All this web 2.0 is very new to me and while daunting it is exciting, but I am interested to see how much it used in the classroom. All our lectures are very inspiring but I wonder the speed at which it will flow into schooling. The fit does seem a good one for social constructivist approach, but again I wonder how much social constructivist stuff is happening out there in the classroom.
I would love to hear about others experience with this approach in the classroom during prac. My first prac was a total behaviourist classroom, thus when I tried anything with a constructivist lean, it all went pear shaped very quickly. I think the constructivist work is good, but it does require a great deal of scaffolding, training, and a supportive environment for it to work. I think they need to mention that to trainee teachers. I feel we are sold it as the best approach ever, but it does take a while to set up and encourage and support, then the results can be rewarding. It needs to be part of the classroom culture, and the creation of that environment does take a intensive, structured approach from the teacher.
I think it is an approach that should start from a young age when less of the problems with goup work are an issue (like dominant personalities, personalitiy clashes and students already set in their ways and not listening to others - which I saw in my classroom when I tried this apporach, they were year 6 boys, and like I said they loved the behaviourist apporach)
I quite agree that a social constructivist approach takes a lot of time and effort to set up in the classroom, all the more so if students are used to a more traditional approach. You have some good suggestions, though, about how to begin moving in this direction.
ReplyDeleteAs for the use of new technologies in the classroom, it's pretty patchy: at one end of the spectrum there are schools with one locked-down computer lab; at the other there are one-to-one laptop schools where students are experimenting with mobile devices, creating podcasts and directing movies as part of their everyday educational experience. We'll visit a school like that later in the semester.
Hi Jennie, I have been lucky enough to see the social constructivist approach in the classroom. When I've tried to do it, it does take a lot of time and effort but I've seen it done with minimal resources and the students are always so engaged and motivated it's very rewarding. Like you say though, it's better as a whole school approach so that the students get used to group work and being challenged from a young age.
ReplyDeleteMy prac was quite a behaviorist classroom, too. As well as that, access to computers was minimal with 4 in the classroom and they were generally quite temperamental. To introduce blogs into a classroom like this, I would imagine that it would require a lot of teacher modelling to begin with and the scaffolds slowly removed as the students develop their understanding of what their role is and their confidence increases.
ReplyDeleteMy prac was in a constructivist classroom and it worked very well with the group that I was with. However, I was at a school with few cultural and social issues, compared to other schools that I heard about. There were alot of group work opportunities within the classroom, such as guided reading and writing and students were placed into groups based on ability levels and students rotated within their groups to take on a leadership role, which encouraged peer tutoring amongst students and this was very effective. I think that it depends on the school, in theory it is easy to suggest a constructivist approach, but it in practice it will require a large transition period.
ReplyDeleteIt's certainly worth considering that more traditional classrooms - both in terms of pedagogy and access to technology - will be a more challenging environment in which to introduce online tools. Nevertheless, it's possible. In fact, I've seen a blogging class where there were no computers at all; the teacher used the blogging concept but got students to do everything on paper, posting their 'blogs' around the walls of the classroom and then having other students go round and add comments to them.
ReplyDeleteMark, I think that is a great idea, especially in schools where there is no, or little access to technology. With this idea the children are still being introduced to the concept of 'blogs' in a more concrete way. Good thinking from the teacher! One to add to our resource file everyone.........
ReplyDeleteWow, lots of comments I agree with (including yours post Jennie). I agree, the lectures are very inpsiring and exciting (thanks Mark), and in reality it's not always the case that we can do all of these wonderful and exciting things in the classroom. Again it depends on the school. Obviously if you are lucky enough to be in a school that has the lastest technology then you should most of it. And if you do wind up in a technology-challenged school, maybe you could be the one to introduce the staff and students to the wonderful world of Web 2.0!
ReplyDeleteGood point, Madison - someone has to make a start! Not all technologies will be appealing or relevant to everyone, but once you find some that work for you, you'll find it hard to do without them ... which is exactly when you can start introducing their benefits to peers and colleagues who haven't discovered them yet.
ReplyDeleteBecause there are so many new tools with educational possibilities emerging all the time, there's no substitute for this kind of peer teaching, where tech skills spread through what's sometimes called a "viral model". (And yes, that's exactly the same principle that applies to Rebecca Black going viral on YouTube, though perhaps on a more limited scale ...)