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Welcome to our Wiki on Constructivism!

Although there is no one 'constructivist' theory of learning, the term has come to encompass the developmental approaches of Piaget, and the social/cultural interactionist work of Vygotsky and Bruner, and many others. The notion that learners actively construct meaning and knowledge has had a great impact on developing alternative instructional strategies, and has led to a rethinking of the goals of education from one of transmitting a defined information set, to considering the development of life long learners with highly developed problem-solving, critical thinking and interpersonal skills. Our Constructivist Team Members: Steve MacKenzie, Len Pelletier, Trish Mabe, Stephanie Myers, Bill Colorado and Sheila Cavanagh have envisaged this week's activities as guides to facilitate your individual approach to the theories and applications to instructional methods, all in the context of a dialogue around questions and experiences. After considering the articles, resources and applications here provided, we invite you to join us in the //Vista Discussion Forum// to discuss the many issues around Constructivism guided by the 3 questions posted there.

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**__Within the pages of the wiki you will find the following__:**

1. A brief written and visual history of Constructivism. **HISTORY**

2. An overview of the major tenants of Constructivism and their origins or supporters. **TENETS OF CONSTRUCTIVISM**

3. The good and bad of applying Constructivist theory in the classroom. **HITS AND MISSES**

4. Summary of the week's required reading article by Driscoll, as well as links to useful articles, blogs, videos, and examples of hypermedia constructivist environments **READINGS & RESOURCES**

5. Examples of Constructivist Learning Theory in practice via lesson plans. **CONSTRUCTIVIST CURRICULUM**

6. A final page to share your thoughts on Constructivism in a fun and creative way! **FINAL THOUGHTS**

7. A **HOW TO** page to help you participate in the construction of this wiki.

__Ways YOU can help to construct this wiki__:

 * 1. Check out the wiki pages in any order you prefer.**


 * 2. Add resources to the Resource page and/or tag them on del.icio.us on the Vista site.**


 * 3. Contribute to any or all of the three discussion threads in Vista.**


 * 4. Add your ideas on the pros and cons of Constructivism in the classroom to the HITS and MISSES page.**


 * 5. Upload one of your own Constructivist Lesson Plans.**


 * 6. Create and upload a: video, audio file, animation, comic, or any other piece that reflects your thoughts on Constructivism.**