# data[].attributes.body
This week we made posters on the theory that we had chosen from the previous week. My group and I chose Constructivism as we thought that it was the theory that we knew the least about. From researching constructivism further, I realised that I didn’t actually fully understand the Constructivism theory and what it involved. However, I understand now that Constructivism is a theory based on observation and scientific study. It is about how people learn and it states that people construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world through their own personal experiences and then reflecting on those experiences. When a person encounters something new, they have to reconcile it with their previous ideas and experience, possibly changing what they believe, or maybe discarding the new information as irrelevant. Regardless, they are active creators of their own knowledge. In order to do this, they must ask questions, explore, and assess what they know.

# data[].attributes.body
I found an article on Constructivism called “The Courage to be a Constructivist” by Martin and Jacqueline Brooks, 1999, very intriguing. I liked their ideas about how a teacher cannot control everything that her students learn. Each child has their own philosophy of life and interprets the world differently. A teacher can have control over what she teaches to her students, but has much less control over what the students actually learn. In the classroom, the constructivist view of learning can steer towards a number of different teaching practices (Pritchard & Woollard, 2010). A teacher should try to encourage her students to use more active techniques, such as experiments and real-world problem solving, in order to gain knowledge. The student will then be able to reflect on what they are doing and how their understanding is changing (Hoover, 1996).

# data[].attributes.body
Constructivism is child-centered, rather than curriculum based, meaning that it focuses on knowledge building, not knowledge reproduction (Twomey-Fosnot, (2005). It is believed that one constructs knowledge from one’s experiences. Everyone’s view of the world differs from another due to their unique set of experiences. Students construct new understanding using what they already know, and prior knowledge influences what new or modified knowledge they will construct from new learning experiences (Brooks & Brooks, 1999). I would strongly agree with Wesley Hoover as he states that:

“a focus on student-centered learning may well be the most important contribution of constructivism” (1999).

# data[].attributes.body
The student-centered approach puts the students’ needs, abilities and interests first. Educators and teachers need to make students the centre of their teaching and teach them to be the owners of their learning. Some strategies for classroom applications of constructivism for the teacher include having students working together and aiding to answer one another's questions. Another strategy is to allow students to work in groups or pairs and research topics which they must then present to the class. These exercises and classroom applications of constructivism can allow students to develop the skills and confidence to analyse the world around them. They also help students create solutions for problems, and justify their words and actions, while encouraging those around them to do the same and respecting the differences in opinions of others. Classroom applications of constructivism support the philosophy of learning which build a students' and teachers' understanding (Pritchard & Woollard, 2010).

# data[].attributes.body
Brooks, M. and Brooks, J. (1999). The Courage to Be Constructivist (Volume 57). Retrieved from:    http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/nov99/vol57/num03/The-Courage-to-Be-Constructivist.aspx

Hoover, W. (1996). The Practice Implications of Constructivism. Published in SEDL Letter Volume IX, Number 3, August 1996, Constructivism. Retrieved from:         http://www.sedl.org/pubs/sedletter/v09n03/practice.html

Pritchard, A. and Woollard, J. (2010). Psychology for the Classroom: Constructivism and Social Learning. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge

Twomey-Fosnot, C. (2005). Constructivism: Theory, Perspectives, and Practice (2 nd Edition). New York: Teachers College Press