Constructivism and Technology
Constructivism is the theory that the construction of an individual's new knowledge is based on two ideas: accommodation and assimilation. Assimilating causes an individual to incorporate new experiences into the old experiences. This causes the individual to develop new outlooks, rethink what were once misunderstandings, and evaluate what is important, ultimately altering their perceptions. Accommodation, on the other hand, is reframing the world and new experiences into the mental capacity already present. Individuals conceive a particular fashion in which the world operates. When things do not operate within that context, they must accommodate and reframing the expectations with the outcomes.
Constructivism and technology are working hand-in-hand in the present day. With regards to geometry, constructivism and technology work together to produce a better understanding of the middle school curriculum. Students should be able to identify direction, orientation, have a clear perception of object relation. Making logical deductions from the geometric shapes and patterns is the next step in this learning process. Constructivism and technology allow for computers to generate both two-dimensional objects and three-dimensional objects on the screen. This enables students to view the screen and move the shapes either to another side, turned around completed, or stretched, turned, or flipped. This gives the students a better perspective of the item which they cannot hold in their hand. They can then develop better understanding of spatial sense.
As the students progress into high school and need to focus more on algebraic and synthetic perspectives, constructivism and technology again work together to aid this learning process. The computer-based exploration of coordinates, sequencing of theorems, figures, and modeling allows students to come to conclusions on their own which are supported by the alterations and observations made about the problem or figure or pattern on the computer screen.
The internet is a breakthrough in technology and has built an endless amount of possibilities for constructivism and technology. Math and science are greatly aided by the ability to view sketches online, make alterations, hypothesis about specific impacts to structure and then test those impacts with a few clicks of the mouse. Math and science forums are available from astute academic institutions to aid in the development of younger students. These forums create a space for constructivism learning at its best, allowing demonstrations of mathematical and scientific theorems and experiments, followed by online discussions open for students and teachers.
New software is available for students to download and practice with on their own or with friends and family, exploring new dimensions of education and creating more conclusions based off of internet exchanges. Many of the online forums include larger problems, one each week, or one each month, which allows the students to individually work to solve it and then come together frequently to discuss with students online. In the end, the answer is provided along with a presentation of the process so that students gain a better understanding and respect for other methods used in constructivism and technology. Overall, increases in technology can only continue to aid constructivism learning.