Constructivism is a learning theory where students construct their own knowledge and meaning through experiences. Key founders include Piaget who observed how children learn, and Montessori. In a constructivist classroom, the teacher does not follow a set curriculum but tailors lessons to students' responses. Students rely on questions and dialogue rather than memorization, and apply prior knowledge to draw their own conclusions through exploration and research aided by technology. While encouraging creativity, the theory may not be practical for today's classrooms which often lack sufficient tools and have large class sizes.

1. ConstructivismGenesis Perez

2. What is Constructivism?The learning theory of Constructivism is defined as the idea that as a student learns, he or she constructs their own knowledge and meaning.Constructivists agree that students learn by doing.

3. FoundationsSwiss psychologist Jean Piaget is recognized as greatly contributing to the constructivist movement.He developed his learning theory after many years of observing children.Other influences on the movement include Maria Montessori, Herbert Simon, and Paul Watzlawick.

4. The Teacher’s Role in a Constructivist ClassroomThe teacher does not follow a curriculum.Teachers tailor their teaching strategies to student responses.Anchored instruction is a model for constructivist technology-based learning used by teachers in which the student’s already learned concepts form the basis for other information to build upon.

5. The Student’s Role in a Constructivist ClassroomStudents rely heavily on questions and dialogue.There are no grades or tests, but students are expected to explore and construct his or her own meaning, not just memorize answers.Students apply their existing knowledge and real-world experience, learn to hypothesize, test their theories, and ultimately draw conclusions from their own personal findings.Technology is a useful tool for gathering information and aiding students in their research.

6. My OpinionI believe that in theory, constructivism is an excellent and logical model for a classroom. It encourages creativity and exploration in children.However, I feel like this is not a practical method to use in our classrooms today because especially in public schools, there are not sufficient tools for students to conduct their own research. Also, many classrooms are overcrowded and in a purely constructivist setting, it can get unruly and difficult for a teacher to handle every student doing something different.

7. ReferencesExploratorium.edu

8. Concept to ClassroomImages:slide 3