Week 1-Constructivism

The journal article, Constructivism, Technology, and the Future of Classroom Learning by Erik Strommen and Bruce Lincoln calls for integrating more technology into the classroom. Strommen and Lincoln state that through the use of technology in the classroom, children develop better learning skills and begin to guide their own learning in a collaborative setting. Strommen and Lincoln call this self-guided, collaborative setting a “child-driven learning environment.” CDLE’s can be developed within the classroom by building a constructivist learning atmosphere. Constructivism is a theory of cognitive growth and learning in which children actively construct their knowledge. Rather than simply absorbing ideas spoken at them by teachers, or somehow internalizing them through endless, repeated rote practice, constructivism posits that children actually invent their ideas.
The foundation for creating a child-driven learning environment is to design a constructivist setting in which students integrate technology and learn through play, experimentation, and collaboration. The child-driven learning environment is organized as a four-step process that includes exploration, conceptualization, production, and post-production.
In response to the journal article entitled, Constructivism, Technology, and the Future of Classroom Learning by Erik Strommen and Bruce Lincoln, I feel that the article made a convincing argument in favor of using technology in the classroom. More students than ever before have had some experience using technology in their homes. Whether they are using remote game controllers, programming their digital video recorders, or simply sending email through their computers, technology has impacted young people in an exciting, energetic way. Incorporating technology within the classroom can captivate student interest in learning and give students the ability to construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world in which they live. According to Strommen and Lincoln, “Two specific features of constructivist philosophy hold particular promise (Strommen et al, 1993).” The first is the notion that play and experimentation are valuable forms of learning and the second is collaborative or cooperative learning has demonstrated the benefits of children working with other children in collective learning efforts. The capacity of student’s to self govern their learning and share their knowledge with one another is paramount to their ability to succeed in the real world.