Applying Standards Based Constructivism:
A Two-Step Guide for Motivating Students
Chapter One

INTRODUCTION

The goal of this book is to combine basic concepts of constructivist theories of learning with practical classroom applications. It is not our intent to try to convert non-believers. Rather, we want to provide practical application strategies for those who have already begun to explore constructivist theories of learning, but are seeking ways to improve on implementation.

This book is designed to be the place where the rhetoric hits the road. The theory is described, the research is cited, and - most importantly - the discussion and examples of practical application in a school and classroom setting are here. What we're trying to demonstrate is a practical way to apply constructivist theory in a teacher's day-to-day classroom life.

CHAPTER 1: Relationship between Standards and Constructivism

SECTION ONE: Constructivism and Standards

There is growing recognition that effective teachers are people who are becoming guides on the side rather than sages on the stage. This is much easier to say, than to do. To become a guide on the side requires expertise with group work, performance tasks, reflective activities, and a variety of teaching strategies that most of us did not observe when we were students, and most of us have not been taught to teach. For the past twenty years, we (the authors) have worked with teachers and future teachers, on a daily basis, striving to assist them on their journey toward shifting from a teacher centered to a learner centered approach. What have we learned?

When we find teachers who are comfortable with even one of the strategies required to conduct a learner centered classroom (cooperative learning, performance tasks, authentic assessment, journaling, etc.), they always have the same story to tell: they have worked at least three years to achieve a comfort level with the strategy, they had someone as a collaborator (a friend, spouse, or teacher down the hall), they gradually changed their approach to teaching, it did not happen overnight, and there was a great deal of trial and error.

It is with reverence for the many caring educators who will read this book, and a deep appreciation of the difficult journey to improve teaching by aligning classroom practices with constructivist theory of how people learn that we now share a “Two Step” model that we hope will make this journey easier. Our model is based on three simple concepts that will be explained throughout this book:

1. Student engagement with information must precede teacher explanations
2. Instruction (guidance) should come in the form of interventions as students engage with information, ideas, and concepts.
3. Authentic tasks create an environment for student engagement and teacher interventions.

Our approach, throughout this book is to model what we are asking teachers to do in the classroom. Since we believe that every lesson should be focused on specific learning objectives (derived from local, state, or national standards), we begin chapter 1, section 1 with a statement of our learning objectives for you as you read this section. At the end of each section you will find an assessment question that is designed to challenge you to see whether you have grasped the learning objective.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE: The reader will understand that the author views constructivism as a theory which can be applied to help learners address specific standards. Constructivism IS NOT a vehicle for allowing students to decide what is to be taught; rather it enables students to learn more effectively whatever is being taught.