FEELINGS

In this reflection I will share with you my feelings with regard to my own teaching. For sure this course has challenged me as a teacher in the 21^st Century. 

First of all after looking at the different approaches to authentic learning I feel I need to reorganize myself in the way I teach my students more in order to fit the century challenge.

The different theories about learning all play a part in the learning process and I feel now I need to design my lessons in such a way that they make learning a real experience. I have started designing my lessons putting into consideration the multiple intelligence theory and now constructivism theory. I need to help my learners create knowledge instead of acquiring it. It is longer a matter of giving the students the facts that we know but rather create a situation in class that allows them to discover these facts themselves.

Because with constructivist, a teacher is supposed to encourage students to constantly assess how the activity is helping them gain understanding. By questioning themselves and their strategies, students in the constructivist classroom ideally become "expert learners." This gives them ever-broadening tools to keep learning. With a well-planned classroom environment, the students learn HOW TO LEARN.

You might look at it as a spiral. When they continuously reflect on their experiences, students find their ideas gaining in complexity and power, and they develop increasingly strong abilities to integrate new information. One of the teacher's main roles becomes to encourage this learning and reflection process.

So I feel my class should be in such a way that learning really is constructive, active, collaborative, inquire-based, evolving and reflective.

          The chart below compares the traditional classroom and the constructivist classroom.

Traditional classroom	Constructivism classroom
Curriculum begins with the parts of the whole. Emphasizes basic skills.	Curriculum emphasizes big concepts, beginning with the whole and expanding to include the parts.
Strict adherence to fixed curriculum is highly valued.	Pursuit of student questions and interests is valued.
Materials are primarily textbooks and workbooks.	Materials include primary sources of material and manipulative materials.
Learning is based on repetition.	Learning is interactive, building on what the student already knows.
Teachers disseminate information to students; students are recipients of knowledge.	Teachers have a dialogue with students, helping students construct their own knowledge.
Teacher's role is directive, rooted in authority.	Teacher's role is interactive, rooted in negotiation.
Assessment is through testing, correct answers.	Assessment includes student works, observations, and points of view, as well as tests. Process is as important as product.
Knowledge is seen as inert.	Knowledge is seen as dynamic, ever changing with our experiences.
Students work primarily alone.	Students work primarily in groups.

             It is no longer time to continue talking about it but to see it done in my classes.