PLE Post 6: Constructivism

Make a list of the sequence skills necessary for ultimate mastery of the content of your lesson through a constructivist approach.  Which of these learning activities/skills lend themselves to student's individual or group construction?  How might you structure learning activities that lead students to discover these skills/these principles? 

For this post, I chose to focus on a first grade math lesson (Previously discussed in PLE Post 4).  This lesson focuses on the greater than/less than concept.  For students to reach grade level mastery of the content, students must be able to "compare two two-digit numbers based on meanings of the tens and ones digits, recording the results of comparisons with the symbols >, =, and <" (CCSS).

List of skills needed to achieve mastery...

• Activate students prior knowledge of greater than/less than concepts
• Present students with two uneven piles of M&Ms and have them explain which pile is greater and why?  Because this involves class discussion and exploration, this task involves social construction.
• Ask students to think of a time they had to determine which amount was greater than/less than (money, food, beads, toys, etc).  Have them share their thoughts and experiences with their partners/classmates.  This particular task involves both individual and social construction.  
• Address misconceptions/confirmation bias
• Students may determine the greater number using an incorrect method (looking at the ones place rather than the tens place, 28 > 32).  
• Conduct activities that help students realize why and how their misconceptions are incorrect
• Use math manipulatives to reveal to students why they need to first compare the tens place of the two numbers, then move on to compare the ones place if the two numbers share the same tens place digit.  Students' hands-on interaction with manipulatives can help them realize that comparing the ones place of two numbers is insufficient to determine which number is greater and which number is lesser.  
• Readdress misconceptions.  Discuss why misconceptions about greater than/less than concept were wrong.  Also, discuss the reconstruction of ideas about greater than/less than concept.  
• Classroom dialogue (social construction).  During this classroom dialogue, students share what they thought they knew about the greater than/less than concept and what they've learned.  
• Students write in reflective journals (individual reconstruction).  In this journal entry, students reflect on what they've learned about the greater than/less than concept.    
• Engage in multiple authentic activities on greater than/less than concept
• I visited Education.com and found some valuable information on developing and implementing authentic activities in the classroom.  In visiting this webpage, I learned that authentic activities are "relevant, accessible, feasible, sustainable, and aligned with learning goals."  
• Present students with problems possessing real-life relevance (Individual or social construction).
• For example..."If you have 42 cents and your brother has 28 cents, which of you has more money?"    
• Continual engagement in authentic activities, reflection, and class dialogue.