Modern Constructivism TIPR

Prompt: How does the teacher use modern constructivist techniques (e.g., discovery learning, inquiry-based learning, problem-based learning, etc.) to promote student learning? Be thorough in your coverage of the theory, addressing multiple concepts to demonstrate your understanding. Cite specific examples.

One of my favorite lessons I observed was made from a Constructivist standpoint. The teacher gave the students a list of words in English, then asked the students to find the signs for these in small groups using a list of given resources. The words were all in the category of "school signs," and further broken down into "locations" and "subjects" to aid in information retention; the teacher understood that information is easier to remember when chunked into meaningful units. The resources were beneficial because the students could see tools they can use in the future to increase their skills in ASL. After watching the videos with the signs several times, students conducted a form of self-assessment (metacognition) by choosing 7 signs they have trouble remembering and drawing a picture to represent each concept. The pictures were taped onto the walls, and each student chose a partner with whom to walk around the room and practice all of the relevant signs. This activity helped students to actively build their own understanding of ASL in a deeper way, and create schemata by which to classify the information.

The teacher also pushes students to think deeper when they ask for new vocabulary words in ASL. When they are chatting together, students often raise their hands to ask how to sign a word. Instead of simply telling them, the teacher asks what they mean, feigning misunderstanding to push students to describe what they mean rather than simply using their first language as a crutch to bypass use of the target language. As they continue to use ASL, students will be required to use this skill, as many Deaf people will be unfamiliar with complicated English terms, and there are some concepts for which there is no sign. The teacher is helping the students to develop in themselves a life skill, rather than taking the easy way out to give them the answer right away. This is also a skill they can use in English conversation, to explain what they mean rather than repeating the word they want to use over and over again.