Concepts
- Language
The language is a system of signs, oral,
written and gestures, which through their meaning and relationship allow people
to express themselves to achieve understanding with others.
Communication requires the system of signs of
language to reach the goal of common understanding. Various factors come into
play when communication is carried out through language, for example, functions
such as intelligence and linguistic memory are set in motion.
Language, on the other hand, is one of the
main characteristics that separate humankind from animals. This begins to
develop from the gestation, and is definitely established in the relationship
that maintains the individual with the social world in which he develops his
activity.
From its development acquires communication
skills, learn to listen, understand and emit certain sounds. Mastering your
communication skills serves to express what you want to communicate and also to
do it in the particular way you want it.
- Learning
Learning is the acquisition of new behaviors
of a living being from previous experiences, in order to achieve a better
adaptation to the physical and social environment in which it develops. Some
conceive it as a relatively permanent change in behavior, which takes place as
a result of practice. What is learned is kept by the organism more or less
permanently and is available to take action when the occasion requires it. The
man from birth is carried out from beginning to end learned processes. The
action of the environment, of the people that surround it, are modeling their
activities in an adaptive sense. Although the external influence is powerful
and essential, no less important are the capacities of the individual himself,
who is ultimately the one who learns.
- Teaching
Teaching refers to the transmission of
knowledge, values and ideas among people. Although this action is usually
related only to certain academic areas, it is worth noting that it is not the
only means of learning.
Other institutions can be mentioned, such as
religious or clubs and also outside of them, be it in family, cultural
activities, with friends etc. In these last cases the teaching stops being
strictly planned, to take a much more improvised form. However, this does not
mean that it cannot have transcendental effects on the person who receives the
teachings.
Constructivism as a school of thought
Constructivism
is a pedagogical current created by Ernst von Glasersfeld, based on the theory
of constructivist knowledge, which postulates the need to provide students with
tools that allow them to create their own procedures to solve a problematic
situation, which implies that their ideas are modified and keep learning.
It
is a theory that aims to explain what the nature of human knowledge. Learning
is essentially active. A person who learns something new, incorporates it into
their previous experiences and their own mental structures. Each new
information is assimilated and deposited in a network of knowledge and
experiences that previously exist. The process is subjective, since each person
is modifying according to their experiences. Experience leads to the creation
of mental patterns that we store in our minds and that grow and become more
complex through two complementary processes: assimilation and accommodation
(Piaget, 1955). Constructivism also has a strong social component, cultural
development appears doubly, first on a social level and then on an individual
level (Vygotsky, 1978).
Constructivist
learning has 8 characteristics:
- The constructivist environment in learning provides people with contact with multiple representations of reality.
- Multiple representations of reality evade simplifications and represent the complexity of the real world.
- Constructivist learning is emphasized in building knowledge within the reproduction of it.
- Constructivist learning highlights authentic tasks in a meaningful way in context, rather than abstract instructions out of context.
- provides learning environments such as daily living environments rather than a predetermined sequence of instructions.
- Constructivist learning environments foster reflection in experience.
- They allow context and content depending on the construction of knowledge.
- Support the collaborative construction of learning through social negotiation.
Vigotsky's constructivism theory
Emphasizes
the influence of social and cultural contexts in the appropriation of knowledge
and puts great emphasis on the active role of the teacher while the mental
activities of students develop "naturally", through several routes of
discovery: the construction of meanings, the instruments for cognitive
development and the zone of proximal development (ZPD).
Its
basic concept is that of the ZPD, according to which each student is able to
learn a series of aspects that have to do with their level of development, but
there are others beyond their reach that can be assimilated with the help of an
adult or the same more advantaged. In this stretch between what the student can
learn on his own and what he can learn with the help of others, is what is
called ZPD.
In
this sense the theory of Vygotsky gives the teacher an essential role to
consider as a facilitator of the development of mental structures in the student
so that he is able to build more complex learning.
The
importance of social interaction in learning is emphasized and valued; the
student learns more effectively when he does it cooperatively.
How to plan a class using the constructivist method of Vigotsky
Constructivist
classes are based on two moments:
- All the learning process is active rather than passive.
- New ideas are better incorporated when they are constructed from existing knowledge. The teacher guides and inspires the students instead of actively instructing them. Consequently, the classes aim to encourage active exploration, debate and expansion of existing ideas.
It
is important to identify the main ideas of the class. This allows students to
deepen and expand existing knowledge effectively. One way may be to start with
a great idea that can be broken down into smaller conceptual details.
Determine
what your students already know about the subject. You can use the debate,
brainstorming or simple projects to determine the benchmark.
Another
way is to encourage students to actively participate in class planning. For
example, if the students know something about the subject, they can work in
small groups to determine the activities that can solidify and socialize their
knowledge.
You
can also ask questions throughout the class. Open questions to keep students
active and also help them delve into the subject. They can also ask the teacher
and his classmates’ questions.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Application
of social constructivism in the classroom. Pdf
Constructivism
and pedagogy. Ecured
Required Educational References
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Clark, E.
(2003). First language acquisition. Cambridge. UK: Cambridge University Press.
Retrieved 13 June, 2017, from:
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