Article 1 = Julyan and Duckworth Article 2 = Brown et al Amy Pape
1. Constructivists seem to boast that students learning under this approach come out with a better understanding of the concepts they are learning than students learning under a more traditional approach. Supposedly this is because the students have become "participants in constructing their own knowledge" (p. 68) and thus learn not only the what of scientific knowledge but also the why. But is there a possibility that children are not understading the concepts correctly, but are coming up with the right answers and is this a result of the problem with assessment in the Constructivist approach?
2. Brown mentions the new emphasis on context in learning and how much an effect it can have. How does this change teaching and the theories around how to teach?
Elizabeth Marcus
1.This article applied constructivism to a high school curriculum. Can this approach be equally effective for both younger and older children on a long term basis? What changes should be made, if any, when working with high school children?
2. What would be the effect of the FCL program on a child lagging behind their peers? Would the atmosphere of discussion and community allow them to catch up or would they be left behind?
Page Hayton
1. Does constructivist theory and practice apply equally well in humanities classes as it does in science and math classes? How might it be applied differently?
2. I find it interesting that the researchers in the Julyan & Duckworth article had all female subjects. Do you think there would be a differenece between males and females in terms of accepting, enjoying, and/or thriving in constructivist classrooms?
Alli Kraus
1. If a constructivist approach is being used to teach science to high school and middle school students, how important is it for the students to learn the formal theories behind, and names related to what they have learned? If it is important, how can it be integrated so that the types of learning do not conflict? Can traditionally important ideas be made a part of a constructivist curriculum?
2. The second article discusses how with assistance, children can use a number of learning strategies. It also discusses how with help, children can employ the scientific method. How much do these guided experiences help children to perform these tasks on their own? HOw effective are these experiences before children can understand them independently?
Shana Johnson
1. "It is important to make a distinction between providing students with experiences and supporting students' developing understanding".
What is this distinction? What does Julyan and Duckworth mean and how are these two different?
2. "In some instances, we found resolution; in other instances, the teacher discovered that they were each willing to believe data that conflicted with their newfound beliefs" (p. 70).
If these were students, how should the teacher handle situations like these? Will the classroom just come to a standstill?
Karla Alcala
1. The Julyen article touched on an interesting point: what happens when the students do not get on the right path early on and therefore do not manage to finish the "unit"? Assuming the teacher wants to teach something specific, but the students do not progress quickly enough to finish by the end of the year. Does the teacher just give them the answer or do children just don't finish their project?
2. Somewhat related to the previous question and to something many people have touched upon, how do teachers in a constructivist classroom get students to learn the concepts required by the district/state? while I can completely understand how such a class set up would work for classes such as english and beginning math, how does a teacher expose students to very specific concepts such as calculus in the higher grades?
Carmel Levitan
1. How far should teachers go in correcting misconceptions their students may hold?
2. How do these classrooms deal with students who either "lag behind" or are exceptionally quick?
Anders Rosenquist
1. How much science is enough science for students? (in terms of what should 8th graders know before heading off to high school, high school seniors going to college.)
2. Since a constructivist approach seems to blend well with learning science, should all science be taught this way? (I realize this is a loaded question.) Should all knowledge about the physical world be discovered by students so they can say they "know it"? When do we take advantage of the discoveries of previous scientists - how should (or if) these previous discoveries be integrated into curriculum?
Summer Moore
1. In the article "the Development of Science Learning," the authors discuss introducing "complicated" subjects in phases, and reorganizing the science curriculum to not be so arbitrary in terms of what is studied when. Would this re-organization and phase system be useful in other subjects, and if so, what are some ideas you would have for those subjects?
2. In the article "On Teaching and Learning Science," the students spent three sessions figuring out one problem, dealing with balloons. Do you believe the concept/s learned were worth the time spent on them? Also, in a class, if this method were adopted, the amount of time spent on each problem would take so long, there would probably not be enough time to do several problems dealing with the same concept. Do you see a problem with transference in this situation?
Mike Broom
1. Some argue that the true measure of whether a child has learned a concept is if they are able to transfer knowledge from one activity to the solution of a novel one. How do the science curriculums support or hinder this transfer?
Sandi Weingart
1. To what extent does the Brown et. al. article reinforce using the Constructivist approach for young science learners as described in the Julyan & Duckworth article? Do you see any particular problems with a Constructivist approach for young science learners?
2. How should science content for young learners be determined based on the theories of Piaget? How do Brown et. al. suggest this should be enhanced?