This document outlines several key theorists in constructivism including Lev Vygotsky, Jerome Bruner, Jean Piaget, and John Dewey. Vygotsky believed that social interactions are important for cognitive development. Bruner thought learning occurs through doing activities. Piaget proposed children learn in stages through experiences. Dewey felt learning should relate to students' lives. Constructivism posits that learning is active and students build new ideas from past knowledge.

2. Lev Vygotsky
 Had a theory that laid the basis for constructivism
 Students’ cognitive development comes from their
social interactions with people around them
 Students learn from people who have a better
understanding of something
 He also believed that learners develop strong
thinking skills through interaction with culture and
their surroundings
Jerome Bruner
 Believes that learners learn through doing
 Participation in activities helps students
learn better
KEY PEOPLE OF CONSTRUCTIVISM

3. Jean Piaget
 Said that children develop in stages
 Children learn through experience
 They adapt to situations based on what they have
previously learned from other situations
John Dewey
 Felt that children should learn through experience
 Teachers should use activities in the classroom
that would relate to the students’ lives

4. • Children are active learners
• Sensorimotor is when students learn by doing; physically
doing something
• Engage the minds as well as the hands
• Children learn by actively investigating a topic which
means that by providing them with a rich learning
environment they will be able to learn research and learn
about different topics by using different materials
• Learning is an active process that students create new
ideas based on past knowledge
KEY POINTS OF CONSTRUCTIVISM

5. KEY POINTS CONTINUED…
• Constructivism theory emphasizes multiple intelligences,
learning in different and various ways
• Social constructivism is when learning that is influenced
by social interaction, such as learning with a teacher or
adult
• The encouragement of a teacher or adult helps the
successfulness of learning
• Collaborative learning is when a child is able to learn
more with the help of someone who is more advanced

6. Under this theory, teachers must help the learner get to his or her
own understanding of content. As teachers, we must take on more of
a facilitator’s role than that of a teacher.
Teachers: Facilitators:
• Tells • Asks
• Lectures from front • Supports from the back
• Gives answers according to • Provides guidelines and
a set curriculum creates the environment for
• Mostly gives a monologue the learner to arrive at his or
her own conclusions
• In continuous dialogue with
the learners
CLASSROOM IMPLICATIONS
What the Teacher Does…

7. CLASSROOM IMPLICATIONS
What the Student Does…
• Takes responsibility for his/her own learn
• Learns new ways to learn
• Uses technology to learn

8. We believe that the learning theory constructivism in our
own
teaching is a great way to allow the students to take
initiative to
learn new things on their own. Using this theory will result in
learners
having their own unique knowledge from learning
experiences.
WHAT WE THINK…

9. • Allows student to learn how to learn on their own
• Teacher becomes more of a role model/coach to the
students rather than a transmitter of knowledge
• Teaches students to use cooperative and collaborative
learning skills
• Learners construct their own knowledge.
FOUR REASONS WHY WE BELIEVE IN
CONSTRUCTIVISM

10. http://www.learning-theories.com/vygotskys-social-learning-theory.html
http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/constructivism.htm
http://otec.uoregon.edu/learning_theory.htm#Constructivism
http://curriculum.calstatela.edu/faculty/ psparks/theorists/501const.htm.
http://www.aln.org/alnweb/magazine/maga_issue1.htm
SOURCES