Reflective Journal #5

DESCRIBE:

        In chapter eight of the textbook, the author discusses the "Constructivist View" of learning. This is the type of learning where students have an active role in what they are learning. "The essence of constructivist theory is the idea that learners must individually discover and transform complex information if they are going to make it their own.” (Slavin, page 218). This means that the students are going to need to be active learners in the education process.

        The constructivist approach to education is not something new to education; it has in fact been studied and used throughout the history of education.  Piaget and Vygostky both researched and theorized constructivism.  The both emphasized, “cognitive change takes place only when previous conceptions go through a process of disequilibrium in light of new information”. (Slavin 2012, page 219) Another aspect of Piaget and Vygostky’s work is that they, “stressed the social nature of learning, and both suggested the use of mixed-ability learning groups to promote conceptual change”. ( Slavin 2012, page 219). This is interesting that the practices we are using today have been discussed and theorized for several decades.  The author of the text also stresses the importance of ability groupings in student based learning. 

         The author also describes several learning strategies that go along with the constructivist approach. First, “top down processing” which is a process where students start out with larger more in depth concepts and work to learn the “basic skills” needed to solve them.  “Cooperative learning” is where students work together in groups or pairs to figure out a concept.  “Discovery learning” is where “students are encouraged to learn largely on their own through active involvement with concepts and principles, and teachers encourage students to have experiences and conduct experiments that permit them to discover principles for themselves”. (Slavin 2012, page 222).  “Self-regulated learning” is just what it says. It is where students learn to self-regulate their tasks in order to complete a larger task, project, etc. “Scaffolding” is where students are guided into a project by help from the teacher in the beginning, and slowly letting go and allowing the students to take over. 

ANALYZE:

       One challenge that teachers face in incorporating student centered learning approaches is that students themselves are so different. Teachers must come up with ways for students to learn that all students can benefit from. Whether they are linguistic, visual, kinesthetic, etc. It is important that all students’ needs are met to ensure learning takes place.

        Another problem that teacher's face is that students must be "self-regulated learners". This means that students have "knowledge of effective learning strategies and how and when to use them". (Slavin, page 222). If students cannot self-regulate it is hard to complete the learning tasks ahead of them. These strategies can be knowing when to research, knowing when to read, knowing when to skim, etc. Managing time effectively and managing tasks efficiently are very important in student centered learning.

         One way to solve the problem of self-regulation is to use "scaffolding" in the classroom. This means that students will build up to their independent working time with the teacher's help. For example, "scaffolding might include giving students more structure at the beginning of a set of lessons and gradually turning responsibility over to them to operate on their own". (Slavin, page 223)

Reflect: 

         This chapter’s readings have reinforced to me the importance of hands on learning and group learning.  These two strategies are strategies that I always start out using in my class, and by the middle of the year I begin to feel rushed with the pressures of the CRCT looming over my head.  After reading this, I plan to use the strategies throughout the entire year, even when feeling rushed.  The truth is, students learn in a deeper understanding this way.  It is better for them to learn deeper about the concepts I am trying to teach, rather than me lecturing or giving notes to speed up the process. This does nothing for them in the long run. 

        The positives of this concept are many; increased student participation, enhanced and deeper learning of the material, learning of new skills and independent learning, and the list goes on and on.  The negatives to this concept are few.  First, the time and effort it takes in planning for these types of activities is pretty detailed.  Teachers should plan the lesson, strategically pick the groups, and teach the students the content before starting a project.  Also, the teachers have to be active in each group and each learner’s learning experience to achieve the highest learning results. 

         I feel that this concept is something that will benefit my students and me as a teacher. There is nothing more rewarding for a teacher than knowing that you have taught your students something that they actually retained and really learned.  This is the type of learning that makes all of the planning worth-while.  I feel that using these strategies will enhance student learning in my classroom and also in the end, increase the classroom test scores as well. 

This concept and these strategies learned in this chapter re-confirmed my belief that students need to be engaged in order to fully learn.  I went into teaching because I wanted to make a difference in the lives of others, especially those who are less fortunate.  This concept shows me that with ability grouping and hands on learning, all kids can learn in the classroom and also all students can experience success.  

Slavin, R. (2012). Student-centered and constructivist approaches to instruction. Educational psychology: Theory and practice (10th Ed.)(pp.216-247). Boston, MA: Pearson