A teaching framework based on the constructivist theory
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The document outlines a teaching framework based on constructivism. It discusses preparation involving goal setting, material selection, and assessment design. It emphasizes establishing a respectful learning environment with rules and cleanliness. Professional responsibilities like reflection, record keeping, and communication are highlighted. Instruction involves hands-on activities, questioning, and scaffolding to help students construct their own understandings. The framework aims to engage students in discovering and creating knowledge through experiences.
A teaching framework based on the constructivist theory
- 1. Philippine Normal University National Center for Teacher Education Faculty of Arts and Languages Taft Avenue, Manila A Teaching Framework Based on the Constructivist Theory Submitted by: Angelie T. Magdasoc II – 17 BSE English Submitted to: Prof. Maria Sarah Palma
- 2. I. Introduction In my 12 years of studying, I have already experienced different strategies or approaches implemented by my teachers. Well, I could say that some of those were effective, and some were not. As a future educator, I was challenged to decide of what approach I will use in teaching that will nurture my students’ minds to absorb and understand what needs to be learned. I must choose the one which I think would really ensure my student’s learning. At this point, I consider constructivism as the basis of my teaching frame work, because I believe that it will provide my students a distinctive educational experience through processing schemas and formulating new ideas by themselves. II. Background on Constructivism Constructivism is basically a theory -- based on observation and scientific study - - about how people learn. It says that people construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world, through experiencing things and reflecting on those experiences. When we encounter something new, we have to reconcile it with our previous ideas and experience, maybe changing what we believe, or maybe discarding the new information as irrelevant. In any case, we are active creators of our own knowledge. To do this, we must ask questions, explore, and assess what we know. In the classroom, the constructivist view of learning can point towards a number of different teaching practices. In the most general sense, it usually means encouraging students to use active techniques (experiments, real-world problem solving) to create more knowledge and then to reflect on and talk about what they are doing and how their
- 3. understanding is changing. The teacher makes sure she understands the students' preexisting conceptions, and guides the activity to address them and then build on them. III. Teaching Framework A. Preparation 1) Setting concrete goals to achieve at the end of every discussion It is already given that in order for every task to be successful, there are certain goals which should be met. Teaching doesn’t just occur for nothing. We teach because we want the students to learn. My goals are to make sure that my students will be engaged in various activities that would make them construct their own ideas. 2) Preparing suitable instructional materials Since I want them to be engaged in various activities, I should be able to provide appropriate instructional materials. These materials should be something manipulative, appealing, and are accessible to various levels of ability of the learners. 3) Preparing student assessments Aside from typical written and oral examinations, student assessments may also be concrete, meaning something that can be experienced by learners. I think activities such as hands-on experiments, portfolio making, journal writing, problem solving, and even those tasks involve in multiple intelligences will be very effective.
- 4. 4) Mastering knowledge about the lesson Letting my students construct their own ideas doesn’t mean that I will not master my lessons anymore because the children will still need my help. Though I will not give them the exact answers, I should still be there to support them so that they will not come out to wrong ideas. B. Learning Environment 1) Exposing students to a classroom environment that is full of respect A classroom full of respect will definitely produce not just students of knowledge but also students of values. It may create a harmonious relationship between me and my students, and most probably between my students and their classmates. 2) Establishing House Rules I believe that creating something which students are obliged to follow will develop their sense of responsibility, as well as their discipline. But of course, those rules should be reasonable. I could also consider punishments but these should be appropriate and should not be beyond the limit. 3) Maintaining the cleanliness and orderliness An ideal classroom should always be kept dirt free and organized because this affects the learning of the students. Unhealthy surroundings may disturb the children making them uncomfortable while studying, so its better if I will prevent this to happen.
- 5. 4) Establishing a classroom routine A routine is simply a set of procedures for handling both daily occurrences (e.g., taking attendance, starting a class period, or turning in assignments), and minor interruptions of instruction, such as a student’s broken pencil or the arrival of a note from the main office (Kosier, 1998; Savage, 1999). The essence of establishing routines is to practice students to complete tasks without the teacher’s assistance. In this case, two objectives will be accomplished according to Colvin & Lazar (1995): (a) Students have more opportunity to learn. (b) Teachers can devote more time to instruction. C. Professional Responsibilities 1) Reflecting on my teaching style I think this is one of the important things that I should do – to reflect on my own way of teaching. I should do this from time to time so that I will be aware weather my strategy is still effective and if it still suits my students’ learning ability because if not, I should immediately seek for another strategy to perform. 2) Keeping accurate records Records are so essential to monitor students’ performance so this should be kept accurate and consistent. This will also help me identify the students who need more attention.
- 6. 3) Ensuring communication with students’ parents or guardians As a teacher, I should keep in touch with my students’ parents and guardians because I know that they also want to monitor their children’s school performance. Moreover, communicating with them will help me understand my students’ different personalities. 4) Being professional always Being professional means conforming to the customs or rules of my chosen profession. One of these rules is making myself always available every time my students’ will need me for consultation. Teaching profession does not end inside the classroom because there are some instances when my students will need me even we’re outside the academic context. D. Manner of Instruction 1) Preparing suitable activities Since I am building a constructivist classroom, my goal is to let my students learn by doing. I should implement activities which will exhibit discovery, hands-on, experiential, collaborative, project-based, and task-based learning. In this case, I think I could use activities such as Brainstorming (e.i. the students wi ll share their schemas and insights with each other), Reciprocal Questioning (e.i. students work together to ask and answer questions), Jigsaw (e.i. students become "experts" on one part of a group project and teach it to the others in their group), Structured
- 7. Controversies (e.i. students work together to research a particular controversy) (Woolfolk 2010). 2) Using questioning and discussion method After involving my students to different activities, I will now proceed to questioning and discussion method. First, I will ask them to share what they learn from those activities, and then I will form good questions. In that case, every answer from those questions will be discussed further. 3) Peer scaffolding and teacher-directed scaffolding As a teacher I should create opportunities for peer scaffolding and teacher-directed scaffolding. Scaffolding is a concept closely related to the idea of Zone of Proximal Development. It is changing the level of support to suit the cognitive potential of the child. In this case, peer and teacher-directed scaffolding is the process of allowing interaction that encourage knowledge building, and therefore connects the differences of knowledge levels within a classroom. IV. Summary The world is getting more advanced as time goes by. We, as future teachers are challenged to also have advanced strategies in teaching to compete and adapt with the present norms. But of course, that will be made possible by considering the different theories developed by early scholars. As for me, I prefer the constructivist theory (or constructionism). By using this as the basis of my teaching framework, I am building a classroom which has students who create and discover ideas from their experiences.
- 8. I divided my teaching framework into 4 phases. First is reparation. This includes setting concrete goals, preparing suitable instructional materials, as well as assessments, and mastering my lessons. Second is building an ideal learning environment which means creating a classroom full of respect, establishing house rules, maintaining the cleanliness and orderliness and establishing a classroom routine. The third one is professional responsibilities. It involves reflecting on my own teaching style, keeping accurate records of my students, ensuring communication with my students’ parents or guardians and being always professional. And lastly I included three manners of instruction and those are preparing suitable activities that would imply discovery, hands-on, experiential, collaborative, project-based, and task-based learning; Questioning and Discussion Method; and lastly, the peer and teacher-directed scaffolding. I hope I could really implement these in the future for the sake of my students’ learning.
- 9. REFERENCES Cey, T. (2001). Moving towards constructivist classrooms. Retrieved October 14, 2013 from http://ed.fnal.gov/lincoln/el_constructivism.html Ciesemier K., Gatz S., Meehan S., Marszalek C., & Pentek P. (2006). Assessing your student’s learning (your project). Retrieved October 14, 2013 from http://ed.fnal.gov/lincon/el_assessment.shtml Constructivism (philosophy of education). (n.d.). Retrieved October 14, 2013 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructivism_%28philosophy_of_education%29 Constructivism. (2004). Retrieved October 14, 2013 from http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/constructivism/exploration.html