Resources - 2 articles on Inquiry/Experiential Learning

This aritlce describes a high school social studies experiential learning project where the students renacted an 1840s wagon train. My sharing anecdotes from this experience the author hopes to inspire other teachers to initiate experiential education in their school.

Byerly, S. (2001, May). Linking classroom teaching to the real world through experiential instruction. Phi Delta Kappan, 82(9), 697. Retrieved February 28, 2009 from Academic Search Premier database.


This article states that the ability to conduct inquiry is basic to an understanding of science. The authors present the findings of a study where the authors assessed the ability of students to pursue inquiry. What did the results show? - Teachers need help to move beyond superficial science teaching.

Pine, J. & Aschbacher, P. (2006, December). Students' learning of inquiry in 'inquiry' curricula. Phi Delta Kappan, 88 (4), 308. Retrieved February 28, 2009 from Academic Search Premier database.

Resource/reflection - an impressive learning community

As a result of researching for my wiki book chapter, I've really become interested in learning communities and inquiry and problem-based learning. So over the past week I've been searching the Internet and found some great websites for online collaborative projects and have posted information about some of them. Another one that I discovered is KIDPROJ which is a part of KIDLINK and enables students through high school to join global educational projects. Some of the projects are very short term, some just involve posting artwork or comments, while others involve a longer time committment. While I was browsing the website I came across a map that showed schools participating in current projects and one marker looked like it was in Missouri. The school is in Hannibal and there's a link to the teacher's website http://www.smithclass.org/. Wow! I want to be in his 4th grade class. He has a page for project-based learning (http://www.smithclass.org/proj/projects.htm) where he writes,
"Project Based Learning in a global classroom is about as close as a kid can get to the real world - while being in school all day! We keep a project atmosphere alive in all that we do. That means we stay open-minded about assignments and discussions, recognizing that everybody knows something about something, and nobody knows everything about everything - even the teacher! Students' great ideas often reshape our whole lesson plans! Kids use their thinking skills and communicate, plan, problem solve, create, and evaluate."
That's what being a learning community is all about. His class has friends in the UK, Pakistan, Japan, South Africa and more. There's a class wiki, blog and podcasts. His class participates in Internet chess and actually has matches with classes from several countries. I would love to visit his classroom and see it in action. Hannibal really isn't that far from St. Louis!

KIDPROJ. Retrieved February 25, 2009 from http://www.kidlink.org/KIDPROJ/index.html

Smith, T. (2009). Terry Smith's 4th Grade 2008-09. Retrieved February 25, 2009 from http://www.smithclass.org/

Reflection/Resource - CIESE

Here's another site that offers online projects. CIESE (The Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education) began in 1988 with a goal of improving K-12 science and mathematics education through the use of technology. According to the curriculum overview page "CIESE curriculum projects use ‘real-time’ data from government and commercial databases; engage students in telecollaborative projects using ‘pooled’ data from shared, Web-based databases; involve student publishing on the Web; and provide access to unique and primary source information." This link http://www.ciese.org/currichome.html will connect you to the K-12 projects. I wish I could get some teachers in my school to participate in one of these online projects. They hesitate to get involved with projects because of the emphasis on preparing for the state test (MAP). The more I read about constructivism and project-based learning the further I feel my district is moving away from this type of learning. Everything is curriculum and grade-level expecation and testing, testing, testing. Teachers get so focused (and feel pressured) on the "what" they have to teach that I think they feel they have to be the "fountain of knowledge". I think we're making many students more dependent on the teacher rather than independent learners.

Resource - iEARN

iEARN(International Education and Resource Network) provides opportunities for teachers and students around the world to collaboratively use technology to enhance education and improve the world. There are over 150 projects that are designed and facilitated by teachers and students to fit their curriculum and classroom needs and schedules. Every project not only meets curriculum needs but also has to answer the question, "How will this project improve the quality of life on the planet?" These projects are great ways to establish global learning communities. Learn more about these collaborative projects at http://www.iearn.org

Resources/reflection - science videos

As I was searching this week for information in the Webster library catalog for my wkikbook chapter on learning communities, I discovered an online professional development video on inquiry learning in science. When I accessed it I realized that most teachers in the St. Louis area also have access to this Annenberg Media website (learning.org) through MOREnet. In order to access these professional development videos through Webster you do need to create an account. I watched the 1 hour video "Setting the Stage: Creating a Learning Community" which is the second workshop in the series Learning Science Through Inquiry. This series consists of 8 -1 hour videos for K-8 science teachers. "Setting the Stage: Creating a Learning Community" presented segments of science lessons showing strategies that teachers use to establish a learning culture in an inquiry classroom. It was interesting to see actual lessons and how students responded to these strategies and activities. I also enjoyed watching how the teachers interacted with the students and established interpersonal relationships. One statement in the video that really stood out was that before starting an inquiry activity the teacher must consider the amount of experience each child has previously had working independently. You can't just expect every child to be ready for this approach.

Private Universe Project in Science is another series availabe through Annenberg Media and includes 9 -90 minute video workshops for K-12 science teachers. The first workshop includes an introduction to constructivism and the final workshop is "Constructivism: A Vision for the Future".


Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. (1995). Private universe project in science. Retrieved February 16, 2009 from http://www.learner.org/resources/series29.html

Thirteen/WNET New York. (2000). Learning science through inquiry. Retrieved February 16, 2009 from http://www.learner.org/resources/series129.html

Resource - ePals.com

This is a FREE service that provides students, classes, and schools world-wide opportunities to connect with each other through ePals School Mail, ePals School Blog and Classroom Match. It's a great way to participate in a global collaborative project. Get more information and take a tour of the available services at http://www.epals.com/

Resource - Global SchoolNet

Looking for an online collaborative project? Global SchoolNet's mission is to help teachers find collaborative learning partners and appropriate projects. There are project based learning opportunities for every grade level and subject level. Tour their website at http://www.globalschoolnet.org/index.cfm

Reflection/Resource

I found an article presenting the results of a study that compared teaching multiplication to 3rd graders using constructivist and traditionalist approaches. I was intrigued because the study involved 4 classes in 2 schools in a St. Louis area public school district (it didn't name which one though). The article only gave a few specific details on the lessons. It stated that the constructivist lessons were based on the three levels of representation by Bruner and the constructivist instructors used concrete materials first to introduce new concepts. The traditionalist approach involved teachers following the school district's mathematics curriculum and explaining procedures and students completed practice worksheets. By comparing the results of the pre- and post-tests the researcher found no statistical differences between the two groups of students in regards to their achievement of multiplication concepts and skills. Both groups improved their multiplication concepts and skills. I was surprised by these results but it was a small study involving only 71 students for 10 lessons. Would studying a larger group for a longer period show different results?
One thing that really stood out was a comment by the teacher using the constructivist approach. She felt that there were classroom management problems because the students were using concrete materials with which they were unfamiliar. She reported that the newness and change in routine casued the children to become more active than usual or desirable. I guess I question how a teacher could expect to just teach 10 lessons based on the constructivist approach and expect students to just "behave". The article in my previous post looked at constructivism as a culture, not just a fragmented collection of teaching techniques. Constructivist teachers need to immerse themselves in this culture. So is it beneficial for students to be exposed to constructivist based activities that are just inserted into a learning environment whenever a teacher feels like it or should constructivism be the classroom's culture?


Chung, I. (2004, Winter). A comparative assessment of constructivist and traditionalist approaches to establishing mathematical connections in learning multiplication. Education, 125(2), 27-278. Retrieved February 13, 2009, from Teacher Reference Center database.

Reflection - challenges of constructivism

The article "The Challenges of Sustaining a Constructivist Classroom Culture", which I listed in the Phi Delta Kappan resources in my previous post, complements chapter 1.4 (Today's Controversies in Constructivism) in our wikibook. According to this author one of the main challenges is the teacher, mainly because the teacher has to change his/her background knowledge about teaching. Our personal histories (as students and teachers) involve experiences with traditional teacher-centered instruction. Also, constructivist instruction places new demands on teachers. Using the term "facilitator" sounds simple but actually it's much more complex than being a dispenser of knowledge. The constructivist teacher not only has to be familiar with the principles of the subject/topic being studied but also must be prepared for a variety of ways students can explore these principles. Teachers must also be prepared to respond to the needs of a situation by having a wide range of strategies to support their students' understandings as they engage in problem-based projects. For constructivism to be effective in a school/classroom there must also be major changes in the curriculum, scheduling, and in assessment. Constructivist instruction requires a big committment on the part of administrators and teachers. The author recommends observing how constructivism operates in other schools. Is anyone familiar with a St. Louis area school that has constructivist instruction?

Resources - Phi Delta Kappan articles

Phi Delta Kappan is a professional magazine that I browse through every month when it's delivered to my library. I enjoy reading its articles because they seem more practical than those in some other educational journals. Yesterday I decided to search for articles on constructivism in past issues using Academic Search Premiere. The following 8 appeared interesting and I will comment on several of them later.

Airasian, P., & Walsh, M. (1997, February). Constructivist cautions. Phi Delta Kappan, 78(6), 444. Retrieved February 6, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.

Baines, L., & Stanley, G. (2001, May). We still want to see the teacher. Phi Delta Kappan, 82(9), 695. Retrieved February 6, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.

Baines, L., & Stanley, G. (2000, December). 'We want to see the teacher.'. Phi Delta Kappan, 82(4), 327. Retrieved February 6, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.

Chrenka, L. (2001, May). Misconstructing constructivism. Phi Delta Kappan, 82(9), 694. Retrieved February 6, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.

Funk, C. (2003, November). James Otto and the pi man: A constructivist tale. Phi Delta Kappan, 85(3), 212-214. Retrieved February 6, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.

Hackmann, D. (2004, May). Constructivism and block scheduling: Making the connection. Phi Delta Kappan, 85(9), 697-702. Retrieved February 6, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.

Maurer, M., Bell, E., Woods, E., & Allen, R. (2006, December). Structured discovery in cane travel: Constructivism in action. Phi Delta Kappan, pp. 304,307. Retrieved February 6, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.

Windschitl, M. (1999, June). The challenges of sustaining a constructivist classroom culture. Phi Delta Kappan, 80(10), 751. Retrieved February 6, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.

Resources - teachertube videos

Take a break from reading and check out these short videos on teachertube.com. that show constructivist based lessons in an elementary classroom.

Bedley, T. (2008, October4). Constructivist social studies lesson. Retrieved February 5, 2009 from http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=d883a497732cc580f712

Bedley, T. (2008, March 12). Fantastic alternative for correcting daily math work. Retrieved February 5, 2009 from http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=9a9b0e535d990943cffa

Bedley, T. (2008, December 14). Peer review lab - Amazing engagement and critical thinking. Retrieved Feb 5, 2009 from http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=2701880b013f2fceae94

Reflection - Constructivism & Multimedia article

I came across this article when I was using Academic Search Premiere and was intrigued by the fact that the author is on the faculty at Multimedia University in Malaysia and it focused on multimedia and constructivism. I requested the article last Sat. because the full text was not available through Webster's library and received it through e-mail Friday. As I began reading the article I became really curious about the school's name so I did some research and found the university's website http://www.mmu.edu.my/index.htm and became totally fascinated with the school. What an interesting place!
The article presents basic information about constructivism and reinforces the roles of the students and teachers. It reminds the reader that a teacher in a constructivist classroom is not the "sage on the stage" but "a guide on the side". The author also explains a six level multimedia development process. I was disappointed that this project was performed by students in a college level interactive multimedia course. I was hoping that it would show implementation with a junior high/high school setting. Also the author didn't mention until the 6th page of the article that Macromedia Director was the authoring tool they used in the class to create the multimedia projects. I'm not familiar with that program so I researched it and discovered it's now Adobe Director. After reading about it I think it would be too advanced for the students in my school. I would have also like to have more samples/examples of the projects created by the students in this course. There was only 1 page that showed 3 screens from one group's multimedia project.
Although overall I was disappointed in the lack of multimedia application for me, I found the general information about constructivism and using multi-media projects very useful. It reinforced that students enhance their critical thinking, problem-solving , and communication skills which is necessary for real-world situations. The more I read about constructivism the more I think about how it could be integrated in my school (grades 7-8). It seems that students need to be self-motivated in order to conduct the project research and need adequate background knowledge. My school has a very large ELL population and it's very challenging because often they get very frustrated due to their lack of vocabulary and background knowledge. Has anyone successfully implemented a constructivist activity/project in their classroom?


Neo, M. (2007). Learning with multimedia: Engaging students in constructivist learning. International Journal of Instructional Media, 34(2). Retrieved January 29, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.