The Social Constructivist Model of Teaching

Colby Wegter

The Social Constructivist Model of Teaching

When I look at the constructivist way of teaching in the Krajcik article it lines up a lot with how I plan on teaching. I believe wholeheartedly that it is very important to show kids and let them interact with the information as opposed to just telling them the information. This is supported when Krajcik talks about using concrete materials.

One hallmark of social constructivist teaching is that students mindfully interact with concrete materials. Children retain more of what they are taught if they engage in more active, concrete types of learning. In fact, it is estimated that the more active and concrete their learning, the more they retain.

Using manipulatives and experiments in the classroom allow for students to get a visual idea and an interactive idea. I was a big fan of the features of the social constructivist model of learning as well. It reminds me a lot of the scientific method. A student being able to discuss and predict what will happen is a vital step in the process. They can hypothesize, see the experiment happen, and then reflect on whether they had a good hypothesis or if they were completely surprised.

Finally, the thing I was the biggest fan of in this article was the idea of improving their own world. For elementary kids this idea is not an international one usually but one to improve the world around them in their own community. I liked the idea of a litter clean up day or putting up bird feeders. I really do agree with the article when it says, “When learning includes taking action to improve their world, children see the importance of it and the action solidifies their knowledge.” Well put.