Construct What?? (Part 1 – A Conversation on Constructivism)

Constructivism has become a buzz word in the world of education lately.  As most educators know, it is just another approach in a long list of approaches to education.  The difference between this approach and most other approaches is that it works.  Constructivism doesn’t only work sometimes, it works every time. As with most things in the world, once they become more mainstream, somehow they also become watered down and relegated to the slope or even worse the cliff.  We begin to take the parts and change them a little at a time which in turn also changes the whole.  Picking and choosing and changing within the big picture only serves to complicate and obscure what we hope is the end result.  In its purest form, the argument can be made that building a child’s education through a constructivist approach is more efficient and adherent to the overall goal of the formation of a quality adult.

The basic idea of constructivism is that problem solving is at the heart of learning, thinking, and development.  People construct their own knowledge and understanding through experience either by applying previous knowledge gained through reflection or assimilating new experiences into their paradigm of understanding.  This is achieved through activities the learner engages in, including consequences of those activities.  People only deeply understand what they have constructed.  Because the learner has to become central to the education process, this approach is often either bastardized or abandoned all together in favor of the more traditional approaches.  We as educators have become slaves to tradition out of fear.  The constructivist approach to education cannot be realized without the teacher’s autonomous, ongoing professional judgement and the complete understanding of the administration.

Henry Ford said, “The only real security that a man will have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience, and ability.”  Truer and more constructive words may never have been spoken.  In one sentence, Mr. Ford defined both the mechanics and goals of education.  Knowledge plus experience plus ability equal education.  The unfortunate thing is that we as an education system heavily focus on the knowledge part of the equation, too heavily.  We use words like situated approach and differentiation on a regular basis and with goodwill but we don’t really understand or apply their meaning.  We speak about “big ideas” and proximal development but underline them with test results, student achievement, and rewards or punishments.   All educators should be familiar with the words formative and summative assessments, but do we really understand the reasons and implications of both?  One side of our mouth seems to be counterproductive to the other.

With all that being said, why is it that true constructivism hasn’t been embraced by the world of education? There are several possible answers to that question.  Even more likely, it is a combination of several possible answers that all reflect back to a core reason…fear.  This approach requires an innovative classroom teacher who is willing to think outside of the box; many teachers are scared to do so.  This approach requires a classroom teacher who is willing to work hard in order to stay on level with individual students; many teachers are afraid to do so.  This approach requires a district that is willing to spend less time using conventional testing as assessments and more time allowing students the opportunity to gain worthwhile experiences; most districts are scared to death by this proposition.  This approach requires an open-minded administrator who is willing to step away from objectivist ideals and into the more subjective realm of the constructivist; most administrators fear this kind of change.  So now we see a conundrum created by our own design.  We know constructivism works well, the research proves that.  Instead of jumping in with both feet, we dabble around in it which actually only serves to confuse the learner.

The fact is that the teacher stands where the rubber meets the road.  We need to be able to step out of the way as the student begins his journey of learning.  When I say learning, I don’t mean learning to take a test. I mean authentic learning that sticks in the mind of a child.  Teachers are trained professionals who have enormous impact on students.  It takes courage to come to school everyday and face students.  It takes courage to meet with our administrators for evaluation.  It takes courage to hold the awesome responsibility of educating young minds.  It takes courage to overcome the fears that are listed above.  The thing is that if we could just muster the courage to make the shift to constructivism, the dividends would be huge.  Within a few years, we would have an entire generation prepared for their future and equipped to be lifetime self-directed learners.

In the next installment, we will discuss the process of constructivism in the classroom.  Additionally, we will explore methods of application and assessment in the classroom.  These discussions will lead to a better understanding of the benefits of the constructivist approach to education.