Educational Psychology—Limitations and Possibilities

288 The Praeger Handbook of Education and Psychology
Figure 39.2
Learning Together
Think about the main
elements in the new
learning experiences
New Knowledge
Previous Knowledge Base
Constructing New Knowledge
Apply current
understandings
Prior knowledge influences
knowledge constructed from
new learning experiences.
Recognize relevant
elements in new
learning
Compare prior
knowledge with the
new knowledge
New Knowledge
Previous Knowledge Base
Constructing New Knowledge
Modify understanding
of new knowledge
3. How did I feel about trying out new approaches?
4. Did I “let go” and allow students to explore the content and think for themselves?
5. Were students allowed to work collaboratively and share their own knowledge of the content with each
other?
6. Did I assess in different ways before, during, and after the lesson?
How can a teacher start designing lessons that will engage learners? Learning experiences
are designed to provide students with opportunities to explore and investigate. In constructivist/engaged
learning lesson designs, the responsibility for learning is shifted to the learner.
Materials and resources, in addition to the textbook, are provided. Students are allowed to explore
and find answers on the Internet in addition to texts and resources found in the classroom.
Using hands-on, manipulative materials facilitates the investigative and discovery process for
students. The teacher designs and models learning experiences that provide students with opportunities
to evaluate, analyze, predict, discover, and create in collaborative groups or individually
(Figure 39.2). Students are encouraged to provide explanations and reasons for their learning,
and constant dialogue is encouraged.
Teachers have found that trying new approaches can open new doors to the way they plan and
assess lessons.
Journal entry: (Written before developing, writing, and facilitating an engaged learning unit in a mathematics
class) I want my students to be independent and have the desire to learn more. I want to feel confident that
after they have left my classroom, I have made an impact. I am often called the “cool teacher” or the “fun
teacher,” but I have rarely had the compliment of, “I learned so much in your class.” My students are doing
the minimum, because that is all that is required.