Reflection #15

(1) Describe the Resource / Experience:
While conducting research for my group’s most recent WikiText entry entitled “Constructivism and the Individual Learners’ Responsibilities and Leadership”, I came across several very interesting resources. The resource that interested me the most was an online paper sponsored by Georgia State University entitled “Constructivism”. There was a section of this paper entitled “Using Constructivism in the Classroom” that thoroughly discussed the role of student initiative in the constructivist classroom. I found that section of the paper to be very enlightening. It suggested that teachers should relinquish more of the responsibility of learning over to the students themselves by posing open-ended questions, allowing students to engage in active dialogue, allowing student responses to drive instruction, and requiring students to elaborate on their initial responses.
(2) Lessons Learned / Applications for the Classroom / Recommendations for Yourself or Others:
Overall, this resource has prompted me to examine my own classroom for evidence of these instructional strategies that support student initiative and increased student responsibility in the constructivist classroom. After this examination, I discovered that I do not do these things as often as I should in my classroom. I have found that I allow my students to rely on me too much for their learning in several content areas. I found that I use these strategies most often in science and math. Therefore, after conducting this research, I have discovered that I need to be more cognizant of how I interact with my students within my classroom and allow them to take more initiative and responsibility for their learning. I think that since the instructional strategies mentioned above allow students to take on more responsibility themselves and rely less upon the teacher, they encourage students to become independent, lifelong learners, and that has always been my ultimate goal for each and every student in my classroom.
(3) Links to Readings, Resources, or Discussions:
These ideas directly link to the following resource from my Resource Log:

Brown, D.S. (n.d.). Constructivism. Georgia State University. Retrieved from http://www.rr1.net/users/dsmbrown/Constructivism.htm

Moreover, even though our WikiText chapter hasn’t been finished and posted yet, I’m sure these ideas will directly relate to our latest chapter entitled “Constructivism and the Individual Learners’ Responsibilities and Leadership”.