Revolutionizing Reading with these 3 Constructivist Learning Techniques

Thank you for visiting this constructivist reading blog!

Here, we explore the ever-changing realm of constructivist learning, an educational philosophy that promotes hands-on, experiential education in which students build their own knowledge and understanding of the world. The idea upon which this method is established is that every person's learning is an activity that is specifically shaped by their own set of circumstances.

In this blog we will focus in on three crucial features of the broad field of constructivist ideas that can alter our perspective on reading...

Saint Paul's

In several 8th Grade classes I was able to teach about another book called The Hatchet. The book is about a boy who survives a plane accident and now has to learn quickly how to survive in the Canadian Wilderness. It was a class filled with activity. The Teacher had given me a work book from which I took some successful ideas and had the class participate a lot. They seemed to like it and were happy to do the activities.

Saint Paul's

Soon they will have Exam week. The students are asking for more study time and less homework. They are mostly doing well. The few that are at risk of falling certain courses are have interviews with some teachers. The material is not that hard, they just need to put the same effort into it that they do in other courses that they are doing well at. It’s all a matter of interest and motivation.

Saint Paul's

It’s nice to be able to break off in smaller groups and help the students in a more relaxed, or one-to-one way. They share a lot more and are not as afraid to say things they may otherwise feel shy about in a bigger class. I helped them as they were writing their scripts for the class presentations at the end of the year.

Saint Paul's

Another book we are doing is called The Stranger by Albert Camus. It’s a different level of reading. Some students seem like they relate less to this book. We follow the same format, which gets a maximum of students participating. Their insights are well founded even if they think that the characters in the book act in a strange way sometimes.

Saint Paul's

I will have the chance to teach English Literature to several classes in 10th and 11th Grade. They participate very well and show a good understanding of what they have read…when they have read. Mostly this is not a problem. In any case we go through the whole chapters in class.

Saint Paul's

I was able to teach a class on World Geography. We had the map set out on the Interactive Whiteboard and the students were able to participate in trying to remember the European Country’s capitals and the different seas that lie around the parts of Europe.

Saint Paul's

The Model United Nations (MUN) is something the students have been preparing for for a long time. The know they need to because they will be running the show that day. The teachers stay in the background and just steer them in the right direction. The students that have chosen to participate will be representing different countries. They will have to debate current issues and voice their opinion on how to come to a resolution. It will be interesting to see how they handle things and resolve unexpected problems. This is real life stuff!