Social constructivism:
Educators think it's the shiz. Some parents don't get it. Here's what I think.
We want students to learn to think for themselves rather that repeat a list of facts in parrot fashion. That's apparently what social constructivism is all about. Kids building richer understandings though testing and refining their ideas in a social setting. Hell yeah!
For those, however, not blessed with my awesome class management skills: you may find this tricky. Keeping kids engaged enough to stay on task during collaborative exercises is difficult. Kids like to chat about other stuff. They sometimes like to hit one another. Also, social/inquiry learning type tasks are probably going to require a lot of time and planning, and Deal or No Deal starts at 5.30pm.
Blogs seem like a good way to dip the toes in the world of social constructivism. Much like discussion boards, students can engage in conversations which involve some reflective thought.There is an incentive to stay on task because Mr Gardin is watching. The fact that it is written and has some permanency I think lends itself well into incorporating assessment into collaborative learning too. The blog could work something like a portfolio in demonstrating growth and learning. Blogs also have the whizz bangness that kids so love these days. I'm new to the world of blogs so I'll leave it at that. But yeah, I'm down with blogs and learning.
I agree with you on the difficulties of setting up and maintaining social constructivist activities. They would definitely require a lot more guidance and preparation. Like the use of blogs in class, I guess the effectiveness will depend upon your knowledge of the class and what they can handle and how responsibly they will go about the task. Also, I understand your reluctance to miss quality television :)
ReplyDeleteBlogs are great as part of an e-portfolio, as we were saying in class today. They can also fit well with self-assessment and even peer assessment practices.
ReplyDeleteHi Phil
ReplyDeleteBlogs are alot of fun. Do you know roughly what age they could be introduced? The Yr 2's I was on prac with were a bit young. I think you had older children, - what age? Would they have been able to use and publish on them with guidance?
Heya!
ReplyDeletePhil, I totally agree with you... planning these technology based activities, overseeing kids write on 25 or more blogs & finding time to watch Andrew O'Keefe (& adding in a cycle on an exercise bike) could be quite challenging.
Averil, I think that blogs are probably more suitable for upper primary kids (perhaps Year 5 & up), particularly if they have their own blogs. I like the idea of a class blog. This could work well if the teacher oversees/helps children to type/contribute online.
Averil, I had year 3s on my prac and I think some of them would have been capable of keeping a blog. You seem to think a bit older Vanessa - why?
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that kids need to be pretty focused and dedicated to sustain a blog. In a sense, though the teacher facilitates the process, kids need to be independent & be confident enough with written communcication so that makes me think it's easier with older kids. I can see a class blog working better in lower primary.
ReplyDelete