I definately think that the learning theory of constructivism has a place in my future high school history classroom. Just so everyone is on the same page, constructivism in a learning theory which theorizes that people construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world through personal experience and the subsequent reflection on those experiences. This differs from a more traditional approach to learning where the teacher bequeaths information on to the students. Constructivism calls for more self-directed learning, experimentation, group work, problem solving, and the evaluation of learning through projects instead of tests.
I see this as a must in running my classroom because we live in a world overflowing with information. Constructivism teaches students to people to sift through that information independantly and not to always rely on some authority figure to interpret it for them. This is a vital skill for today’s world. The call for self directed learning and experimentation as part of the constructivist theory is equally important because when students have to think for themselves and direct themselves, they become more emotionally connected to the material and therefore, the nueral pathways that relate to the learning will be strenghthened and the information will be more likely transferred to long term memory. Working in groups is very important as well because in the real world, we must be able to interact with other human beings. Often in high school, it would be several months into the year before I even began to know all of the names of the kids in my classes because there were no opportunities for interaction. I also like the deemphasis on testing which constructivism calls for. Most test just evaluate students verbal and mathematical reasoning, and as Gardner and others have demonstrated, people have strenths in various areas and just because their not verbal/mathematical, does not mean that they aren’t smart. The way that are schools are set up today allow many students to feel like they are failures which translates into a lessened work ethic, a poor self-perception, and can lead to risky, self-depricating behavior.
Adopting constructivism in the classroom, though, is going to be a lot of work. It’s not all that challenging to write out a lecture outline and then talk at your students all hour, or have your students outline the chapters of their textbook. Teaching in a constructivist manner, I will have to develop my ability to ask really, good questions that spark thought, question, and discussion in my classroom. I will also have to learn to facilitate group-work that involves all students, doesn’t make one student do all the work, and is useful. I’ll have to think up creative ways for students to come to new conclusions about information. I’ll have to develop projects, and I’ll have to think up ways to evaluate students outside of the typical scan-tron world.
Teaching in a constructivist manner also might spark some dissaproval from other teachers, parents, or local politicians. Some people think that the learning theory of constructivism allows students too much freedom of thought, and by allowing students to come to conclusions on their own, you run the risk that the students will come to the wrong conclusions. As a future history teacher, my students might come to the conclusion that America didn’t need to drop the atomic bomb which could instigate “unpatriotic” thoughts.
I think I’m willing to take the risk, though. I recognize many constructivist methods in the teaching style of my Renaissance and Reformation Europe class that I am in right now, and it is my favorite class of the semester. I believe that children are born with a natural love for learning that we tend to greatly diminish by force feeding students information. I believe that constructivism is what learning should be: free, independant, and challenging.