Kelly Geigner

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How Children Learn

• by
• Kelly Geigner
• Sara Fisher
• Debbie Bassette

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The immediate task for American education is to
embrace the future and empower our children to
learn the cultural tools they have already been
given.

• (Soloway, 1991)

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The Linear Process vs. Constructivism

• True learning is not a linear process (cited in
  readings from Miami Museum of Science). This
  means that by simply giving people information
  and asking them to recite, memorize, and
  regurgitate the information is not effective.
• True learning must be motivated by the student,
  an idea must intrigue them to want to learn more
  about an idea of fact.

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• Once an idea is sparked in a learner, they will
  be curious to poke, probe, and inquire about
  the idea (cited in readings from Miami Museum of
  Science).
• This is when true learning begins.

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How We Teach Now

• Linear approaches to instruction often involve
  giving students information before interests are
  sparked. This causes students to often remember
  material for a short time- until formal
  assessment has been given, and then the
  information is forgotten.

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Constructivism A Better Approach

• A better approach to teaching is to adapt the
  constructivism philosophy to the classrooms.
• This is a philosophy about learning, that calls
  for learners to build their own understanding of
  ideas (cited in readings from Miami Museum of
  Science).
• Roger Bybee, Principal Investigator for the
  Biological Science Curriculum Study has
  developed a model for constructivism with five
  essential points (cited in readings from Miami
  Museum of Science).

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5 Approaches for the Classroom

• The first approach to student learning is to
  engage them. Students should first encounter and
  identify the instructional strategy. Students
  should develop an anticipation of the project and
  lesson before it actually begins (cited in
  readings from Miami Museum of Science).
• For example, weeks before her Egyptian unit,
  Mrs. Decker of Washington School, slowly adds
  artifacts to her classroom shelves and walls.
  Students know that the unit is coming and the
  artifacts around the room encourage questions and
  stimulate their curiosity.

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• Students with a high self-efficacy are also
  motivated to learn and explore.
• Self-Efficacy is self-confidence about performing
  a task, specifically academically.
• In situations where students have good
  self-efficacy, students will continue to try and
  persevere.
• Students may develop this through peer
  observation and direct experience, but not
  persuasion.

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The Second Approach

• Students need the opportunity to get directly
  involved with the topic and materials. Exploring
  allows students to develop experiences with the
  topic, ownership in their knowledge and
  responsibility for their learning.
• Examples of student led exploration include Web
  Quests and Asynchronous centers.
• Instead of a lecture, the teacher acts as a
  facilitator, guiding students through their
  learning process.

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The Third Approach

• After exploring, students should put the
  experience, what they learned and gained, into a
  communicable form (cited in readings from Miami
  Museum of Science).
• Explaining what they have accomplished and what
  they have learned allows students to reinforce in
  their mind what conclusions they have to come to
  and to retain the information.
• While orally communicating this to the class, the
  teacher facilitator is supplementing the
  explanation with correct language and
  definitions.

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• Formal assessment can also be ways of allowing
  children to explain what they have learned.
• KWL charts, Venn-Diagrams, Creative Projects,
  and Power Point Presentations are all examples of
  allowing students to communicate what they have
  learned.

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The Fourth Approach

• After students have communicated their knowledge,
  elaboration will allow them to expand on the
  concepts and make connections to other areas of
  exploration (cited in readings from Miami Museum
  of Science). They can apply what they have
  learned to their understanding of their world
  around them.
• As an example, after completing an activity on
  the feudal system in the middle ages, students
  can compare the differences between cities of
  today and manors of the past by using a visual
  aid such as a Venn-diagram. They might conclude
  that most cities have a court house- a central
  place of government, in comparison to a castle of
  the feudal manor.

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The Fifth Approach

• The fifth approach is an on-going diagnostic
  process between the teacher and the student to
  evaluate the instructional process (cited in
  readings from Miami Museum of Science).
• Rubrics are an example of an evaluative tool
  that can be used between student and facilitator.
  Evaluation, to work successfully, must be done
  throughout the learning process, and approaches
  must be changed so that true student learning is
  the outcome.

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Piaget said it bestTo understand is to invent.
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OUR FUTURE LEADERS
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References

• Jinks, J. (2003). The pH Factor/Constructivism,
  Technology, and the Future of Classroom Learning
  (Readings). Miami Museum of Science.
• Jinks, J. (2003). Constructivism and the Five Es
  (Readings).
• Bassette, J. (2003) The Greatest Love of All.