Post on 12-Apr-2017
transcript
Engaging Students with Social Constructivism
Presented by Louise MaineTeachersFirst Contributor and MyScilife Implementation Coach
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What comes to your mind?
Any of these?
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What comes to mind when you hear the words Social Constructivis
m?
So, what does Social Constructivism mean to you?
So, what does Social Constructivism mean to you?
Website and link to Padlets:https://goo.gl/OQGbzq
...So What is Social Constructivism?
Learning is constructed by the learners through an active
mental process of development; learners are the
builders and creators of meaning and knowledge
through social negotiation.Students learn from each other
while working through problems.
Learning is not necessarily an outcome of teaching
● Background and experiences determine present ideas
● Students search for meaning in content
● Issues related to students provide active construction
Learning is not necessarily an outcome of teaching
The true direction of the development of thinking
is not from the individual to the social, but from the social to the individual. Vygotsky
What does this mean for students?
●Construct not memorize
●Apply past knowledge●Listen with empathy ●Think flexibly - RAFT●Metacognition●Practice by doing
What does this mean for teachers?
“Be open to new possibilities you must”● Identify
misconceptions●Scaffold●Open ended●Connect to prior
knowledge●Assessment
Why Social learning?
●Exciting●Relevant●Meaningful●Creative● Interactive ●Challenging●User Generated
Content
Collaboration
Effective way to construct knowledge●Teamwork●Discussion●Open mindedness●Fluid groups●Peer learning
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Designing a constructivist classroom
● Consider student experience● Imbalance● Scaffolding● Unit flexibility● Case based scenarios/Issues● Personification● Meaningful● Active Inquiry/problem solving
The 5 E’s
●Engage●Explore●Explain●Elaborate●Evaluate
Reflection and assessment
● Question all student answers
● Provide a new lens● Thoughtful reflection● Peer assessment● Assess process
MySciLife
● Middle School
● Brings science to life
● Personification
MySciLife is Social Constructivist
● Safe, social learning environment
Students design and maintain science "identities"
Community of students, interact as a science conceptindividuals learn about one
concept then interact in a group create understanding of the
whole
MySciLife prompt example
PROMPT: You as a class are the organs in Michael Phelps. How do you get ready
for the Olympics?
Making connections
Prompt assignment of chemical identities
Student thoughts on collaboration
“It felt like one huge classroom that was spread around the country.”“I read their posts and learned so much new stuff about their identity and how it related to mine, and how it lived, and how it interacted with other organisms. It was so wonderful to be corresponding with them and learning about them and teaching them about me.”
Investigate and discuss
Class traits and student
creation of their pedigrees
Personal connection
Habitat and NicheStudents identify
their habitat and niche
Personal choice and working together
Design a Food Challenge
Inquiry
Are fruits and vegetables made of
cells? Prove It!
Research and discussion
Sugar and Marketing
Collaborative project
Edible Cell
Model
Collaborative project of watershed
Greenspace Redesign Project
Maker Movement
Design a Theme
Park Ride based on Chinese Culture
Final thoughts
Together we learn to:
●Combine Ideas●Construct New
Knowledge●Share
Information
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