Constructivism is a learning theory where learners actively construct their own knowledge through experiences. Key figures who influenced this theory include Piaget, Bruner, Vygotsky, and Dewey. In the classroom, constructivist teaching focuses on hands-on problem solving and inquiry-based activities where students collaborate and reflect on learning. The teacher guides students to build knowledge instead of just receiving facts.

1. By: Monique B.

2.  What is Constructivism?
 Who is involved in the theory?
 How can the theory be seen in the classroom?
 How to use Constructivism in the classroom

3.  A type of learning theory where the learner actively construct creates
their own subjective representations of objective reality.
 This theory focuses on learning through experience.
 Constructivism began in the time of Progressive Education.
 Constructivist educators will assess their students' learning and plan
new learning experiences.

4.  Each individual is an active creator of their own knowledge.
 It’s often misconstrued as a learning theory that compels
students to "reinvent the wheel."
 Students attempt to understand how the wheel functions by
applying their existing knowledge and real-world experience.

5.  Jean Piaget- was a Swiss professor of psychology and sociology
 Jerome Bruner-published documents about that examined theories
of cognitive development for curriculum innovation.
 Lev Vygotsky- was a scholar that proposed a theory of cognitive
development that focused in the underlying process rather than the
stage of development
 John Dewey- was an American philosopher and educator
 All of these individuals were influential in the evolution of this
learning theory .

6.  Jean Piaget had a big influence on constructivism
 Made observations that children construct new knowledge as they
move through different cognitive stages.
 There are four cognitive stages:
- Sensorimotor: learn through sensory and motor activities
- Peroperational : begin to use symbols ,images, and pretend play
- Concrete operational: begin to think logically, and learn facts
- Formal operational: abstract thinking and reasoning develops

7.  Teachers encourage students to constantly assess how the activity is
helping them gain understanding by questioning themselves and
their strategies.
 Teachers help students to construct knowledge rather than to
reproduce a series of facts.
 Students become "expert learners," because their knowledge of
tools continue to broaden tool, they learn to learn.
 Guided by the teacher, students construct their knowledge actively
rather than just mechanically ingesting knowledge from the teacher
or the textbook.

8.  Students will continuously reflect on their experiences.
 They begin to develop increasingly strong abilities to integrate
new information.
 One of the teacher's main roles becomes to encourage this
learning and reflection process.
 Problem-solving and inquiry-based learning activities are seen in
the construcitvism classroom .
 This allows students to formulate and test their ideas in a
collaborative learning environment.
 The student becomes an active participant in the learning
process versus a passive recipient of information.

9.  In my classroom I would apply this learning theory by having
activities that promotes both group collaboration and individual
creativity.
 Each activity will be followed by a reflection statement to see what
the student gained from the information.
 Problem-solving tasks would be utilized to really get the “wheels”
turning in the child’s mind.

10.  The children would also participate in more hands-on tasks versus
always having just traditional lectures.
 I think also having very sensory components to be used can assist
with the child gathering the information.
 I would use teaching ideas such as whole language, fuzzy math, and
invented spelling.
 I would make sure when implementing this learning theory to have
the environment structured because having activities that emphasis
on students' self-esteem versus self-discipline can lead to
disciplinary concerns if not implemented properly

11.  http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2cl
ass/constructivism/lp_elem1.html
 http://www.illinoisloop.org/whatswrong.html
 http://faculty.frostburg.edu/mbradley/psyog
raphy/piaget.jpg (Image)
 Clip art images within powerpoint