Using a constructivist approach to teaching in your classroom helps your students explore essential concepts in an interesting, highly motivating and interactive environment. A constructivist approach allows for creativity and reflection while students are collaborating with their peers and reflecting on what is being taught. The students are doing the teaching as well as the learning as the environment is set up for them to learn. The teacher is the guide. Learning is more relevant to the student as they engage in dialogue and explain their ideas after being asked open-ended questions. A constructivist approach provides students with developmentally appropriate content lessons which is missing in today's classrooms since the implementation of NCLB. It also provides the teacher with authentic assessment.
In the article about Presentation Development, Randall Whatley talks about the importance of having your presentation tailored to fit your audience. The response to your presentation will be much more positive as your audience will feel the presentation is designed for them. According to Rick Altman, when you give a power point presentation, speak to the audience not the power point slide or you will loose your audience. The audience should focus on you, not on the slides. An important point to remember from the artcle 5 Steps for Mapping Presentation is to set up a timeline to help you complete your presentation as well as to make sure all of the important information is included.
All of these articles were very relevant to me as a classroom teacher in helping me to provide an environment that is developmentally appropriate, fosters natural curiosity and keeps my students focused and engaged in interactive and hands-on learning throughout the day.
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3 comments:
Harriet, I am thankful every day for my three years of experience in Kinder instruction! I believe that this time in my career was instrumental in my understanding of the importance of constructivism in education. I am so intrigued by all of the wonderful things that I have heard about you, your teaching style and your constructivist attitude in your own classroom! I vow to (at some point this year) come and see you in action!
I think it is great that you really on the exploration and dialog of your students to propell your teaching into different avenues and directions. You are right, though, about the implementation of NCLB severely limiting our creative powers in our rooms! It's really too bad that we no longer have creative freedom in order to perpetuate students success...I personally can not wait for the next pendulum swing in education! Nice job conveying your understanding of constructivism's role in effective teaching.
Like you, using a constructivist approach to my teaching has allowed my students to grow academically, but also myself as a learner. Allowing our students to see that we don't know everything, i.e. "Sage on the Stage" is okay. Creating an environment that is conducive to this is a start.
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