Constructivism is a learning theory based on the idea that learning occurs as learners are actively involved in a process of meaning and knowledge construction as opposed to passively receiving information. Key aspects of constructivism include identifying student entry points, structuring experiences to help students build new understandings, using real-life projects to engage students, focusing on major concepts, and monitoring student understanding rather than assessing right and wrong answers. Major theorists who contributed to constructivism include Piaget, Bruner, Vygotsky, and Dewey. Constructivist classrooms encourage student collaboration, questioning, and interactive learning through scaffolding and social experiences.

1. CONSTRUCTIVI
SM
A. Hutton, A. Warren, J. Scarborough

2. Constructivism
Five Tenets of Constructivism
THE
CONSTRUCTI • How might students entry points be identified?
VE THEORY
IS BASED
• What is involved in structuring the experiences
UPON THE
that will build bridges from present
understanding to new understanding?
IDEA THAT
THE • How might the selection of projects pose
LEARNER
questions that relate to students' real-life
“CONSTRUCT
experiences?
S” WHAT IT IS • What are the major concepts that students
THEY should understand?
UNDERSTAN • How might we move from right/wrong to
D. monitoring students' understanding?

3. Key People: Jean Piaget
 Piaget was a Swiss psychologist who
studied human development in the 20s.
Dewey introduced Constructivism, but
Piaget further developed it. Piaget stated
that children have a holistic approach to
learning, focusing on the various channels
such as reading, writing, listening, etc.
 Children go through four stages of
learning:
 Birth to age 2: sensorimotor, or using
both sensory and motor skills to
explore things
 Age 2 to age 7: preoperational, or
using symbols and responding to
things as they see them
 Age 7 to age 11: concrete operational,
or beginning to think logically
 Age 11 to age 14: formal operational,
or beginning to think about thinking
with abstract and systematic thinking.
 The learner is then advanced through
three mechanisms: assimilation,

4. Key People: Jerome Bruner
 Bruner was an American
psychologist who believed that
learning is an active process in which
the learner constructs new ideas or
concepts based on his current or
past knowledge; learn by
participation.
 He developed the framework for
cognition, in which students learn by
building on past knowledge,
changing and shaping what they
already know to fit the new
information.
 Bruner also encouraged spiral
curriculum and organization of
curriculum that allows students to
build on what they've already
learned.
 The Socratic Method was developed
by Bruner as well. Using this,
teachers engage students which
forces them to answer their own
questions by thinking critically,
discussing, and finding ways to back
up their findings.

5. Key People: Lev Vygotsky
 Lev Vygotsky was a Russian educational
psychologist who focused on child cognitive
development. He created many theories and
concepts on learning.
 Social Cognition learning is significantly
impacted by social development.
Learning takes place in a child's social
development and culture. Socializing
ultimately produces consciousness and
cognition.
 Zone of Proximal Development refers to
the difference between a child's ability to
solve problems and his potential to learn
from an older or more advanced person,
such as a teacher.
 Collaborative Learning puts emphasis on
close instruction between a student and a
teacher, or students together. This gives
support for group projects, so that
students can bounce ideas off of each
other to learn and understand better than
they can on their own.
 Scaffolding is helpful when learning takes
place in a social setting. New information
builds a scaffold for the student to work
with so that he can develop his own set
of knowledge based off of the information
that has been presented to him.

6. Key People: John Dewey
 John Dewey was not only an
American educational psychologist,
but a philosopher, and activist for
instruction centered around the child.
His beliefs were similar to Vygotsky
in that he thought education should
be a social process.
 Dewey was a forward thinking man
whose ideas on education favored
well rounded, practical education.
 Progressive education was a
movement Dewey took great part
in. It emphasized teaching
children not facts, but educating
them physically, and socially as
well.
 Pragmatism was another
movement Dewey has been
linked to. It stressed that theories
are only valuable for their
practical applications.
 Many progressive American schools
were founded by John Dewey.

7. Classroom Implications on
Constructivism
What the Teacher Does What the Students Do
 Behave interactively,  Work in groups
mediating the student’s
interactions  Are encouraged to ask
 Seek the student's point of questions
view rather than the correct  Students become more
answer
actively engaged with
 Teachers in constructivist technology than in a normal
classrooms with technology
can let students learn classroom setting and can
different things at the same learn different things at the
time, increasing the zone of same time.
proximal development.

8. What We Think About
Constructivism
As far as teaching in my own classroom, it's important as an English Language
Arts teacher to allow your students to ask questions and mention their own
points of view. Having a constructivist classroom increases their willingness to
do so, therefore making the lesson more effective and interesting for all.
Constructivism also plays on parts of the student's minds that may not have
been used as effectively before. Not only does this make for more interesting
discussions, but it also opens up new areas of their mind that can be used in
future learning. I definitely plan to use constructivism in some way in my
classroom.
- A. Hutton
I became interested in teaching
This is a perfect way of teaching in
because I wanted to inspire thought
my own classroom, because it
within my students. With some of
demands my students' attention and
the theories of constructivism I can
they cannot help but learn something
get my students to actively
because they are actively pursuing
participate and use their minds.
answers.
-A. Warren
- J. Scarborough

9. Credits
 Shelly, Gary, Glenda Gunter, and Randolph Gunter.
Integrating Technology and Digital Media in the
Classroom. Sixth Edition. Boston: Course Technology,
2010. 376-382. Print.
 "Constructivism Theorists." The San Francisco State
University.N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov 2011.
<http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~foreman/itec800/finalprojects
/eitankaplan/pages/theorists.htm
 Photographs retrieved from Google:
 http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/piaget.html
 http://www.phillwebb.net/topics/human/Bruner/Bruner.
htm
 http://01.edu-
cdn.com/files/static/g/pcl_0001_0002_0_img0146.jpg
 http://dewey.pragmatism.org/dewey.gif