2. Jean Piaget
Significant Contributors
-Born November 17, 1896
-Developed major theories:
-Zone of Proximal
Development
-Social Development
Theory
-Born August 9, 1896
-Developed the Four Stages
of Cognitive Development:
-Sensorimotor
-Preoperational
-Concrete Operational
-Formal Operational
John Dewey
-Born October 20, 1859
-Leading proponent of
pragmatism
-Emphasized the
role of experience
in education
3. Students learn by doing
The learner “constructs” what he or she learns
and creates their own understanding
Students actively participate in the learning
process by using critical thinking skills
New information is linked to prior knowledge
Teachers are facilitators
Students produce knowledge and form meaning
based on their experiences
4. It is important for teachers to create a rich learning environment for children
to explore.
Piaget’s theory supports the use and integration of technology. This is
because technology supplies opportunities to connect with diverse
populations of learners.
Teachers need to create student-centered activities that actively engage the
students in the learning process.
Technologies such a Web Quests, scavenger and treasure hunts, and
curriculum pages are great tools for Constructivist learning theory
Utilizing a computer to research, create, and process information on topics is
a great way to integrate technology and the constructivist theory into a
classroom
Teachers should try to encourage students to discover concepts by
themselves. They should engage students by providing activities that guide
students and create opportunities for discussing and questioning.
5. Students use active learning skills such as
active engagement, interaction, problem-solving,
and collaboration with others.
Students create or construct knowledge through interaction of what they
already know based on ideas, events, activities which they have come in
contact with.
Most of their learning comes from social interaction rather than from
books.
Students can use technology to explore new information in creative and
organized ways.
Knowledge is acquired through involvement rather than through
imitation and repetition.
6. Students primarily work alone
Teachers seek the correct answers in
order to validate student lessons.
Assessment of student learning is
viewed as separate from teaching
and is done primarily through
testing.
Students are viewed as “blank slates”
onto which information is etched by
the teacher.
Curricular activities rely heavily on
textbooks of data and manipulative
materials.
Students primarily work in groups
Teachers seek the student’s point of
view in order to understand student
learning for use in subsequent
lessons.
Assessment of student learning is
interwoven with teaching and is done
through observation of student
performance and portfolios.
Students are viewed as thinkers with
emerging theories about the world.
Curricular activities rely heavily on
primary sources.
7. Collectively, we all agree that the Learning Theory of
Constructivism should be used in our classrooms to effectively
facilitate learning for our students.
As teachers, we will recognize that our students learn based on
their own experiences, and each child may process information
differently. It will be our job to facilitate the learning process, and
provide our students with opportunities to interact with sensory
data and allow them to construct knowledge from the information
presented to them.
With today’s growing technology, this learning theory would fit
best for our classrooms because we would use our technological
resources to offers many strategies for constructivist learning
experiences. In our opinion, this theory goes hand-in-hand with
technology because they both promote exploration, curiosity, and
knowledge.
