Understanding and Implementing Constructivist Strategies
Module Three

Hal Robertson - Course Designer
hfr@northnet.org

Module 3 - December

INTRODUCTION:

In this module we will focus on the 4th and 8th points in chapter 9 entitled “Becoming a Constructivist Teacher” from In Search of Understanding by Brooks and Brooks. These are especially appropriate points to consider in this busy month of December when personal and professional time is at a premium. Point 8 states that “ Initial responses are just that –initial responses.” and this month’s activity will ask you to revisit your initial response. We are almost half way through the course and I wanted to use your responses to the reflective questions in the manner suggested by point 4. (Please keep this in mind as you look at the first step under process.)

PROCESS:

During this module you need to:

a) Complete the reflective questions for this module. The reflective questions should be done for each module. If you have not done the reflective questions for past modules please go back into the past modules, read the questions, and write SHORT responses.
b) Reread the 4th and 8th points in chapter 9 entitled “Becoming a Constructivist Teacher” from In Search of Understanding by Brooks and Brooks
c) Complete the December activity.
d) Write in your journal.

REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS:

1) Has deciding if the material to be presented to your class is declarative or procedural knowledge changed your lesson plan(s)?
2) Have your lessons included all three (3) phases suggested for teaching declarative or procedural knowledge? If not, have you attempted to include all 3 stages?
3) Did the article on “Time versus Coverage” influence you thinking about your lessons or the material to be covered?

READING:

The following material was taken from the Nov/Dec 1999 issue of Science Scope: Conceptual Change in the Classroom by John R. Mascazine and Wendy Sherman McCann on pages 23-25.

…As classroom teachers, we understand how difficult it is to deviate from an established teaching style. The conceptual change model of learning, however, may be just what you need to introduce a new method of teaching in your classroom. This model suggests that students minds are not “empty vessels” that teachers try to fill, but that students’ minds contain lots of information before they arrive in our classrooms. Therefore, it is our job to assess how much of that information conforms to accepted ideas.

…Specifically, we want to know if learning about students’ incorrect ideas prior to teaching a new unit would lead to greater student understanding. …

Conceptual change theorists suggest that the first step in getting students to replace misconceptions with correct ideas is helping students come to terms with their personal beliefs about a particular phenomenon. For instance, students might take their own ideas for granted, but when asked to articulate what they think and why, they will see that their personal beliefs are different from established theories.

It becomes the task of the teacher to uncover incorrect student ideas and to decide when and how they should be addressed. But not all students ideas can or even should be changed; some are long-lived and even make sense in the cumulative experience of individual students. For example, trying to explain some student misconceptions might not be age appropriate. The goal should be to bring students’ closer to what is considered correct. But it is important to remember that correcting misconceptions is a long and gradual process that must be seen as a positive learning experience by students throughout their development.

Teachers are concerned with the implications of revising existing teaching strategies. They wanted to know if incorporating new ideas meant redoing lesson after lesson. Teachers found that only minor changes in running their classroom were necessary. Below are some suggestions for putting the conceptual change model of learning into practice in the classroom.

1.ALLOW MORE TIME TO ASSESS STUDENTS’ PRIOR KNOWLEDGE. …Teachers usually spend time at the beginning of a new unit reviewing what students should know. With slight modification, however, the review process can become a way of eliciting what students do know about a particular topic.

2. PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO FIND DISCREPANCIES IN THEIR EXPLANATION. For students to correct misconceptions, they must first be able to identify them. Seeing or experiencing an event that challenges personal beliefs can lead students to consider other explanations.

3. ALLOW TIME FOR STUDENTS TO CRITIQUE THEIR WORKING UNDERSTANDING OF CONCEPTS. … Using this technique does not mean spending twice as long on a lesson – giving students more time can simply mean using more student-centered rather than teacher-directed instruction. …

4. ALLOW CONCEPTS TO RESURFACE AND BE REINTRODUCED FROM TIME TO TIME. Remember, conceptual development is a gradual process that involves reviewing concepts and evaluating students’ level of comprehension.

DECEMBER ACTIVITY:

This month would you:

1) Review your journal entries for October. Please feel free to change or add to your response on the current level of Constructivist activity in your classroom or your definition of Constructivism.
2) Use the four (4) points from this month's reading as you teach a concept. After you teach the concept, which of these four points would you emphasize when you follow up on the lesson(s)or the next time you teach the concept? Be sure to record your thoughts as you complete this task in your journal

Have a good break. In future modules we will look at wait time, ways to extend and refine knowledge, and learning cycles. The last module will develop your final product.

Additional Resources

provided by: Tara A. Demers - "4" Project

Understanding and Implementing Constructivist Strategies Bevevino, M. M., Dengel, J., & Adams, K. (1999). Constructivist theory in the classroom: Internalizing concepts through inquiry learning. The Clearing House, 72(5), 275-278.

Brooks, J. G., & Brooks, M. G. (1993). Honoring the learning process. In search of understanding: The case for constructivist classrooms (3-14). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Brooks, J. G., & Brooks, M. G. (1993). Structuring learning around primary concepts: The quest for essence. In search of understanding: The case for constructivist classrooms (46-59). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Brooks, J. G., & Brooks, M. G. (1993). Becoming a constructivist teacher. In search of understanding: The case for constructivist classrooms (101-118). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Perkins, D. N. (1999). The many faces of constructivism. Educational Leadership, 57(3), 6-11.