While many people talk about the Constructivist philosophy, there has
not been a publication that provides a detailed description of what a
Constructivist classroom sounds like and looks like. This book fills that
void by examining the philosophy, translating it into teaching
strategies, and providing over forty examples. These examples come
from the elementary level up to and including the collegiate level, and
include all content areas. These examples show how the Constructivist educator uses the
linguistic mode, the visual mode, and the kinesthetic mode to create a class environment in
which the Constructivist philosophy flourishes. Examples of student work are provided; the
book also includes chapters on note-taking, Problem-Based Learning (PBL), action research, and
other Constructivist resources.
Written in user-friendly form, this book presents a concrete and
step by step approach for translating the Constructivist philosophy
into classroom practice. This book is intended for every
Constructivist researcher, practitioner, and teacher-educator. The
researcher and teacher-educator will benefit from topics such as
the history of Constructivist thought, the principles of
Constructivism and action research. This book is more than a list
of recipes, and this will be beneficial to the practitioner. Starting
with the principles of Constructivism, and bridging to four basic
teaching strategies, the practitioner is guided on how to use
different learning modes and "meta-strategies" to create a true
Constructivist practice.
An educator's life is made up of one's philosophy, teaching
principles, daily strategies, resources, and research tools. This book provides an in-depth look,
from the Constructivist perspective, at each one of these components. In every sense of the word,
this book is truly "comprehensive."