SMART TEACHING
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43.  The Constructivism Secret for Powerful Learning
©2007 Ron Fitzgerald, D. Ed.

In Topic #2, we listed the general components in a powerful system approach to teaching and learning. Consider this component or step in the system:
Factor #5: Provide different tasks so that students can use talent or intelligence preferences and develop other talent strengths. Here you have students pursue tasks that let them “construct meaning,” the true measure of learning. This is the area of “multiple intelligences.” Again, see details in the available handbook.
The underlined sentence in the text to the right of the graphic focuses on an important “secret” to effective teaching. I use the term “secret” because it is too often neglected.

The constructivist secret is that the highest level of learning occurs when a student derives or constructs new meaning from his or her assigned learning tasks. Ask yourself what level you seek in the varied tasks you assign. Are you satisfied with successful memorization and the regurgitation of facts? Or do you expect students to reach new conclusions or show new skills in addressing real life applications and problem solving? Let us consider an example from one subject area.

Think back to the literature courses you took in high school. Which of these scenarios do you remember taking place most often?
Scenario A

1. The teacher assigned a novel to be read and studied.

2. After some discussion sessions, you were required to write a paper summarizing the story (theme, characters, etc.) and experiences perhaps answering some factual or interpretation questions.

3. The emphasis was on memorization of facts and listening for cues and clues from the discussion sessions.

4. Often this was “work” and not an enjoyable experience.

NOTE: This is the all too common did-you- read-it approach to literature.

 Scenario B

1. A novel was selected. It was read and discussed in segments, perhaps along with the showing of related film segments (an aid to visual learners).

2. Discussions emphasized emotions, comparisons with contemporary

Experiences and values, and perhaps comparisons with previous works studied in the class.

3. A paper was assigned that expected you to pursue the highest possible performance level on a “yardstick” for excellence. See the sample below.* The emphasis in the yardstick was on higher level understandings, reading between the lines, and real life correlation.

4. Often this was exciting and challenging as you became immersed in real life issues and value questions.

NOTE: This is the constructivist approach to having students extract meaning from their learning tasks.
Here is the related performance yardstick used by one outstanding teacher, Mr. Sebastian Paquette in his high school contemporary literature course:

Pudding Metaphor Paper Standards*

  1. Whipped Cream Level - - Student describes the basic actions in the story. There is an emphasis on straightforward facts.
  2. Pudding Level - - With help, a student begins to recognize correlations with real life, hidden meanings from the author, and lessons he or she can apply in his or her own life.
  3. Fruit Level - - The reader compares plots, character traits, actions, and emotions with diminished teacher assistance.
  4. Juice Level - - The student independently hooks meanings in the story to his or her contemporary world, obviously having proceeded through all levels of the pudding. He or she has learned to love reading, enjoy literature, and use its lessons in his or her own life.

Mr. Paquette’s students become very familiar with the yardstick, and they all strive to reach the Juice Level when literary analysis is assigned. They demonstrate a love for literature as they build personal meaning rather than just “do the work.”

Here is a short excerpt from a May of 2007 paper that one of Mr. Paquette’s high school students produced after reading and discussing THE NOTEBOOK by Nicholas Sparks and being asked to provide a character analysis - -
“Furthermore, to add to Noah’s impressive “resume” of qualities, readers discern that he is sensitive. Today, for some strange reason, many men have come to view sensitivity as a sign of weakness. To try to appear tough, they refuse to express themselves. They avoid things pertaining to the arts, and under no circumstances do they cry. All of this stems from a society which tells them that these things are feminine and inappropriate for men. Noah Calhoun was a man who did not hold this shallow view. We note that with his father he, “Read books of poetry.” Noah actually came to appreciate poetry and see its significance. He did not grow up with an ignorant mindset, and this made him a better person. Equipped with this sensitive side, Noah did not have to bottle up all of his emotions and later explode, as is the case with many men in the world. Moving forward, we again detect Noah’s sensitive side when his father dies. The reading indicates, “Noah tried to stop by regularly to leave some flowers; occasionally he left a note...every night without fail he took a moment to remember him, then said a prayer for the man who’d taught him everything that mattered.” By his actions, Noah displays love in a sensitive manner. He doesn’t just remember his father casually from time to time, but he affectionately leaves flowers at his gravesite and offers prayer. Another great example of Noah’s sensitivity is his actions late in life. Noah says, “I sit for a second and stare at her, but she doesn’t return the look.” We know that he always goes to see his wife; even in his old age he gazes into her eyes with fondness. The fact that he reads a diary of their love to her shows that he is a sensitive man because he carefully took time to record these precious things. It takes sensitivity to do all these things, and Noah surely has this pleasant attribute.”

The entire paper was produced independently and was filled with examples of the students admiring the lessons for real life that he constructed from what he read. In a multiple intelligence or talent context, the reflections show both interpersonal talent or sensitivity to others and intrapersonal talents in connecting the story to personal values. As Mr. Paquette explained it to me - - “I was seeking higher level understandings, reading between the lines, and real life correlations.” I got it.

The technique of using yardsticks or rubrics and learning tasks to encourage students to reflect and construct meaning works on any level and in any subject. It should be standard practice and not a secret in every classroom. Be aware, of course, that process is not as simple as using yardsticks and achieving more construction of meaning from students. The yardsticks do give direction to the process, but there are many other steps. In the example described above, students were given practice in analysis and connections to real life as each segment of the literature was discussed. Questions like “How did that (event) make you feel?” or “What would you have done?” or “Has anything like that happened in your life?” were used for class discussions. Literature was carefully selected to contain important insights into real life. In this case, the popular fiction story addressed the impact of Alzheimer’s disease. The students were also given special instruction on different talents and practice in right-brained writing techniques. Eventually, actually experiencing literature rather than just reading it became second nature. The students began to love reading and analyzing powerful stories and to look forward to their next literary adventure.

One simple way to evaluate effectiveness of teaching and learning in any subject is to ask - - ARE STUDENTS EXPECTED TO USE OR APPLY KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND/OR VALUES? Application gives meaning that internalizes learning and makes it difficult to forget. In the example here, the students in a literature class were expected to identify and reflect on talents and values in a character analysis paper. In a mathematics class, a student should use measurement to compute, for example, the amount of paint needed for one coat in a certain room. In a science class students might, for example, build a small working model of a septic tank (the teamwork approach). In a social studies class, a student could conduct a sample survey to predict the outcome of some major issue scheduled to come before students or faculty or community voters. In every case, the action of connecting to real life (identifying and/or reflecting, using, building, predicting) promotes meaning and learning that sticks. The best learning is not being promoted in any academic class that neglects using application to promote learning. So teach talent with your choices of tasks. Remember that (multiple) intelligences or talents are the ability to solve or produce; growing this ability is what education is about.

Consider one more point on the study of literature. A primary purpose of studying literature is to help students grow their ability to use interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence. Once they are aware of the importance of that gift of help in real-life skills, they are very motivated. It is a focus on one of the basic components of an effective teaching system - - connecting or hooking to real life usefulness.