Contemporary Issues

November 1, 2010

Technology Report Presentations

Introducing……

1.Kristin!!!!

2. Kristen!!!

3. Stacey!!!

Clap! Clap! Clap! Applause!!!!

Google Documents

• You Tube Clip

• Google Docs

Think - Pair – Share: What is Constructivism

Think My thoughts and Ideas…..

Partner What my partner and I think…..

Share What my classmates shared……

Constructivist Teaching

• Constructivism is an approach to teaching and learning based on the premise that cognition (learning) is the result of "mental construction."

• SCHEMA: (importance of pre-reading) / building background

- Haiti – Beaver

• In other words, students learn by fitting new information together with what they already know. Constructivists believe that learning is affected by the context in which an idea is taught as well as by students' beliefs and attitudes.

What is Constructivism?

• A view of learning based on the belief that knowledge isn't a thing that can simply be given by the teacher at the front of the room to students in their desks.

• Students learn by fitting new information together with what they already know

• Learners are the builders and creators of meaning and knowledge

• Knowledge is constructed by learners through an active, mental process of development

Our many thanks go out to…Jean Piaget, 1896-1980

• Piaget believed learning occurs by an active construction of meaning, rather than by receiving it passively.

• He states," when we, as learners, encounter an experience or situation that conflicts with our current way of thinking, a state of imbalance is created”

• We must alter our thinking to restore equilibrium or balance

• To do this, we must associate it with what we already know

• The developing child must build cognitive structures through the use of …..

• Mental maps

• Concept maps

Concept maps help us begin with information we are familiar with and branch out to build new ideas.

Why is constructivism important?

• Fosters critical thinking• Creates active and motivated learners• Students are able to learn through

constructing their own understandings• This approach frees teachers to make

decisions which enhance and enrich student’s development.

How does the constructivist teacher make this style work?

• He/she is flexible

• She/he creatively incorporates ongoing experiences with real-life situations

• Students work in small groups

• Students work individually

• Interactive activities become main focus (if materials can be related to an interest of the child, they are more apt to remember them)

What does student-centered mean?

• The students are the center of attention, not the teacher

• Children are placed in groups, they work together to find meaning

• Each student takes on a different objective or part of the assignment or project

• They become “experts” on their subject

• Students teach one another to become experts on their “piece of the puzzle”

• Together, as a whole, the group becomes experts from one another

• The teacher = facilitator, guide on the side NOT mentor in the middle

What about the constructivist classroom?"Students should be presented with real life problems and then helped to discover information required to solve them" John Dewey

• As we now know, the environment is a student-centered one

• Students are empowered by a teacher who operates as a “guide on the side” vs. a “mentor in the center” or “sage on the stage”

• Classrooms are structured so that learners are immersed in experiences with in which they may engage in meaningful………

The Constructivist Classroom

• Inquiry• Action• Imagination• Invention• Interaction• Hypothesizing• Personal reflection

Brain-Based LearningThe Foundation for

Differentiating Instruction

Elements of Brain-Compatible Classrooms

• Uniqueness

– Variety and Choice

– Prior knowledge and experiences

– Learning styles and strengths

The impact of sight….

Between 80% - 90% of all information absorbed by our brains is visual.

STRESS!!!!

• Stress and threat…. The body’s reaction to a perception – not necessarily reality.

• Good stress (challenge)• Negative stress (distress)

CEREBRALCORTEX

CEREBRALCORTEX

LIMBIC SYSTEMLIMBIC SYSTEM

BRAINSTEMBRAINSTEM

The “thinking” or rationale part of the brain.

The “thinking” or rationale part of the brain.

Emotional Center including the fight or

flight response.

Emotional Center including the fight or

flight response. The autonomic or involuntary responses (I.e. breathing, blinking, heart, etc.)

The autonomic or involuntary responses (I.e. breathing, blinking, heart, etc.)

Growth of a Brain Network

At birth

50 trillion connections

Ages 3 to 10

1000 trillion connectionsAge 20

500 trillion connections

Experiential Learning

• Repeated use strengthens brain connections.

• If connections are not used, they are “pruned” away.

• The brain “grows itself” for whatever environment it experiences.

• Most of this experience-based growth occurs in the cortex (the “executive brain”).

Experiences that Strengthen Connections

• Are frequent, regular, and predictable

• Occur in the context of a warm, supportive relationship

• Are associated with positive emotion (fun, excitement, humor, comfort)

• Involve several senses

• Are responsive to the child’s interests or initiative

Elements of Brain-Compatible Classrooms

• Assessment– Timely and specific feedback

– Student and peer feedback

– Personal reflection

– Mistakes a positive part of learning

Elements of Brain-Compatible Classrooms

• Emotions– Drives attention drives learning

– Fun is part of learning

– Play is crucial to learning

– Positive language

Emotions

…emotions are the gatekeepers to theintellect…emotional hooks arenecessary for long-term learning;negative emotions can become blocksto learning.

Robin FogartyBrain-Compatible Classrooms

Emotions

Emotions have their own pathways orsuperhighways in our body. They affect brain chemicals

which influence Learning and memory

Making Meaning

Students need opportunities to

TalkReflectApply

What they are learning.

Learning Modalities• Auditory

• Visual

• Kinesthetic/Tactile

Multiple Intelligences• Linguistic

• Logical/Mathematical

• Musical

• Spatial

Multiple Intelligences

• Bodykinesthetic

• Interpersonal

• Intrapersonal

• Naturalist

Brain-Body

Movement is not a luxury, it is a necessity.

Authentic Assessment

• Five areas of authentic assessment:– Content (what learners know)– Emotion (how they feel about it)– Context (how they relate it to the world)– Processing (how learners manipulate data)– Embodiment (how deep the learning goes; how

learners apply it)

Examples of Authentic Assessment

• Demonstrations:– Story boards– Theatrical presentations– Model making– Artwork / drawing

• Multi-media creations• An internet newspaper which contains:

– Multiple points of view– Expressions of personal interest

Examples of Authentic Assessment

• Debates• Community Projects• Commercials / Short films• Time lines

That which is learned without pleasure is soon forgotten without regret.

(King Arthur)

Multiple Types of Feedback

• More often and immediately after a mistake• More task oriented, not people oriented• The more specific the better

The brain hunts for feedback to ensure its survival

Types of Feedback

• Encourage group work, brainstorming, debates

• Encourage students to use self-assessment techniques

• Keep student work in a portfolio and refer to progress often

• Compare learners to themselves, not others• Emphasize mastery

Homework

• Sign up for web-quest presentations on Wed.• WORK on your web-quest research!!!!• Read Ramirez Chapters 3, 4, and 5