Constructivism/ Social Constructivism

I was excited to learn more about these theories because this was the learning theory that I knew the least about. After reading about constructivism and discussing this theory with others in my group, I now feel that I have a better understanding of the two learning theories. Both theories have many similarities. Both theories believe that learning environments should be real world settings, and that authentic tasks, multiple exposures and reflection and crucial elements of learning. All teachers should apply these principles into their classroom. Gaining this knowledge has given me new insight about how to effectively teach my students. As a teacher I need to relate student's learning to their world. Teaching facts from textbooks and worksheets through drill and practice might produce results but this "learning" is fleeting and usually students are not able to transfer what they have learned into other areas of their life. Constructivism requires creativity and effort from the teacher but the excitement and true knowledge students learn is worth it. In thinking about ways to incorporate "real world applications" into my lessons I realized that I can teach measurement using people in our classroom. My students last year had a hard time grasping the concept of measurement most likely due to the fact that I did not relate the topic to them. Measuring pieces of string bored them. Instead, I should have measured the students. By measuring the students we could have had all types of dialogue about what unit of measurement to use (inches vs. centimeters), what method of measurement would work best (ruler vs. yardstick), and what the average height was. This is just one example how I could use the constructivist approach to make learning come alive in my classroom.
Another insight I had from the reading was the idea of social constructivism. Social constructivism is focused on students interacting with each other and the emphasis is placed on the social context of learning. This was a great reminder for me to read because although I do agree that learning should be a social process that involves collaboration, discussions and group work; it can be challenging. The classrooms where social constructivism is taking place are the loud and noisy classrooms. Students are talking, questioning, inquiring and collaborating with each other. Sometimes I will admit that allowing students to work independently is much easier. When students are working independently the classroom is quite and classroom management is simple. Although having students work independently might make the teacher's job easier, it negatively impacts the students. There should never be a silent classroom. These are the "dead" classrooms where learning is being dispensed, not created.
I am excited to start this new year using the principles I have learned about constructivism/social constructivism. I am planning on allowing my students to explore, create, and question. There will be many hands on activities, many manipulatives, and group work. My classroom might be the nosiest on the hallway but at least I know my students are learning!