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"We put our love where we have put our labor." - Ralph Waldo Emerson in Journals

Essentials of Constructivist Theory

The Summer 2004 issue of Interaction, the journal of the Canadian Child Care Federation, features a series of articles on "Science and Early Learning." As a part of this series, Anita Elworthy outlines the essentials of the constructivist theory of learning...

* We learn by constructing our own understandings based upon our experiences. Even very young children learn through experience.

* We are not born as "blank slates" on which to write endless information. A newborn infant is equipped with all the necessary information for her survival; from the moment of birth she experiences the world and reflects on those experiences....

* We all have experiences to draw upon; and when we receive any new information, we initially compare it to what is already known...What we learn is affected by what we already know....

* Our experiences are unique, and therefore our understandings are unique. Even though we might all be presented with the same information...we will all walk away with a unique understanding of it.

* To learn, we apply what we already know to a new situation. If new information doesn't fit with what we know, then we feel uncomfortable and struggle to make sense of it. Often understanding new information means that we have to adjust our thinking about existing information.

For ideas on bringing science into your classroom, see the Exchange book, The Wonder of It: Exploring How the World Works at http://mail.ccie.com/go/eed/0411

The Canadian Child Care Federation is a member of the World Forum Alliance and is assisting in the staging of the 2005 World Forum in Montreal. To learn more about the World Forum and the World Forum Alliance, go to www.WorldForum2005.com.

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