Constructivism Notes

What is Social Constructivism?

• Knowledge is negotiated and re-negotiated socially
• Through the process of discussion, individuals come to a consensus about the meaning of a concept
• Language in a social gathering facilitates the articulation of thought (which results in the construction of ideas and understandings)
• Principles of Social Constructivism
• Prior knowledge is crucial to any learning experience
• People perceive things differently
• Collaboration with others facilitates understandings
• Knowledge is more meaningful when it is linked to existing understandings
• Knowledge is richer when it has multiple links

Social Constructivism and the Role of the Student
Students:

• play a central role in their own learning
• are actively engaged in the learning process in an attempt to answer/generate questions,
  and solve problems
• use strategies to monitor their own learning
• are metacognitive learners
• co-learners / co-teachers
  

Social Constructivism and the Role of the Teacher
Teachers must:

• provide students with the skills of learning (collaboration, learning strategies etc)
• carefully orchestrate learning experiences that will actively engage students
• carefully generate leading questions that will guide students in their quests to construct knowledge
• understand the levels at which all students are working and to structure appropriate
• scaffolding to enable them to push beyond these levels
• co-learners / co-teachers