John Dewey and Constructivism

Constructivism is a philosophy that began with John Dewey but has become more popular as brain research has developed and theorists such as Howard Garner and his learning styles work have been popularized. The constructivist teacher:

• Uses a wide variety of materials and technologies to present material to appeal to each learner. 
• Guides the learning environment; becomes a shadow leader. 
• Takes the role of "guide on the side." 
• Asks students to take control of their own learning. ÿ Stresses the "process of learning" over mastery of content. 
• Uses rubrics to have students participate in the assessment of both process and content mastery.

Constructivist teachers include students in the formulation of projects or quests. They assist students by creating quality questions to be solved or "engaging problems" inviting investigation. They may vary activities and strategies as the "quest" progresses and take into consideration the feedback received from students. They risk students not being able to master facts, trusting that students who know how to learn will perform satisfactorily on tests and in the long run will be powerful learners. Constructivist teachers take into consideration the variety of learning styles in their classrooms and create learning activities that appeal to all those styles. They are more concerned with the depth of learning than its breadth.