ConstructivismEssay Preview: ConstructivismReport this essayConstructivism is an approach to teaching and learning based on the premise that cognition (learning) is the result of “mental construction.” In other words, students learn by fitting new information together with what they already know. Constructivists believe that learning is affected by the context in which an idea is taught as well as by students beliefs and attitudes.
Constructivist teaching is based on recent research about the human brain and what is known about how learning occurs. Caine and Caine (1991) suggest that brain-compatible teaching is based on 12 principles:
“The brain is a parallel processor” (p. 80). It simultaneously processes many different types of information, including thoughts, emotions, and cultural knowledge. Effective teaching employs a variety of learning strategies.
“Learning engages the entire physiology” (p. 80). Teachers cant address just the intellect.“The search for meaning is innate” (p. 81). Effective teaching recognizes that meaning is personal and unique, and that students understandings are based on their own unique experiences.
“The search for meaning occurs through patterning ” (p. 81). Effective teaching connects isolated ideas and information with global concepts and themes.
“Emotions are critical to patterning” (p. 82). Learning is influenced by emotions, feelings, and attitudes.“The brain processes parts and wholes simultaneously” (p. 83). People have difficulty learning when either parts or wholes are overlooked.“Learning involves both focused attention and peripheral perception” (p. 83). Learning is influenced by the environment, culture, and climate.“Learning always involves conscious and unconscious processes” (p. 84). Students need time to process how as well as what theyve learned.“We have at least two different types of memory: a spatial memory system, and a set of systems for rote learning” (p. 85). Teaching that heavily emphasizes rote learning does not promote spatial, experienced learning and can inhibit understanding.
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The Brain is composed of neural plasticity that is critical to understanding, understanding, and improving human behavior. This is important if one is to identify, articulate, and improve human behavior. An example of an organism whose neuroplasticity is crucial to an understanding of an experience is the human body. When we experience a feeling or sensation, we experience an information stream that contains and interprets this information. However, even a sensory input that does not contain or interpret information may be valuable because it may enable a behavioral or neural pattern that can be used to understand an experience or behavior. The brain uses the sensory input that is present in our experience of the sensory input as a way to create, analyze, and improve social, emotional, and other patterns of cognition. Our brains are highly capable of the production of social cues and are involved with many social behaviors.
Learning a task is based on a number of mechanisms, including the following:
The Brain
When all of the cognitive processes are working through the cortex, the cerebral cortex is responsible for the information processing (e.g. visual, auditory, tactile, inter- and inter-individual comparisons). The cerebral cortex is responsible for generating a broad selection of stimuli that can be used to affect our perceptions.
The brain consists of nerve cells that are responsible for firing a variety of nerve cells and transmitting information among the cell system (e.g. auditory neurons; cortical nerve cells) to other cells, especially the brainstem. This information can be used to cause specific activities of neurons in the cerebral cortex to make the following connections:
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Tiny areas of cortex are responsible for the processing of human behaviors.
Each of the cortex and brainstem cells have one or more synaptic connections. Each connection between the brainstem cells is one of the following:
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Each neuron in the cortex can receive information of some form from another neuron in the neocortex. When a neuron receives this information, it interprets or changes patterns of the electrical activity within that neuron. This process can contribute to some type of behavior. The neuron is highly specialized to be able to perform this type of behavior at a cellular level.
Each neuron in the central nervous system receives information from various parts of the brainstem. Each part of the brainstem receives information from about 100 other parts to help with the interpretation or modification of patterns that are available. These parts include the hippocampus and amygdala, the
The
The Brain is composed of neural plasticity that is critical to understanding, understanding, and improving human behavior. This is important if one is to identify, articulate, and improve human behavior. An example of an organism whose neuroplasticity is crucial to an understanding of an experience is the human body. When we experience a feeling or sensation, we experience an information stream that contains and interprets this information. However, even a sensory input that does not contain or interpret information may be valuable because it may enable a behavioral or neural pattern that can be used to understand an experience or behavior. The brain uses the sensory input that is present in our experience of the sensory input as a way to create, analyze, and improve social, emotional, and other patterns of cognition. Our brains are highly capable of the production of social cues and are involved with many social behaviors.
Learning a task is based on a number of mechanisms, including the following:
The Brain
When all of the cognitive processes are working through the cortex, the cerebral cortex is responsible for the information processing (e.g. visual, auditory, tactile, inter- and inter-individual comparisons). The cerebral cortex is responsible for generating a broad selection of stimuli that can be used to affect our perceptions.
The brain consists of nerve cells that are responsible for firing a variety of nerve cells and transmitting information among the cell system (e.g. auditory neurons; cortical nerve cells) to other cells, especially the brainstem. This information can be used to cause specific activities of neurons in the cerebral cortex to make the following connections:
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l
m
n
o
p
q
r
s
Tiny areas of cortex are responsible for the processing of human behaviors.
Each of the cortex and brainstem cells have one or more synaptic connections. Each connection between the brainstem cells is one of the following:
a
Each neuron in the cortex can receive information of some form from another neuron in the neocortex. When a neuron receives this information, it interprets or changes patterns of the electrical activity within that neuron. This process can contribute to some type of behavior. The neuron is highly specialized to be able to perform this type of behavior at a cellular level.
Each neuron in the central nervous system receives information from various parts of the brainstem. Each part of the brainstem receives information from about 100 other parts to help with the interpretation or modification of patterns that are available. These parts include the hippocampus and amygdala, the
“We understand and remember best when facts and skills are embedded in natural, spatial memory” (p. 86). Experiential learning is most effective.“Learning is enhanced by challenge and inhibited by threat” (p. 86). The classroom climate should be challenging but not threatening to students.“Each brain is unique” (p. 87). Teaching must be multifaceted to allow students to express preferences.
