Modern Constructivism: How does the teacher use modern constructivist techniques (e.g., discovery learning, inquiry-based learning, problem-based learning, etc.) to promote student learning?
The teacher I've been observing teaches mostly concurrent enrollment courses, but one class per week is U.S. Government. I've also spent time in the classroom next door to observe some additional U.S. Government classes, as my cooperating teacher thought it would be helpful to see a more typical class. It has been helpful to see, as the CE classes tend to have fewer students with behavior issues, IEPs, and apathy.
It is in these U.S. Government classes that I've been able to observe more Constructivism in teaching practices. I think this is for a number of reasons. First, I think that that the nature of a CE class tends to make the emphasis slightly more fact and writing based. Second, the U.S. Government content can be very personalized and relevant to students especially in a year like 2018 when we have midterm elections.
One class that I observed spent a lot of time talking about the free press and the importance of the 1st amendment after the journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered at the Saudi consulate in Turkey. The teacher was able to use all sorts of other current issues regarding the free press, as well as historical events related to the first amendment. In one activity, the teacher used a slight variation of the jigsaw MOI. Instead of working as individuals, the groups worked in pairs to research events like the Alien and Sedition Act of 1798, the Espionage Act of 1917, the Alien and Sedition Act of 1918, a few Supreme Court rulings like Schneck v. United States and United States v. Manning, cases involving libel and slander, and more recent controversies like Obama administration seizing a journalist's interview records and Donald Trump calling the news media the enemy of the people. Then they taught other groups about their research.
This lesson and unit continued to use constructivist methods. The class used the research and knowledge from the Jigsaw MOI to then have a class debate or structured controversy. The students were much more passionate about the subject than I ever would have been at their age. But I think the way the teacher made the content relevant helped. He didn't just tell them how the first amendment was relevant. He let them do the research and answer their own questions. Each activity was accompanied by research and qeustion prompts from the teacher, but he also allowed them to search other sites and resources if they wanted more information. He also gave them opportunities to reflect on what they had learned thus far, but then gave them chances to determine whether or not their minds were opening to other perspectives, regardless of whether or not they agreed with them. It was really fun to see it the authentic learning happening.
I think that these lessons are great examples of how Bruner would have thought about structure. Rather than memorizing what the first amendment was or why the founding father's believed it should be included, the teacher was able to "teach fundamental ideas" that would allow thes students to "go further more easily" (quotes I found from Bruner). I think these lessons became personally relevant to these students and probably made them more likely to care about this aspect of our democracy throughout their lives. I think this can be the beginning to the spiral cirriculum. Whether the additional learning happens in the this class, college classes, or in their real lives, the students have a good foundation for understanding how this basic right applies to them whether it be as political activitists or dissenters, every day citizens exercising their power to vote, as professional journalists, lawyers, or politicians, or countless other roles in which their right to free speech would be profoundly important.
I also recognize that these were great examples of guided discovery. The teacher facilitated the learning by organizing groups, providing basic research materials, question prompts and overseeing the actual work and discussion in class. He knew which questions to ask to direct students if they seemed stuck. He knew how to ask unbiased questions that helped the students consider other perspectives. But he didn't stand up at the front and lecture about the topics.
The teacher I've been observing teaches mostly concurrent enrollment courses, but one class per week is U.S. Government. I've also spent time in the classroom next door to observe some additional U.S. Government classes, as my cooperating teacher thought it would be helpful to see a more typical class. It has been helpful to see, as the CE classes tend to have fewer students with behavior issues, IEPs, and apathy.
It is in these U.S. Government classes that I've been able to observe more Constructivism in teaching practices. I think this is for a number of reasons. First, I think that that the nature of a CE class tends to make the emphasis slightly more fact and writing based. Second, the U.S. Government content can be very personalized and relevant to students especially in a year like 2018 when we have midterm elections.
One class that I observed spent a lot of time talking about the free press and the importance of the 1st amendment after the journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered at the Saudi consulate in Turkey. The teacher was able to use all sorts of other current issues regarding the free press, as well as historical events related to the first amendment. In one activity, the teacher used a slight variation of the jigsaw MOI. Instead of working as individuals, the groups worked in pairs to research events like the Alien and Sedition Act of 1798, the Espionage Act of 1917, the Alien and Sedition Act of 1918, a few Supreme Court rulings like Schneck v. United States and United States v. Manning, cases involving libel and slander, and more recent controversies like Obama administration seizing a journalist's interview records and Donald Trump calling the news media the enemy of the people. Then they taught other groups about their research.
This lesson and unit continued to use constructivist methods. The class used the research and knowledge from the Jigsaw MOI to then have a class debate or structured controversy. The students were much more passionate about the subject than I ever would have been at their age. But I think the way the teacher made the content relevant helped. He didn't just tell them how the first amendment was relevant. He let them do the research and answer their own questions. Each activity was accompanied by research and qeustion prompts from the teacher, but he also allowed them to search other sites and resources if they wanted more information. He also gave them opportunities to reflect on what they had learned thus far, but then gave them chances to determine whether or not their minds were opening to other perspectives, regardless of whether or not they agreed with them. It was really fun to see it the authentic learning happening.
I think that these lessons are great examples of how Bruner would have thought about structure. Rather than memorizing what the first amendment was or why the founding father's believed it should be included, the teacher was able to "teach fundamental ideas" that would allow thes students to "go further more easily" (quotes I found from Bruner). I think these lessons became personally relevant to these students and probably made them more likely to care about this aspect of our democracy throughout their lives. I think this can be the beginning to the spiral cirriculum. Whether the additional learning happens in the this class, college classes, or in their real lives, the students have a good foundation for understanding how this basic right applies to them whether it be as political activitists or dissenters, every day citizens exercising their power to vote, as professional journalists, lawyers, or politicians, or countless other roles in which their right to free speech would be profoundly important.
I also recognize that these were great examples of guided discovery. The teacher facilitated the learning by organizing groups, providing basic research materials, question prompts and overseeing the actual work and discussion in class. He knew which questions to ask to direct students if they seemed stuck. He knew how to ask unbiased questions that helped the students consider other perspectives. But he didn't stand up at the front and lecture about the topics.
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