Role of the teacher in constructivist classroom- Constructivism modifies the usual teacher role. Teachers help students to construct their own knowledge rather than to reproduce a series of facts. The constructivist teacher provides tools such as problem-solving and inquiry-based learning activities with which students formulate and test their ideas, draw conclusions and inferences, and pool and convey their knowledge in a collaborative learning environment.
History of constructivism- John Dewey and Jean Piaget developed theories of child development and education, called progressive education theory. This lead to the idea of constructivism. Piaget believed that children learn by learning one logical structure after another. Dewey believed that education should be grounded in real experience.
Our Personal Opinions on Constructivism
Constructivism is a learning style focused on group dynamics and ones own experiences. This is the type of learning style made for students who struggle with tests in school. This type of learning allows for free thought and expression. These free thoughts focus on personal experiences that allow for the mind to travel further and grow beyond expectation in the typical classroom.
I know personally as a student that these types of curriculum and teaching experiences made me very successful. The standardized test taking classrooms have their own advatages of research and measurement but do not lead to developing strong problem solving skills or the understanding of new and enlightening ideas. I would encourage teachers to have a well rounded type of curriculum but also use a contructivisim approach to help all students both structured and creative, to succeed and grow through their education.
