Transcript Document 7222775

The Learning Cycle
(Constructivism and Lesson
Design)
Text Chapter 6
Course Packet pages 87-95
The Learning
Cycle
Chapter 6
Constructivism
261-270
Link to prior
Knowledge
(Review)
(Anticipatory
Set)
271-280
Objective or
Purpose
(Introduction)
281-282
Presentation
(Teacher
Input)
282-293
Teacher’s Role
270
Learner
Response
(Guided
Practice)
293-304
Functional
Application
(Independent
Practice)
304-308
Closure or
Summary
Constructivism
 The process by which children acquire
and organize information
 Associated with theorists: Piaget and
Vygotsky
 Children develop intelligence not by
being told, but by building their own
understandings
Piaget
 Schemata gradually become more complex
 Happens through a sequence of adaptation
 1. Assimilation
 2. Disequilibrium
 3. Accommodation
 Motivation comes from children’s drive to
either assimilate into or accommodate
schemata in response to new experiences
in their environment
Constructivist Learning
 A problem-solving process by which
learners are intrinsically driven to
construct meaning from a new
learning challenge
 Happens when the learner’s
experiences are triggered or activated
by the challenge of a new learning
situation
 Teacher’s role is to create challenging
situations for learners
Cognitive vs. Social Constructivism
 Cognitive
 The idea that learning occurs
within each individual learner
 Social
 The idea that learning occurs
when people work together to
make sense out of their world
Social Constructivism
 Centers on positive adult-student and
student-student relationships
 Teachers make available absorbing
materials and intriguing situations
 Teachers engage students in activities
and provide some sort of
systematized instruction and
intervention
Vygotsky
 Believed that humans are different from
animals because they make and use tools
(physical and mental)
 Humans pass on knowledge and skills
through language during verbal interactions
 Zones of Development
 Zone of Actual Development: learning tasks
are completed individually with no assistance
 Zone of Proximal Development: learning
tasks are completed with just the right amount
of assistance
Scaffolding
 When teachers offer just the right
amount of help for students as they
attempt to bridge the gap between
what they already know and what
they need to learn
 Provides temporary support
(cueing, questioning,
coaching, assistance)
The Learning Cycle
 Learning cycle is a student-centered,
problem solving teaching approach
that creates conceptual change
through social interactions
 Three major elements
 Exploration
 Concept/skill Development
 Concept/skill Application
Lesson Design Menu
Appetizer
Main Course
Dessert
(Exploration)
(Concept Development)
(Concept Application)
Focus and Review
Statement of Objective
Teacher Input
Presentation
Guided Practice
Independent Practice
Closure
Exploration Phase
 Purpose
 Activate prior knowledge
 Draw students into the lesson
 Focus students’ attention on task with
clear purpose
Activating prior knowledge
 Goal is to establish a connection
between what they know and the new
information (advanced organizers,
anticipatory set, external mediators)
 External Mediator
 Class discussion
 Provocative objects
 Graphic outlines of
material to be covered
Discussion Sequence
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Existing knowledge
Thought association
Rapid recognition
Quick lesson review
Open discussion
Graphic Organizers
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Bubble trees
Prediction charts
K-W-L
Venn Diagrams
Cycles
Thinking Maps (see
Course Packet p.
95)
Establishing a Clear Purpose
 Children ask: “Why is this
important?”
 Knowing what is expected is
important
 Must be linked to prior knowledge
and lessons
 Generally comes last during
introductory sequence
 Focuses student attention
The Development Phase
 This is the main learning experience
 This is III. Teacher Input or
Presentation
 Key Questions:
 What basic concepts or skills are to be taught?
 What learning materials should be used?
 How can the teacher help students construct key
concepts and skills?
 What strategies can be used to ensure that
students understand and master the skill?
Teaching the Concept
 1 Provide Information
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Explain the concept
Define the concept
Provide examples of the concept
Model
 2 Check for understanding
 Pose key questions
 Ask students to explain concept/definition
in their own words
 Encourage students to generate their own
examples
Concepts and Examples
 Community
 Wilmington
 Washington, DC
 Tokyo
 Mountain
 Mt. Everest
 Mt. Fuji
 Grandfather
Mountain
 Island
 Hawaii
 Cuba
 Wrightsville Beach
 Justice
 Taking turns
 Writing down rules
 Applying rules
equally to everyone
Factstorming
 Process of finding relevant details
associated with a concept
Fact
Fact
Fact
Concept
Fact
Fact
Fact
Task Analysis
 Skills are mental or physical
operations having a specific set of
actions that are developed through
practice
 Task analysis: process of identifying
component parts of skills and
sequencing the steps
 Modeling of skills is highly effective
and efficient
Materials for Instruction
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Bruner’s three level of learning
Enactive
Iconic
Symbolic
Select materials that
represent a balance
of these three levels
Assisting students as they
construct key concepts
 Use of language-based strategies
 General instructional conversations
 Small group instructional conversations
 Graphic organizers
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Conceptual
Sequential
Cyclical
Hierarchical
Questioning Strategies
 Two types of questions: Purposes?
 Closed
 Open-ended
 Art of Questioning (Dewey) p. 297
 Framing questions and “Wait time”
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Ask question
Pause 3 – 5 seconds
Call on someone to respond
Pause 3 – 5 more seconds to give think time
Concept/Skill Application Phase
 Opportunity to apply and practice
new skill or concept through special
projects or independent activities
 Two parts:
 Guided Practice
 Independent Practice or Functional
Application
 Should result in constructing deeper
meaning
Guided Practice
 Many kinds of practice for new
learning
 Use of concept mapping/graphic
organizers
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Conceptual
Sequential
Cyclical
Hierarchical
 Thinking Maps
Independent Practice
 Independent Activities – (different
activity from Guided Practice!)
 Focus on creativity and choice
 Provide for extension, application,
relevance, and usefulness
Closure
 Involves summarizing, sharing,
reviewing, extending the concept
 May provide transition to new lesson
or learning