The constructivist/constructionist approach in my option
emulates the 21st century skills needed for our students today. The role of the teacher and learner has been
transformed to an active engaged learner and the teacher as the facilitator for
the learner. The days of
the teacher as the container of all knowledge pouring into students is no longer viable
and effective. This teaching and learning approach of the past was mainly one
directional and less engaging. Students
were mainly recorders of information rather than participants of the
information.
The
constructivist/constructionist approach provides an opportunity for both the
teacher and learner to participate in the wonder of discovery and
creativity. Sometimes teachers are
viewed as only wanting to share their knowledge with others forgetting that
teachers teach because they enjoy learning also and want to share their
learning in the process. A dynamic shift
takes place between teacher and learner in the constructivist/constructionist
application. The teacher is now coaching
the learner to deeper understanding and discovery of the topics of learning. The
learner in the process becomes more active in researching the information for
further discovery. This places the
learning in a more responsible role to their own learning. The concept for more responsibility on the
learner for their own learning is new and challenging for some students and
teachers. Some learners have become
dependent on sitting back and letting the teacher do all the work and basically
take notes and memorize information. On
the other hand some teachers must provide all the information and knowledge and
dispense it to the students through one directional lectures. Both methods hinder the true learning
process and the enjoyment of discovery and enlightenment.
One particular aspect of the constructivist/constructionist
approach that blends well with technology is the social constructivist approach.
Kim (2001), shares a great example of
how the social constructivist approach can revolutionize a traditional lesson. She gives an example of an English teacher that
taught Shakespeare to her students. In the past the students became bored
almost immediately into the readings of the plays. The students were passive
and uninvolved with the text. She decided
to divide her class into small groups and the students had to take an assigned
act of a play and recreate the scene using puppets. The students created the puppets and a
modern-day puppet show. Now the students
were engaged, active and enjoying the learning experience. Dr. Michael Orey, shares
how the constructivist/constructionist approach guides students into building
an artifact or something to share. The
building process is the foundation to the constructivist/constructionist approach
Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Combining
this approach with the social aspect creates a dynamic duel that energizes the classroom
experience. Adding to this special blend
of teaching and learning is the ability to communicate with the world. This opens up a new avenues for feedback and
response to the products created by the students. Simple webtools like Skype, streaming
websites like Youtube or Ustream, Google Hangouts and blogging websites bring
students together in a very special and unique way to share their learning experiences. Learning in this matter is not only engaging
but also very interactive and fun for the learner as well as the teacher.
References
Kim, B. (2001).
Social constructivism. Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and
technology, 1(1), 1-6.
Laureate
Education (Producer). (n.d.). Constructionist and constructivist
learning theories [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://class.waldenu.edu
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