One definition of constructivism reads;
“view of learning in which learners use their own experiences to construct understandings that make sense to them, rather than having understanding delivered to them in already organized form….Learning activities based on constructivism put learners in the context of what they already know, and apply their understanding to authentic situations.” (Kauchak & Eggen, 1998, p. 184).” Experience and observation are two of the most influential learning tools. If a student is unable to relate the information, in my opinion it is pointless for how can the information be implemented. A fact is simply that and understanding is not necessarily associated. Is constructivism a “source of evil and the reason for poor student academic achievement nationwide?” Maybe it is based on standardized tests calling for distant facts in subjects such as history. History is more than facts. Much of history is according to perception and is easily manipulated. A student should be able to look at the sources, the facts, and use his/her own judgment to formulate his/her own personal understanding. The same is true in subjects such as literature. One cannot simply use the plot to understand the piece but must gather more information based on prior knowledge of the time period and of human tendencies and further develop his/her own interpretation of the reading. As a teacher, I want my students to have the skills to develop and defend their opinions, skills necessary later in life. Someone is not always going to be there to force feed a person facts and without these skills there will be no development or discovery. A teacher is not, however, useless for it is his/her role to guide the students in developing by presenting information, prompting students to use prior knowledge, and providing a means of discovery. Technology and constructivism in that sense go hand and hand. It can be used to present information, prompt the use of prior knowledge, and provide the means to discover. Hands on activities, simulations, and projects (technology’s features) all play an important role in a constructivist classroom and are necessary to learning (an almost indubitable fact regarding many students learning).