Constructivist Learning

By Dawn Marie Sicurelli
College of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
November, 2010

Today we discussed metacognition, learning strategies and learning tactics. Metacognition is knowledge about how and why we learn, think, understand and remember new information. Learning strategies is a general plan for achieving a distant goal. This is when we ask ourselves different questions to plan how we will reach that goal. For example, analyze, plan, implement the plan, monitor progress, and modification. Learning tactics differs in such that it consists of specific learning techniques that a learner uses to accomplish an immediate objective. For example, the name game Troy has a bald head.

We also discussed different tactics such as note taking and self and peer questioning.
I consider myself to be a good note taker only if the teacher goes at a slow pace. If the teacher talks to fast, I tend to get confused and lose focus. I love it when the teacher provides lecture notes so I do not have to stress about missing important information. I can give my undivided attention to the teacher’s lecture. This allows me to process the information much easier and faster. I can actually walk out of the class and feel like I actually learned something.
I do not usually like peer questioning because I do not trust the information I receive from my peer is correct. If I am not clear on a topic I will ask the professor to clarify the information.

In addition, I like the idea of constructivist learning and problem solving. After reading chapter 10, I realized the same techniques were used in hygiene school. A dental hygienist is trained to analyze and evaluate problems and then make decisions to solve the problems. I was just an average student until I attended hygiene school. The program changed my entire way of thinking, learning, and studying. I graduated the program with honors and since have managed to maintain a very high GPA. When I begin to teach, I will use the constructivist approach along with many other techniques learned this semester.