Constructivism in Pratice
Constructivist believe that students construct in their own mind to create an artifact or product. In order to allow the students to create the teacher must have a classroom environment that allows students to explore, research, develop, question, problem solve. Technology is tools that can help the students develop their ideas and construct a final project. In the text, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, there are several examples of how to focus on Constructivist assignments that utilize technology. Chapter 11 focuses on Generating and Testing hypoheses, which according to Bloom's Taxonomy, higher level thinking. There are six task that can be used to create and test hyphtheses: system analysis, problem slolve, historical investigation, invention, experimental inquiry, and decision making. All these task correlate with the 21st century skills needed to succeed in current and future jobs. As a history teacher, I was interested in the web sites that are geared toward history. Web Resources are the most enticing as a history teacher. Finding a game that allows students to create a hypotheses, problem solve, is Construtivism in action. www.making-history.com Other web sites that are history related, focus on primary sources. Students can analyze the primary source and then create a hypotheses from the document. The student can research their hypotheses to construct an artifact as a final product. I noticed that Constructivism and Constructionism both lend themelves to science.
I thought it would be a good idea to colloborate with the science department to develop assignments that overlap in science and hisory. I would also like to see how Data Collection tools are used in a history class. The text mentions that students could use a digital microscope to record detailed images from an archeological excavation, but do not demonstrate how to find or create this for a class assignment.
About Me
- cmbrady
- A hunger and thirst for knowledge, even though I get indigestion from all the unknowns, especially with technology. I am definitely out of my realm with technology. My new motto "technology is my friend"
I would like to integrate more primary sources into my lessons. The internet is a great source for finding primary sources relevant to the topics I'm teaching. I like the way you connected primary sources with constructionism by having students analyze and create a hypothesis based on them. Students could then create a PowerPoint based on their hypothesis. I also liked your idea of collaborating with the science department. The more students see the interconnectedness between subject the deeper their understanding of them will be.
ReplyDeleteCarolyn
Cathy,
ReplyDeleteYou talk about the importance of using 21st Century skills in your classroom and your idea of collaborating with the science department on a project is truly one of those skills. Like in Dr. Orey’s online reading assignment, Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching, and Technology: Cognitive Tools they give the scenario of the young man doing a project for two classes in one. Employers are always looking for someone who will work smarter not harder and this is a perfect opportunity to do so. I wonder if you and the science teacher worked together to create the assignment then distributed it to your students without mentioning you were collaborating; I wonder if any of the students would figure out they could be combine the two? Do you think any of your students would figure this out? Great post.
Stephanie Coultrip
Cathy,
ReplyDeleteThere are two things that are necessary with this type of learning. First of all, the teacher must be open to nontraditional ways of learning and willing to do a good amount of planning and research. Second, you must have ample resources to use and draw from. When these two things are present these types of learning tasks do create a more student friendly learning environment in many different aspects.
Christilyn
One of the concerns that I have or that I need to make sure that I address is teaching the students how to properly use the internet and other resource. The students need to learn how to check for validity. The students would need a lot of front loading to have an assignment where the science teacher distributes the assignment and then expects the students to make the connections to history. At my school we do focus on different perspectives and how various jobs effect the focus, so this would help the students make some connections. Primary sources could be used to dissect from different points of view. I agree that teachers must be open to teaching, other than lectures, and for myself I had to take a masters program that teaches innovative technology to use in the classroom.
ReplyDelete