Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
By
Benjamin King
34501031
ETEC 530
experience. Instead learning can and does come through the interaction with others. (Fosnot,
2005) Research has shown the benefits of the creation of knowledge through Mutual help, open
communication, and exchange of needed resources. (Denton, 2012. p. 36) In the lesson plan the
students are grouped according to previous knowledge levels and skill levels. This means that
the students are able to share their knowledge and learn from those who have more experience.
This idea models the Zone of Proximal Development model posited by Vygotsky. In ZPD The
students gain understanding through guidance or mimicry of those with a higher level of
expertise. (Fosnot, 2005) This expert can be anyone from a teacher to a fellow student. This
sharing of ideas goes beyond the classroom in this lesson, with students posting their progress
and reflections to public blogs. Here the students are able to share their own learning while also
reflecting on their peers perspectives and experiences. This has been shown to be an effective
learning strategy. (Staarman, Krol, & Meijdeen, 2005)
Conclusion
The Constructivist theory is more than simply a teaching methodology. At its core constructivism
is also an epistemological theory. Knowledge according to some constructivist thinkers is not a
reflection of an independent reality rather it is a collection of our own understandings and
experiences. With this concept of knowledge and through exploring not only what it means to
know but also how we come to know new learning environments arise. As is exemplified in
the attached lesson plan, constructivist learning comes with three requirements; That the learning
is active, that we understand each student is unique, and finally that learning is social.
Lesson Plan
Propane torches
Sample pieces for students to physically interact with
Practice pieces (enough for each student to fail at least once, some reuse is possible)
Safety glasses
Leather gloves
Time allotment
5min: attendance and gathering the class
10min: Have the students complete a quick safety quiz on soldering. using information provided
in the previously completed video the night before. Collect the quizzes
7min: Break up students into work groups based upon skills levels and previous experience,
Ensuring there is appropriate knowledge bases in every group. Hand out the completed sample
work as references.
20 min: The students in their work groups begin exploring the process of soldering.
Be sure to circulate during this time. The goal is not necessarily to intervene in any way
rather, to ensure engagement and safety. Ask questions like how are you finding the process? Is
it working? Why, Why not? What are you going to try next?
10 min: Have the students stop their experimentation and have them gather at the front of the
class for a more formalized demo.
During the soldering demos students will be shown the safe lighting of a propane torch,
how to heat the copper evenly, and how to apply solder between to pieces of copper to creating
and overlapping joint. Be sure to show how the heat of copper can be seen through changes in
color and that it is important to move the propane torch back and forth to avoid over warping the
pieces.
Remainder of class: The students can now return to their groups and using their new
information return to practicing. Once the students feel they have reached a high level of
competence they can take a photo to be posted to their blog.
Assessment: Throughout the class students will be formatively assessed on how their practice
pieces are coming along. If any commonality in error are noticed these will be corrected as a
group. It will be understood by the students and the teacher that this skill will take time to
master and it is continuous process of improvement. Additionally, the students blog posts will be
reviewed both for their evidence of learning and any additional intervention needed to increase
their soldering skills.
Works Referenced
Denton, D. W. (2012). Enhancing instruction through constructivism, cooperative learning, and
cloud computing. TechTrends, 56(4), 34-41.
http://ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/login?url=http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11528-0120585-1
Fosnot, C. T. (2013). Constructivism: Theory, perspectives, and practice, 2nd Ed. Teachers
College Press. Amazon Kindle.
Norton, A., & D'Ambrosio, B. S.. (2008). ZPC and ZPD: Zones of Teaching and Learning.
Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 39(3), 220246.
http://doi.org.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/10.2307/30034969
Pritchard, D. (2014). What is this thing called knowledge? (3rd ed.). New York, NY:Routledge.
Sunal, D. W (n.d.) The Learning Cycle: A Comparison of Models of Strategies for Conceptual
Reconstruction: A Review of the Literature. Retrieved October 9, 2010, from
http://astlc.ua.edu/ScienceInElem&MiddleSchool/565LearningCycle-ComparingModels.htm
Staarman, J. K., Krol, K., & Meijden, H. v. d. (2005). Peer interaction in three collaborative
learning environments. Journal of Classroom Interaction, 40(1), 29.
Tomory, A., & Watson, S. L. (2015). Flipped classrooms for advanced science courses. Journal
of Science Education and Technology, 24(6), 875-887. doi:10.1007/s10956-015-9570-8
Von Glasersfeld, E. (2008). Learning as a Constructivist Activity. AntiMatters, 2(3), 33-49.
Retrieved from: http://anti-matters.org/articles/73/public/73-66-1-PB.pdf