Constructivism The 5 E'sVisual Display

What is Constructivism ?

1.Learners build their own understanding of thetopic.2. Learning is not linear. We use prior knowledge/ experiences to expand what we know and learn.

3. Learning is an active, engaging process

How did Constructivism come about?

Vygotsky believed that learning needs to be engaging.  Vygotsky believed that learning takes place as children are interacting with each other and exploring their environment. He believed that learning is simultaneous to social interaction and exploration. In other words, he did not feel as though one was more important than the other.

Jean Piaget9 August 1896 – 16 September 1980

Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky November 17, 1896 – June 11, 1934

Piaget believed that children learn through organization and schemas. He believed that by organizing concepts and ideas, children place them into schemas. He believed that children are in control of the knowledge that they are provided and move forward in construct their own learning by taking part in social activities and exploration

How did Constructivism come about?Maria Montessori

Maria Montessori believed

• Children learn through experience

• If children are provided the tools for their developmental age level, they will be successful learners.

• children learn by participating in hands-on group activities, and that children should be free to explore their environments.

Videos of Constructivist Approaches to Learning

How Do Teachers Support a Constructivist Environment?

Answer: The 5 E'sEngage Evaluate Explore Elaborate

Explain

How Do Teachers Support a Constructivist Environment?

How Do Teachers Support a Constructivist Environment?Teacher engages students by providing knowledge expansion tools the

students use, collaboratively and cooperatively through inquiry, exploration, teamwork, whole group discussions, and evaluation.Listen Collaborate Explore Evaluate

Advantages: Students …LISTEN to their peersCOLLABORATE with group members Disadvantages: Requires extensive planning timeEXPLORE independentlyTeacher EVALUATES what students learned

Constructivism: Pros and Cons

Advantages:1. Each person in the world builds their own knowledge.2. Focuses on student- centered learning3. Teacher guides students in building their own understanding and

knowledge.4. Students actively engaged in their learning process

Disadvantages:1. Lack of teacher preparation for constructivist classrooms– Difficult to break the cycle of those who have been taught in a classroom

where they were expected to solely absorb information 

Constructivism: EngageIn the stage Engage, the students first encounter and identify the instructional task. Teachers must engage students in their lessons in order for them to learn. Engage students by: guiding whole group discussions, asking students to explain what they learned, working together in small groups to complete projects or tasks. 

Constructivism: exploreIn the Exploration stage the students have the opportunity to get directly involved with phenomena and materials. Students inquire, work together, form hypotheses, learn about new ideas and concepts on their own before coming together as a whole class. Students develop an idea of what they may think an object or idea is, then explore it further to see if their idea was accurate. Students use tools such as textbooks, the internet, scientific instruments, and their creative minds to explore new concepts.

Constructivism: explainExplain, is the point at which the learner begins to put the abstract experience through which she/he has gone /into a communicable form.

The student will define and explain the current concept using their own words.  The student will accomplish this using informational readings, group discussions, and teacher interaction.  Learners will support each other by sharing their ideas, observations, questions, and hypotheses.

Constructivism: elaborateTo Elaborate the students expand on the concepts they have learned, make connections to other related concepts, and apply their understandings to the world around them.

Students will expand their learning on the concepts by making connections to related concepts and applying their understanding to the world around them.  This will help students make connections that will lead them to more inquiry which will lead to new understandings.        

Constructivism: evaluateEvaluate, the fifth "E", is an on-going diagnostic process that allows the teacher to determine if the learner has attained understanding of concepts and knowledge.

Constructivism encourages teachers to assess their students learning on an ongoing basis.  In traditional classrooms, assessment would be paper tests taken by the students after the content was taught and in which they received a grade.  In a constructivist classroom the teacher assesses the students work and adapts the lesson plan to meet the needs of the learner.

Constructivism: pollGroup #1 Constructivism Poll

Constructivism Learning is an active, engaging processPiagetVygotsky Montessori

EngageExplore Explain Elaborate Evaluate

5 Es

• Learners build their own understanding of the topic

• Learning is not linear.

• We use prior knowledge/Experiences to expand whatWe know.

Group #1 Constructivism LessonConstructivism's central idea is that human learning is constructed, that learners build new knowledge upon the foundation of previous learning (http://www.sedl.org/pubs/sedletter/v09n03/practice.html).Title: Cellular Enzyme Activity -- Grade Level: 10th gradeThe Setting:  Hydrogen Peroxide H²O² is toxic and is a poison to the human body if taken internally. However, the body produces hydrogen peroxide. The Problem:  Why is a toxic substance produced by the human body? Why doesn’t the toxic H²O² kill the body?  Outcomes: Using computer-based research, word processing, and data-base management and other library or medical-based research the student will write a 350-750 word paper that explains the four objectives.Objective: 1.      The beneficial role hydrogen peroxide (H²O²) plays in the human body’s immune system2.      The toxic effects of H²O² inside the human body3.      The body’s defense mechanism against H²O²4.      The effects of inherited enzyme deficienciesStandards Addressed:A.     NYS MST 4: Living EnvironmentKey Idea 5         · Performance Indicator 2: Explain disease as a failure of homeostasis

B.      NYS ELA 1:  Language for Information and UnderstandingStudents will listen, speak, read, and write for information and understanding. As listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas; discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written, and electronically produced texts. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information.C.      NYS MST 3: MathematicsStudents will understand the concepts of and become proficient with the skills of mathematics; communicate and reason mathematically; become problem solvers by using appropriate tools and strategies; through the integrated study of number sense and operations, algebra, geometry, measurement, and statistics and probability.D.     NYS MST 2: Information SystemsStudents will access, generate, process, and transfer information using appropriate technologies.E.      NYS SS2: World HistoryStudents will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in world history and examine the broad sweep of history from a variety of perspectives.F.       National Standard: Life ScienceContent Standard C: As a result of their activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop understanding of         · The cell

Fundamental Concept 2: Most cell functions involve chemical reactions. Food molecules taken into cells react to provide the chemical constituents needed to synthesize other molecules. Both breakdown and synthesis are made possible by a large set of protein catalysts called enzymes. The breakdown of some of the food molecules enables the cell to store energy in specific chemicals that are used to carry out the many functions of a cell.Materials/Resources:         · Test tubes: 2 per student (1 for H²O² and one for H²O         · Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) (3% solution)         · Water H²O         · Fresh beef liver, yeast          · A rose and a band-aid (for the teacher only)

 Students will use these materials to observe and compare and contrast the reaction of living material with H²O² versus H²O, and correlate the laboratory observations with his or her computer-based and other research findings. Use of Electronic Technology in Teaching:         · Internet         · School Library

 All of the objectives require computer-based research and, if necessary, other database research as the basic methodology to produce a relatively high level research paper, which is graded for correct grammar, spelling, punctuation and syntax. Engage: (Use dramatic yet light tone of voice): “Hydrogen peroxide is a liquid made up of two atoms of hydrogen and two of oxygen (H2O2).  As a molecule, it is similar in structure to water (H2O), but less stable.  It readily breaks down into water and oxygen when placed in contact with something it can react with.  For example, if you pour hydrogen peroxide on a wound”  (prick finger with a rose thorn) “you will see a fizzle similar to bubbles that appear when soda pop is poured into a glass.  Those bubbles on the wound are oxygen.”Students will be fascinated by the pricked finger and the hydrogen peroxide cleansing reaction, which they may relate to their use of the product in everyday life.)Explore:(Continue with a semi-mysterious tone of voice to build suspense): Hydrogen peroxide is not only found at the drug store...it is also produced in the human body by cells of the immune system, for example.  These cells (eg. neutrophils) make H2O2 to combat infection during the inflammatory process.  Hydrogen peroxide kills cells by disrupting/destroying their cell membranes.  This is a non-specific process.  In other words, H2O2 can, and does cause harm to the human body.  Explain: Thousands of enzymes are found in living cells where they act as catalysts for the thousands of chemical reactions which occur. The biochemistry of hydrogen peroxide is complex and widely researched.  It is an essential molecule for our survival.  However, our bodies are pretty smart; they use this reactive molecule under controlled conditions to prevent damaging normal structures.   Elaborate:  Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is naturally formed in living organisms; however it is very harmful and is broken down immediately by several enzymes including catalase. This enzyme catalyses the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen. Persons with acatalasemia (a hereditary condition) have extremely low catalase activity and, although present worldwide, it is more commonly found in Koreans (Miller, 1992).   Once the teacher finishes with these engaging, exploratory, explaining, elaborating remarks, the students will proceed with the experiment as follows. Procedure1. Fill one test tube approximately 1/3 full with fresh hydrogen peroxide and one with water2. Add a small amount of liver to each test tube.3. Observe the reaction if any.4. Record the results5. Repeat using yeast 6. Repeat as many times as necessary to confirm observations  ResultsIn the laboratory work, any fresh, living material will normally have enough catalase present to produce bubbles of gas (oxygen) upon exposure to the hydrogen peroxide. Dry yeast and liver are most impressive when used in this experiment. Evaluate: The teacher will go around the class and ask each student what they have learned from this activity. The students will explain in their own words what he or she observed and the meaning of the observations regarding the liver and or yeast and will relate and make the connection between the lab observations and the computer-based research findings. The computer-based research accommodates differentiated instruction by permitting the general education student to submit the minimum 350 word paper, and provides opportunities for students showing early mastery to research the related concepts more deeply and accelerate his or her learning to the 750 word level.  Simultaneously, the lesson provides below average students to acquire basic computer-based research techniques to find answers to a fundamental biological principle. These students will receive grades proportionate to the number of words and the level of understanding evidenced by the submitted.  The lesson also goes beyond the teacher’s manual by encouraging students to strive for deeper understanding in the fields of medicine and genetics. Students may conduct team research but each student is responsible for his or her own paper using the 350-750 word and a writing rubric.                                                                                                  Rubric:Number of words in paper: <350, 350, >350, 750Number of errors in         · Grammar         · Spelling         · Punctuation         · Syntax         · Proper case of letters

Computer-based research proficiency is below average, average, above averageEvidence of searching the additional resources links is missing, somewhat present, and fully presentReferences Citations: are not cited or improperly cited, are cited correctly once, are cll correctly cited   

Constructivism

The End

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