Constructivist Setting

This week in our lesson, my friends (because I was apsent) had focused on the view of constructivism about the environment and children. When I read their writings on the blogs and the unit related with this subject, I got ideas about the learning environment is to be from the view of constructivism. Now I want to add something new about this issue to my friends' writings.

The ages of children, the individual differences of children, the shape classroom are very important while prepering an environment for children in the perspective of constructivisim. when I read the books to learn constructivisim and its environment design, I learned that the "Constructive Learning Design" teachers should use a variety of revisions in the past seven years and now emphasizes these six important elements: Situation, Groupings, Bridge, Questions, Exhibit, and Reflections. These elements are designed to provoke teacher planning and reflection about the process of student learning. Teachers develop the situation for children to explain, select a process for groupings of materials and children, build a bridge between what children already know and what they want them to learn, anticipate questions to ask and answer without giving away an explanation, encourage children to exhibit a record of their thinking by sharing it with others, and solicit children's reflections about their learning. Teachers shoul have that determined by the district curriculum or the textbook they are using in their classroom and need to think more about accomplishing it than about writing it again.

In constructivisim, learning should be more: independent, individualized, interactiveinterdisciplinary, and intuitive. Construtivist Setting includes that:

an easy flow of traffic and movement throughout the classroom

providing much flexibility in the use of physical space,

providing flexibility in the use of furniture,

materials which are accessible to children to foster their self-direction and autonomy,

learning areas which provide reciprocity between each of them to foster children's ability to problem solve,

multiple usages of materials and objects encourage children to think different possibilities,

practical considerations.

Teachers should also consider the social context of the classroom to foster effective learning environment.

Lastly, I want to write about technology using and its benefits on children in constructivisim. Teacher should also use technology at their classrooms formed by the constructivist approach. Because we know that in technology rich classrooms there are many observable positive changes. For example, there is a shift from whole class to small group instruction, coaching occurs rather than lecture and recitation. Teachers can work with weaker students more often rather than focusing attention on brighter students as in traditional settings. Students are more actively engaged. Students become more cooperative and less competitive. Students learn different things instead of all students learning the same thing. Moreover, there is an integration of both visual and verbal thinking instead of the primacy of verbal thinking. These positive changes mentioned above are ver significant for children and also teachers. Therefore, Constructivist Setting is very useful and brings success to both children and teachers.