I am not 100% sure if I understand the question but hopefully this is in the ball park. Our group project was vocabulary words and we chose science and weather words. We wanted to start by activating prior knowledge and asking what the students know about weather. Then we give them a list of words and let them go look at the local weather or newspaper to see if they can construct meaning for those words. Skills they need are activating prior knowledge and looking at context clues. They need to use problem solving and critical thinking. They need to take and apply what they know to a new situation. They might think they know a word but they can test that idea out with the group. It is our job as a teacher to help the students learn how to learn and work cooperatively and collaboratively.
Once a teacher becomes the guide to the class instead of center stage the class has more freedom to learn creatively. I think the teacher can do activities that let then students have freedom for example our group added as an activity for the students to then make a weather broadcast using their words. The students are in charge of everything. This allows for creativity, independence, and group work.
I used a website from a data base to help me understand constructivism a little better. Here is the URL.
http://otec.uoregon.edu/learning_theory.htm#Constructivism
I was a little confused by the question as well.Our group also chose vocab words but did not specify what subject, so I like that you did that. I love your idea of having students look up the weather and become the experts by doing that. Definitely a good example of constructivism.
ReplyDeleteI think you understand the question perfectly well :) Your lesson is a great example of how you are having your students construct knowledge through discovery learning.
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