Chapter 9- Social constructivist approaches, domain-specific approaches, and teaching

Question 1

What is Constructivism?

Answer 1

emphasizes that individuals learn best when they actively construct knowledge and understanding

Question 2

What are social constructivist approaches?

Answer 2

emphasize the social contexts of learning and that strategies and knowledge are mutually constructed.

Question 3

What is Cognitive Apprenticeship?

Answer 3

an expert stretches and supports the novice’s understanding and use of the culture’s skills

Question 4

What is Scaffolding?

Answer 4

changing the level of support over the course of a teaching session

Question 5

What is tutoring?

Answer 5

includes peers, aides, volunteers, and mentors

Question 6

What is cooperative learning?

Answer 6

students work in small groups to help each other learn

Question 7

What types of tutoring are there?

Answer 7

1) individual tutoring
- operation Minerva
2) teacher aids, volunteers, mentors
- tutors in the classroom
3) peer tutoring
- cross-age peer tutoring
- same-age peer tutoring

Question 8

Teaching strategies for volunteer and peer tutoring

Answer 8

• have a specialist serve as a supervisor
• provide tutors with training and support
• provide structured and concentrated tutoring sessions
• reward and honor volunteers
• use cross-age peer tutors
• have students participate as tutors and learners
• communicate with parents about tutoring sessions

Question 9

What is cooperative learning?

Answer 9

occurs when students work in small groups to help each other to learn

Question 10

What are some necessary components of cooperative learning?

Answer 10

• positive interdependence
• positive face-to-face interaction
• interpersonal and small group skills
• individual accountability
• critical reflection

Question 11

How to structure cooperative group work

Answer 11

Grouping variables
-Heterogeneous ability
1 lower-ability students benefit from working with higher–ability students
2 medium-ability students may not get the best results in this situation
-ethic, SES, and gender heterogeneity
1 recommended to improve interpersonal relationships
2 equal numbers of males and females, multiples representatives from different ethnic and SES groups

Question 12

Cooperative Learning Approaches: The Jigsaw Classroom

Answer 12

• teach one thing to each of 6 groups
• beak groups up and reform into 6 new groups, so that each of the new groups has 1 representative from every original groups
• each member of the new groups is responsible for teaching the rest of their members the one part in which they have expertise

Question 13

Cooperative Learning Approaches: Round robin grouping

Answer 13

• teachers present an open-ended questions
• students consider the question and brainstorm possible responses/solutions individually
• after an appointed time, group members share their thoughts in a round robin format

Question 14

Teaching strategies for preparing for cooperative learning

Answer 14

• teach interpersonal and communication skills
• help students become active listeners
• encourage and develop leadership skills

Question 15

Students should be taught to read by:

Answer 15

• basic-skills-and-phonics
• whole-language
• balanced instruction

Question 16

Approaches to Teaching Reading: Cognitive Constructivist Approaches

Answer 16

• Decoding and comprehending words
• reading recovery
• constructing meaning
• developing expert reading strategies

Question 17

Approaches to Teaching Reading: Social Constructivist Approaches

Answer 17

• reciprocal teaching
• peer assisted learning strategies (PALS)
• school/family/community connections

Question 18

Approaches to Teaching Writing: Cognitive Constructivist Approaches

Answer 18

• planning
• problem-solving
• revising
• metacognition
• wireless writing program

Question 19

Approaches to Teaching Writing: Social Context of Writing

Answer 19

• writing “real texts”
• peer collaboration
• school/family/community connections

Question 20

Teaching strategies for incorporating writing into the curriculum

Answer 20

• use writing as a learning tool
• use free-writing assignments - allow students to write openly about a topic
• use creative writing assignments- encourage writing as personal reflection
• use formal writing assignments- teach technical aspects: how to formulate an argument, plan, cite, reference.

Question 21

Domain-Specific Constructivist Approaches; Mathematics Thinking

Answer 21

• arithmetic

- algebra

Question 22

Mathematics- Constructivist Principles

Answer 22

• make math realist and interesting
• thinking vs. rote memorization
• consider prior knowledge of student
• make math curricula socially interactive

Question 23

Science and Broad-Based Approaches- Constructivist Teaching Approaches

Answer 23

-students build their own knowledge
-teachers guide by altering misconceptions
-content is related to everyday life
-students consider the social context of science
Kids as Global Scientists Project