ETEC 530: Constructivist Strategies for E-Learning
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It was my third semester when I enrolled in ETEC 530: Constructivist Strategies for E-Learning. After rediscovering constructivism in ETEC 512, ETEC 530 was the course where I learned how to apply my knowledge of exposure modes, taking the control of the depth of field (aka aperture), the feel of motion (aka shutter speed), and the light sensitivity (aka ISO). It took quite some time for me to learn how to take control of all three modes and to have them work together. Prior to this, I would change the aperture priority and would allow the camera to set my shutter speed; and vice versa. When I was learning about shutter speed and aperture, your ISO was controlled by the film you loaded into the camera. Slowly overtime, I was able to build upon my understanding of aperture and shutter speed as individual controls and was able to see how they were related. It was simple in the end, all three controls worked together to control the amount of light your film (or sensor) was being exposed to. Too much light and you’d have an overexposed white looking photograph, too little light and you’d have an underexposed dark photograph. There is a balance to be struck.
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Building Knowledge
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Constructivism is quite similar to this process in education. I would often change one aspect of a lesson and would let the rest of the lesson unfold on its own naturally. In making changes, I did not know what I intended the students’ learning to look like, I only knew I wanted it to appear as if they were more engaged. When I the lessons were focused on attempting to transfer the knowledge directly, there was too much information for the students to properly process. They were being overexposed. Whereas, when the lessons were student-centered the students were left in the dark, not knowing where to begin. They were being underexposed. As a teacher I needed to strike a balance between teacher-centered and student-centered.
Concept Map: Constructivism in Education
Constructivism in Education a MindMap. (Marsh, D., 2014).
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During the first week of the course we were asked to start creating a concept-map with the term “constructivism.” It was our task to document our knowledge of constructivism prior to ETEC 530, then to continue to build on the concept-map throughout the term. The theory of constructivism in education was not new to me, as I had previously examined in during my two undergraduate degrees (BHKin & BEd), as well as ETEC 512.
The concept-map began as a simple web of common terms associated with constructivism. Overtime the concept-map grew to be a great visual representation of my own thoughts and ideas on constructivism. What started as a simple web, became a complex web highlighting the various components I found myself gravitating to.
Moreover, this activity strengthened my use of mind-mapping with the students in my teaching practices. I would often have students complete their original brainstorming in web-form; to access their prior knowledge. By editing my concept-map on Constructivism in Education, I realized the benefit of using concept-maps as a place to summarize and to store new ideas being learned. This past school year, I implemented concept-mapping on a larger scale in my teaching practices. I had my Science 10 class create a concept-map for each unit of instruction; in total they had created four maps that helped them in the process of reviewing for their provincial exam. I also had my photography class create a concept-map of the skills and theory they were taught throughout the term. These concept-maps provided them the opportunity to continuously edit their maps based on the learning taking place.
The concept-map began as a simple web of common terms associated with constructivism. Overtime the concept-map grew to be a great visual representation of my own thoughts and ideas on constructivism. What started as a simple web, became a complex web highlighting the various components I found myself gravitating to.
Moreover, this activity strengthened my use of mind-mapping with the students in my teaching practices. I would often have students complete their original brainstorming in web-form; to access their prior knowledge. By editing my concept-map on Constructivism in Education, I realized the benefit of using concept-maps as a place to summarize and to store new ideas being learned. This past school year, I implemented concept-mapping on a larger scale in my teaching practices. I had my Science 10 class create a concept-map for each unit of instruction; in total they had created four maps that helped them in the process of reviewing for their provincial exam. I also had my photography class create a concept-map of the skills and theory they were taught throughout the term. These concept-maps provided them the opportunity to continuously edit their maps based on the learning taking place.
Online Instructional Lesson: Energy Transfer in Natural Systems
As a photographer there is always a type of scene I am happy to shoot with shutter priority, for me it is sporting events. I will use composition rules to set up the layout of the frame; yet, due to a lack of confidence it will only control the shutter speed and ISO, letting the camera control the aperture. When I attempt to control the aperture as well, by the time I’ve focused on my subject they have moved and left me with a blurry photograph. Wanting to improve in shooting sports events, I began attending events in which I was not invested in. This meant it did not matter to me if the athletes were out of focus, allowing me the opportunity to leave shutter priority behind and to manually control all aspects of the shoot. By doing this I was building on my prior knowledge of all camera modes, and employing constructivist learning theories to improve my photography skills.
Realizing my appreciation for constructivism it was important that I strengthen the use of constructivism in my teaching. Specifically for the online components I had been creating for my Science 10 course. Previously I had modified a unit on Sustaining Earth’s Ecosystems; I now wanted to modify a portion of a unit on Energy Transfer in Natural Systems, Evidence of Continental Drift. While these lessons had already included parts of the constructivist theory, with each lesson building on the previous, the students were heavily guided by myself. Although for the purpose of the assignment we were instructed to create a single lesson that would take approximately one hour for students to complete. “Since it was my goal to use the website I have created in the future, I wanted to complete the lessons required to cover the whole topic of the Evidence of Continental Drift Theory [CDT]” (Marsh, 2014g, p. 2).
Throughout the new lessons I had created, and my learning to shoot sporting events in manual mode, I implemented scaffolding through a Predict-Observe-Explain (POE) model. At the beginning of each lesson students were asked to access prior knowledge of CDT based on what they had learned in previous lessons, predicting how the newly introduced concept would relate to what they have already learned. By accessing prior knowledge and making predictions on the connections with the new information they are able to strive for new understandings (Joyce, 2006).
Realizing my appreciation for constructivism it was important that I strengthen the use of constructivism in my teaching. Specifically for the online components I had been creating for my Science 10 course. Previously I had modified a unit on Sustaining Earth’s Ecosystems; I now wanted to modify a portion of a unit on Energy Transfer in Natural Systems, Evidence of Continental Drift. While these lessons had already included parts of the constructivist theory, with each lesson building on the previous, the students were heavily guided by myself. Although for the purpose of the assignment we were instructed to create a single lesson that would take approximately one hour for students to complete. “Since it was my goal to use the website I have created in the future, I wanted to complete the lessons required to cover the whole topic of the Evidence of Continental Drift Theory [CDT]” (Marsh, 2014g, p. 2).
Throughout the new lessons I had created, and my learning to shoot sporting events in manual mode, I implemented scaffolding through a Predict-Observe-Explain (POE) model. At the beginning of each lesson students were asked to access prior knowledge of CDT based on what they had learned in previous lessons, predicting how the newly introduced concept would relate to what they have already learned. By accessing prior knowledge and making predictions on the connections with the new information they are able to strive for new understandings (Joyce, 2006).
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"As the student processes through the each station new opportunities are created for the students to examine their ideas, with the expectation that at the end of the station they will be required to reflect on their learning. This reflection provides the students the opportunity to process the information they have consumed and to reinforce their learning (Joyce, 2006)" (Marsh, 2014g, p. 3).
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