual actively constructs his/her own meaning" (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008). He defines Constructionism as "a theory of learning that states people learn best when they build an external artifact or something they can share with others" or simply put, students get "involved in building stuff" (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008). I agree with Dr. Orey when he stated Constructionism is "more important to classroom teachers. (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008).

In Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, I read about how technology can be utilized in implementing the instructional strategy Generating and Testing Hypotheses. I think this is a good fit for this week's learning theory. According to the text, "when students generate and test hypotheses, they are engaging in complex mental processes, applying content knowledge like facts and vocabulary, and enhancing their overall understanding of the content" (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). The students should be guided through a variety of structured tasks and should be able to describe their hypotheses and conclusions.

Technology enhances our use of this strategy thanks to the development of probeware and interactive applets which "allow students to spend more time interpreting the data rather than gathering the data" (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). The use of spreadsheet software, such as a teacher generated Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, allow the students to "compare their predictions to actual results without spending lots of valuable time doing calculations or designing spreadsheets" (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). Another option is for students to use data collection tools to "see the bigger picture and recognize patterns" (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). The text states web resources and gaming software "allow students to use background knowledge, make decisions, and see the outcome of their hypotheses, often in virtual situations that would be impossible or financially unfeasible in real life" (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007).

This strategy demonstrates constructionism by having the student create an artifact through their development of a hypotheses and then testing that hypotheses. As they draw their conclusions and present their findings they have experienced constructionism.

Resources:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008). Program seven. Constructionist and Constructivist Learning Theories [Motion picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology.
Baltimore: Author.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD