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Constructivism can be applied to a wide variety of disciplines.  We applied constructivism to English, Art, History, and Dance.  In English the application of the theory comes from having the students use their writing, speaking, and social skills to solve real world problems.  The application is similar with History.  In our examples students are required to identify historical problems and issues and come up with ways to solve those issues.  In art students learn how to work together to produce a piece and how that piece can help those around them.  Similarly students learn how to express current issues through dance.  They can work together to collaborate and learn from one another.

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Project Based, Problem Based and Inquiry Learning

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Project Based, Problem Based and Inquiry Learning

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History:
National Park
Having students do research to rename a National Park. Students will research historical events of the park and come up with a fitting name. They will create a powerpoint explaining why
English:
Alternative Book Reports
Students write a book report using real world application like blog posts, emails, etc.
Art:
A paper animal sculpture
Students will be supplied with paper, scissors, tape and glue. Students will have to make an animal of their choosing. The sculpture must be at least 1 foot tall and only using the supplies given.
Dance:
Point A to Point B
How can you get from point A to point B using 3 locomotor steps. You can make it more complex by adding more conditions. Use levels, direct/indirect pathways, etc.

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History/English:
Jigsaw
Divide the information, each student becomes an expert on their own subject. Then the students will teach each other the concepts that they have learned.
Art:
Draw a person
1st person draws the head
2nd person draws the torso
3rd person draws the legs
Dance:
Group Choreography
Students collaborate to create a piece of choreography. Students share ideas, incorporate new movement, and work on revising choreography together.

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History:
Project Help Save the Earth
As a class students will come up with 3 activities they can actually fulfill to help improve them community. As a class we will carry out these ideas.
English:
Letter to a Company
Students find an issue they are passionate about within a corporation or company. Students research and write a letter to make a change.
Art:
Mural
Students collaborate to create a mural in their community that portrays important ideas and philosophies of that community.
Dance:
Intent Research and Awareness
Students choose a current issue to research for an

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History:
Current Issues
Take a modern issue or movement and have students propose an idea of how they can help find a solution.
Dance:
Current Issue Flash Mob
After studying current issue and taking a stance by creating choreography regarding the issue, students create an impromtu performance in the community to enhance awareness and practice their activism within the community.
Art:
Current Issue Representations
Students will be told to pick a real-world subject such as immigration, pollution, poverty , and so on. The student must create a painting that represents the subject they chose. These paintings be given the option of being in the student show this way other people can be exposed to these ideas.
English:
Role Play
Students role play scenes from a book they are reading

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What is Constructivist Teaching?

Using the constructivist learning theory in the classroom requires the teacher to avoid direct guidance of the students. Instead, she/he sets a learning atmosphere with minimal supervision and maximum opportunity for the students themselves to visualize, articulate, express, explain, interpret, and apply new knowledge.

According to Audrey Gray, constructivist teaching should be characterized by the following:

the learners are actively involved

the environment is democratic

the activities are interactive and student-centered

the teacher facilitates a process of learning in which students are encouraged to be responsible and autonomous

Strategies and Activities

Role-playing - By simply letting the students take on the role of various book characters, famous historical and current affairs figures, body organs, plant parts, sports materials, the students shall be better able to deeply comprehend the depth and importance of these personalities and entities.

In Social Studies, for instance, the teacher can choose a student to internalize the role of a popular historical figure and historical event such as the building of the White House while the rest of the class proceeds to fire away questions for the person. In Science, a group of students may be assigned to be the different organs of the digestive system and asked to explain how each of them works individually and together with the other organs in the system. In Mathematics, a student may temporarily become a triangle and explain to the class what geometric figures she/he is made of and how his/her perimeter or area is computed.

In English, for instance, a group of students may be assigned to be expert geographers (setting), psychologists (characters), counselors (theme), and reporters (plot) to retell a story. Other subject area teachers can easily incorporate these role-playing activities for the deepening of students' comprehension of important concepts.

Hands-on, creative activities - One way to initiate these is for the teacher to pose an open-ended question on how to solve a particular problem. Here, it is important that the teacher's modelling and scaffolding will not dictate a rigid structure that the students might follow. Present a wide range of options for the students to explore without directly stating what those options are. The key is to make the discussions refreshingly engaging and at the same time within the range of their schemata. After the exchange of ideas, let the students work on the presentation of solutions by way of various creative activities, such as choral recitation, commercials, flyers, multimedia presentations, conferences or request for community involvement from the rest of the student body.

Real-life simulations - Constructivist teaching believes that students learn best by experience. By simulating real-life situations and immersing the students in these setups, the teacher successfully gives a very practical and useful venue for the students to do their critical thinking and exploring.

How is this done? In Math, for instance, an activity on counting money may be a day in the grocery store with only a limited amount of money on hand. The students may be asked to buy the needed items on their list by carefully noting down each item's price and budgeting their money to be able to afford all the necessary goods on their list. In Science, a trip outside the school grounds to the nearest safe highway may be a good observation place for students learning about the nature and description of the by-products of combustion.

The key to a successful constructivist approach to teaching is an interactive relationship between the learner, the task, and the teacher who will largely act as a facilitator of learning without depriving the students of experiencing learning and discovering knowledge on their own. Use strategies for constructivist teaching for effective experiential learning.

For additional teaching strategies, check out these two articles:

Image by VintageBlue from Pixabay

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Using the constructivist learning theory in the classroom requires the teacher to avoid direct guidance of the students. Instead, she/he sets a learning atmosphere with minimal supervision and maximum opportunity for the students themselves to visualize, articulate, express, explain, interpret, and apply new knowledge.

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Overview

What is constructivism?

In constructivism, learning occurs through experiencing the world. This 20th-century theory is built on the work of psychologist Jean Piaget, who believed that children build their own knowledge through play and their experiences. Constructivism also takes cues from psychologist Lev Vygotsky and his understanding that learning is a social activity.
Arts = constructivism
Arts education lends itself very naturally to constructivism, and constructivist learning is described much like arts learning. According to Bruce Marlowe and Marilyn Page, constructivism emphasizes thinking, analyzing, understanding, and applying (2005). Constructivism is not about rote memorization or the regurgitation of information. Philosophically, arts and constructivist learning dovetail nicely.

Curriculum standards are on the forefront of many teachers' minds. All the arts disciplines have curriculum standards in most states. So the question arises: "Can students have a standards-based arts education through constructivism?" The answer is "absolutely." Constructivism is simply a way for students to learn more effectively (Mesibov, Flynn, Vermette, & Smith, 2009).

Like good arts classrooms, constructivist classrooms are learner-centered and, often, collaborative among students. Constructivist learning frequently engages the student by using real-world contexts. Real-world tasks are frequently employed in arts education, including performances and exhibitions. For example, a constructivist dance teacher turns the task of choreography, as well as the ability to explain it with examples, over to students. With a well-planned structure set in place by the teacher, students gain understanding of choreography because they capture the real-world job.

Assessment will take on many forms in a constructivist classroom, as in an arts classroom. Constructivist and arts teachers have a wide variety of tools with which to determine their students' understanding. Portfolios and performances, as well as tests and quizzes, are part of the assessment toolbox both constructivist and arts teachers can access. Self-assessment is another key commonality. Constructivist students will frequently reflect on their learning, giving them further ownership of their knowledge, skills, and understanding. The ability to self-reflect and assess are critical for young artists both in and outside the arts classroom.
Putting constructivism to work

Constructivism learning requires skills, knowledge, and higher-order understanding. Music students must use knowledge and skills such as rhythm, note recognition, melody, and harmonics correctly in order to reach their higher-order goals, such as expressing meaning through composing music. As students pursue composition in a constructivist music classroom, they develop expertise, which is now shared by both students and teacher.

Constructivist classrooms, like arts classrooms, are active and active can mean the volume gets louder and kids are up out of their seats working with others. But active also means that students are testing their questions, discovering their own answers, and developing their own interpretations. Not only does the teacher need to prepare extensively for this to happen but students do as well.

Being a constructivist learner is a skill that students must master. Constructivism helps students learn "how to learn" as well as how to manage themselves. Arts teachers may find scaffolding these skills is necessary for success. In constructivism, students have to learn how to problem-solve, collaborate, and manage themselves-all assets to be fostered in arts education.

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Constructivism: Actively Building Arts Education

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Overview What is constructivism? In constructivism, learning occurs through experiencing the world. This 20th-century theory is built on the work of psychologist Jean Piaget, who believed that children build their own knowledge through play and their experiences. Constructivism also takes cues from psychologist Lev Vygotsky and his understanding that learning is a social activity.

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Service Learning Examples

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Are you interested in getting your students involved in service learning? The teachers we've talked to agree that the key to making service learning work is to encourage students to come up with their own project idea-or find one that they truly support-and to connect that project to the curriculum in multiple ways. To inspire you, here are seven cool service learning projects that teachers have shared on our site:

1. Invite students to research a local landmark, such as a historical site or community park.

After researching the history of the site and touring it in person, encourage students to brainstorm ways your class could improve the landmark for visitors while maintaining its historical integrity.

2. Sponsor a service learning craft club.

Members can put their talents to work making decorations for school events as well as for the wider community. Invite club members to share any special skills-such as sculpting or needlepoint-with the rest of the group.

3. Make measurement practice meaningful.

Have students put together coffee, tea, or hot chocolate mix for local workers who make a difference in your community, such as nurses, firefighters, or police officers.

4. Beautify your school.

Encourage students to study the origins and key players of an artistic movement, such as street painting, and then inviting kids to create their own works of art inspired by the movement.

5. Take your recycling program to the next level.

Ask students to create video or audio podcasts discussing the importance of recycling and waste reduction. Post the podcasts on your school website for the wider community to learn from.

6. Study the art and culture of an impoverished nation or one that is in crisis.

Invite students to make their own artwork inspired by that country, then auction off the pieces and donate the proceeds to a charity in the struggling nation.

7. Start a gardening project with a younger classroom.

Have your students take the lead on planning and researching the garden and then presenting the information to the younger kids. Your students will learn leadership skills in addition to creating a spot to promote relaxation and nutrition at your school.

Question for you: What kind of service learning projects do you do in your school?

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7 Creative Service Learning Projects - WeAreTeachers

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Are you interested in getting your students involved in service learning? The teachers we've talked to agree that the key to making service learning work is to encourage students to come up with their own project idea-or find one that they truly support-and to connect that project to the curriculum in multiple ways.