Constructivism controversy by

Constructivism controversy by https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj Made with charisma en-us 2018-11-05 14:05:22 UTC 2025-11-14 13:09:29 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Apple.png jwlaffey https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300466312 Constructivist David Elkind (2004) contends that the Constructivist philosophy has not been more broadly successful in America because of our lack of readiness on three fronts: teacher, curricular, and societal. These three elements have never aligned to foment the changes needed in our education system. ]]> 2018-11-05 14:07:49 UTC https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300466312 jwlaffey https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300471702 Elkind contends that Constructivism is the right philosophy for education: “A middle ground does exist between the idealistic philosophy that suggests all reality is in our heads [rationalism] and the realistic philosophy that says all knowledge of reality comes from the senses [empiricism]. Costructivism is the middle ground—the widely accepted answer to the nature/nurture controversy” (2005). ]]> 2018-11-05 14:16:38 UTC https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300471702 jwlaffey https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300472755 Jamin Carson (2005) elucidates his understanding of Constructivism and deconstructs Elkind's arguments point by point.]]> 2018-11-05 14:18:22 UTC https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300472755 jwlaffey https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300475135 Carson summarizes the Constructivist philosophy this way: "Constructivism is the theory that students learn by individually or socially transforming information (Slavin 1997). This theory necessarily entails certain metaphysical and epistemological assumptions. To accept constructivism one must believe that:

· reality is dependent upon the perceiver, and thus constructed;

· reason or logic is not the only means of understanding reality, but one of many, and

· knowledge or truth is subjective and relative to the individual or community"

]]> 2018-11-05 14:22:15 UTC https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300475135 jwlaffey https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300476862 Carson then takes issue with Elkind's other assertions: He observes that Elkind offers no explanation of the causal relationship between these states of readiness and the implementation of constructivism, and that there is “no reason to believe that a relationship exists or that any state of readiness would lead to a specific philosophy of education” (2005).

]]> 2018-11-05 14:25:09 UTC https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300476862 jwlaffey https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300476943 And the debate continued to rage...]]> 2018-11-05 14:25:19 UTC https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300476943 jwlaffey https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300477980 In regard to teacher readiness, Elkind states: "Teaching will become a true profession only when we have a genuine science of education," indicating that Constructivism is a key to this science (2004). ]]> 2018-11-05 14:26:56 UTC https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300477980 jwlaffey https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300479790 Carson refutes this notion (that teachers are not properly prepared) and responds, “Though education is not a true science, teachers generally are taught one unique body of knowledge” (2005). He also argues that most teacher preparation programs teach the same/similar information, much of it constructivist in nature or a variant of it, implying that teachers are in a state of readiness, and possibly implying that Constructivism has, in fact, had its chance if it is really going to work when broadly applied.

]]> 2018-11-05 14:29:30 UTC https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300479790 jwlaffey https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300482965 On the subject of curricular readiness, Elkind asserts, “...only when we successfully match children’s ability levels with the demands of the task can we expect them to reconstruct the knowledge we would like them to acquire,” indicating that we are not employing Constructivism correctly in our curricular design (2004). ]]> 2018-11-05 14:33:48 UTC https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300482965 jwlaffey https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300483841 Taking issue with Elkind's very verbiage, Carson says, “ the phrase ‘we would like them to acquire’ contradicts constructivist metaphysics and epistemology” because it “presupposes an objective philosophy which holds that, given a specific context, some knowledge is objectively superior to other knowledge”. He elaborates, “…if one views reality, reason, knowledge and truth as subjective and relative to the perceiver, then what is the basis for arguing for any knowledge at all, let alone one over the other? Any curricular choice…should be as valid as any other" (2005).]]> 2018-11-05 14:35:06 UTC https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300483841 jwlaffey https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300484151 Are you feeling the burn, Dr. Elkind?]]> 2018-11-05 14:35:39 UTC https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300484151 jwlaffey https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300487426 The final point of contention is societal readiness. Elkind (2004) says that a broad and energized social consensus must be in place for a Constructivist educational system to work.]]> 2018-11-05 14:39:58 UTC https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300487426 jwlaffey https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300523588 Judging by perceptions of Constructivism, we may not be ready to embrace the philosophy...]]> 2018-11-05 15:30:57 UTC https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300523588 jwlaffey https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300552390 2018-11-05 16:12:37 UTC https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300552390 jwlaffey https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300555128 Carson (2005) states that we clearly do have a social consensus, a readiness, based on general dissatisfaction with the results of the educational system, particularly its inability to educate students from the lower end of the socio-economic spectrum, but that readiness for change has not yet resulted in fundamental change. ]]> 2018-11-05 16:16:26 UTC https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300555128 jwlaffey https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300555697 Others point out that Constructivism has a number of other problems...]]> 2018-11-05 16:17:16 UTC https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300555697 jwlaffey https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300557396 The sciences endorse the idea that there IS an objective truth, one that must be discovered, not constructed...]]> 2018-11-05 16:19:28 UTC https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300557396 jwlaffey https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300558219 The humanities may be able to embrace Constructivism more readily, but there are limits.]]> 2018-11-05 16:20:24 UTC https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300558219 jwlaffey https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300560160 And the Constructivist approach to culture and ethics would create an untenable moral relativism, according to Huston who is discussing Kronman (2009): Overly politically correct multiculturalism is an example of this...]]> 2018-11-05 16:22:43 UTC https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300560160 jwlaffey https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300765597 Overall, the debate is quite extensive, but I have tried to spare you sentences like the following offering of Pegue's: “…constructivism is a many faceted movement encumbered by a number of epistemological problems. Interpretations span the paradigmatic spectrum from contextual to dialectical, pragmatic to empirical, moderate to radical, and from realist to sociohistorical. To wit, more things in heaven and earth exist than are dreamt of in Elkind’s (2005) philosophy."

]]> 2018-11-05 22:45:11 UTC https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300765597 jwlaffey https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300767009 Elkind feeling the double burn.]]> 2018-11-05 22:52:18 UTC https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/300767009 https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/302355685 2018-11-08 22:12:18 UTC https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/302355685 https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/302356988 2018-11-08 22:17:37 UTC https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/302356988 https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/302357882 GR8]]> 2018-11-08 22:21:23 UTC https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/302357882 https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/302357989 2018-11-08 22:21:43 UTC https://padlet.com/jwlaffey/o0njvrexx1vj/wish/302357989