Nurturing Creativity Through Constructivism

Since Constructivism is basically a theory -- based on observation and scientific study -- about how people  learn, at  High Tech High, constructivist  theory  is  adopted  because  looking  at  the  activities  taking  place and the way the learners are learning really learner centered.

 

Learning is constructive.

Students are not blank slates upon which knowledge is etched. The learners in this school come to learning situations with already formulated knowledge, ideas, and understandings. Their previous knowledge is the raw material for the new knowledge they will create. 

Learning is Active

The students create new understanding for themselves.  The teacher coaches, moderates, suggest, but allow the students room to experiment, ask questions, try things that don't work. Learning activities require the students' full participation (like hands-on experiments.

There is reflective learning.

Students control their own learning process, and they lead the way by reflecting on their experiences in the the high tech school.  This process makes them experts of their own learning. The teacher helps create situations where the students feel safe questioning and reflecting on their own processes, either privately or in group discussions.

There is Collaboration.

The constructivist classroom relies heavily on collaboration among students. In the High Tech , the teacher says that the students learn from each other, and he says that that is why the class is in box form and glass walled such that students can look each other’s work and students learn about learning not only from themselves, but also from their peers.  When students review and reflect on their learning processes together, they can pick up strategies and methods from one another.

There is inquiry- based learning.

There is solving problems. Students use inquiry methods to ask questions, investigate a topic, and use a variety of resources to find solutions and answers and this is evident in High Tech School.

In High Tech school, they allow creativity to take shape. Larry says in that video High tech High, we allow them to exercise their ability and really in this school, the students are allowed to try out new things on their own. Students build things on their own you don’t see the teacher doing it for them. He only encourages them where they fail for instance when they tried the construct a bridge and it collapsed he encouraged them instead. Students should have the value of what they are learning.

Is the school inclusive?

 When Larry says that they integrate all disciplines, I think the school is inclusive. Also the school takes in all students no matter their intelligence, so all are catered for, those who can use their heads, and those who can use their hands, etc.

Is this a realistic, “do-able’’ approach that can be introduced in my school.

I believe it is possible for it makes the learners so productive, learners are able to connect the learning to the real -world. However, there is a lot to be done if it is to be implemented. First of all the classrooms have to be reconstructed and designed in a way that supports constructivism. In fact the whole system has to be changed.

In the High Tech School do they cover their syllabus requirements?

I believe they do meet their syllabus requirements, because they have a well organised system with known targets.

The use of technology in High Tech School. It helps the students to make meaning of the content and helps in research.

 Is the use of technology making students stupid?

Though technology has negative impacts on the students, but when put to good use it does not make stupid but rather opens up the student’s mind and can drive them to look for new things all the time. It helps to connect them to the real- world. It helps them in research work. It builds creativity. You see technology has been growing. What they used to do in the stone age was still technology and we say that was creativity, so today it has come to this advanced technology why not allow our learners experience it?