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TRADITIONAL & CONSTRUCTIVIST TEACHING MODELS.

Compares effectiveness of traditional (competition, grades, standardized tests) & constructivist (collaborative & interactive methods) approaches.

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Ideally, the purpose of education should be to develop not only the intellectual aspect of the children, but also their moral and emotional qualities (Kohn, 1994, p. 280). Therefore, schools should not just churn out human beings with verbal and computational skills to acquire jobs in the real world (O’Malley, 1998, p. 14). They should build on the children’s innate desire to learn and explore. Thus, teachers should create learning activities that fully engage the interest of the students in order to capitalize on their natural desire to learn. However, in reality, educators are split into two camps in their beliefs about educating children: tradition versus constructivism. In the traditional system, the teacher is the only active agent in the classroom transmitting knowledge to students who are expected to absorb information passively. In

For example, at White Rock Elementary School inGorham, Maine, first- through third-graders learn science at a nearby pond,where they talk about plants, trees and the water cycle. A. 69). Phi Delta Kappan, 78(1), 66-71.Wasley, P. (1994, December). 28 ). (1998). 287). On the other hand,in the constructivist model, collaborative and interactive methods are usedto encourage students to challenge and consider different perspectives(Taylor & Walton, 1997, p. Furthermore, they learned to take responsibility for theirproject and their learning experience. With the teacher's approval and supervision, the studentscan make decisions about their education experience so that they will bemotivated in their learning experience (Kohn, 1994, p. F. Thus, teachers should create learningactivities that fully engage the interest of the students in order tocapitalize on their natural desire to learn. Apart from receiving the extrinsic rewards, such as good grades andapproval, children can also be motivated by intrinsic rewards-a morepowerful motivator. Childhood Education, 75(5), 276-28 .(1993, October). In a group, students learn tocollaborate and not compete with one another. The truth about self-esteem. When childrenchallenge or disagree with their teachers in a constructive way byproviding an alternative solution, they should be heard by the teachers. They should build on the children'sinnate desire to learn and explore. (1999). The project had to besupported by everyone as a group, benefit the community, and involvecreative writing, a new computer application and some observationalactivities. When they encountered problems,they gathered together to solve the problem by developing interesting waysof teaching the children and successfully completing the task. Teachers are often underthe pressure to complete teaching a novel, rather than enticing thestudents into the world of reading (O'Malley, 1998, p. Thetraditional system of rote learning with teachers dictating the learningexperience destroys the children's innate love of learning. At the same time, they practice theircommunication skills when they discuss their plans and objectives. 15). 357). Therefore, schools should not just churnout human beings with verbal and computational skills to acquire jobs inthe real world (O'Malley, 1998, p. N. Withoutbeing instructed and directed to perform a specific task with a particularobject, the children can discover new dimensions to an activity bythemselves. In fantasy play, the children act outdifferent roles and create their dream world (Balke, 1997, p. Kohn found thatthese students often decide to opt for easier courses or lose interest intheir projects (1994, p. Thus, they can establishclose and positive relationships with their peers. In this paper, these two models will bediscussed and analyzed for their effectiveness in educating and motivatingchildren to learn. In the traditional system, the teacher isthe only active agent in the classroom transmitting knowledge to studentswho are expected to absorb information passively. Not onlywere they challenged to use their intellectual skills, the studentspersonally experienced the difficulties of the teaching experience (Wasley,1999, p. By trial and error, they acquireimportant knowledge in their exploratory activities. Forexample, losing a competition or failing a test will push them to performbetter the next time. Therefore, thestudents are often uninspired and uninterested in their studies. 278). One ofthe fundamental problems underlying these classes is that the teacherfocuses on the subject, rather than the children. The classroom becomes asupportive environment that encourages all students to thrive, withoutcomparing the students, which happens in a traditional competitive setting.With some supervision and well-established guidelines for behavior,children can develop their social and intellectual skills in grouplearning. 285). The role of the teacher is to providethem with a safe and creative place for them to learn. Young children have an inherent ability and desire to explore andlearn about the world. Co-opting standardized tests in the service of learning. 284). P., & Crews, N. Developing a repertoire. Although thechildren were allowed to choose their topic, Wasley and the class teacherprovided rules that gave the project a framework. 358).Teachers can contribute to the process by providing them with a safe andcreative atmosphere that is designed to stimulate their imagination (Balke,1997, p. Teachersneed to listen to their students in order to create optimal learningenvironments for them, which take into consideration their needs and theirdevelopmental levels (Glascott & Crews, 1998, p. 179). Eventually, children will not need any rewardsto pursue their education when they learn for the sake of learning. J. Therefore, thechildren serve as a vital source of information for the teachers increating dynamic learning activities to capture their interest. However,children, whose sole motivation is to achieve good grades, may bediscouraged by the bad result and feel that they are inadequate, thusperpetuating a pattern of bad grades (Kohn, 1994, p. However, in reality, educatorsare split into two camps in their beliefs about educating children:tradition versus constructivism. Ultimately, children are most motivated to learn when their interestis captured. 282). Play and the arts: The importance of the 'unimportant.' Childhood Education, 73(6), 355-361.Glascott, K. (1997, September 15). The class decided to tutor kindergarten and first graders intheir neighborhood school (1999, p. A teaching philosophy: Rhetoric or reality? In the traditional setting, learning is an unstimulating processinvolving reading textbooks and memorizing facts, with the teachersdrilling information into the passive students (Kohn, 1994, p. For example, playfully banging on a keyboard can lead to thediscovery of music (Balke, 1997, p. (1997, September). In addition, whenchildren play together, they learn to play with one another, thus pickingup social skills and learning to resolve conflicts (Balke, 1997, p. (1998, May-June). From the above discussion, it is evident that children will bestimulated to learn when they are given the opportunity to takeresponsibility and participate actively in the learning experience. Childhood Education, 74(4), 232-234.Kohn, A. 276). Group learning is an extension of the way young children "play"within a supervised and stimulating setting. Children arewilling to embrace challenging tasks when they are interested in theirwork. (1998, October 3). The teacher mustcreate important guidelines and rules in order to ensure that children arenot working in a chaotic environment without any sense of control.Furthermore, the teacher is there to enforce any breach of the guidelinesby the students. When motivated by intrinsic rewards, the children arenot focused on the results of their performance, but on the task at hand.Rather than judging themselves based on their final success and failure,these children assess themselves by the amount of their effort they haveput into the task (Kohn, 1994, p. 233). On an emotional level, they are learning to empathize with otherpeople by sharing each other's vision and being sensitive to thepresentation of ideas by others. To adherents of this traditional system of education, grades andcompetition are used to motivate the children to perform in class. 355). 283). 28 ). With the help of teachers, the students produced a court caseaddressing the First Amendment that guarantees the right to free speech("Best schools," 1993, p. In San Marino,California, a high school class transforms the study of the Bill of Rightsinto a drama. 14). How the best schools are teaching kids. ReferencesBalke, E. By depending solely on themselves to complete a project, thechildren are forced to engage in high-level thinking that involvesanalyzing the situation, synthesizing the information and assessing theresults (Sparapani, 1998, p. Curiosity. Therefore, in some ways, they learn many things ontheir own, especially through play. 71). When they work together in a group, theylearn the importance of cooperation in order to achieve their objectives.In doing the group project, they are enabled to see things from others'perspective, thus preparing them for future work in society (Kohn, 1994, p.281). In her article, Patricia Wasley (1999) offers a perfect example of agroup learning activity as she depicts her revealing experience of workingwith a class of fifth- and sixth- graders on a project. In addition, good grades open doors for students togood universities and careers (Taylor & Walton, 1997, p. 276). Although Wasley gave the class theopportunity to quit, they decided to persist and come up with newsolutions. Encouraging thinking in high school and middle school: Constraints and possibilities. The Clearing House, 71(5), 274-277.Taylor, K., & Walton, S. Being the recipient of the education, children should bear someresponsibility for their learning. Good Housekeeping, 217(4), 178-18 . Versatile educators have played a large part in this process byconsciously enlivening traditional subjects, such as taking students outinto the natural settings. Ideally, the purpose of education should be to develop not only theintellectual aspect of the children, but also their moral and emotionalqualities (Kohn, 1994, p. Phi Delta Kappan, 76(4), 272-284.O'Malley, W. Increasingly, schools all over the country are moving awayfrom the traditional model to take on the challenge of making the learningexperience interesting. America, 179(9), 14-18.Sparapani, E. In this system,competition, grades and standardized testing are upheld as the means tomonitor the students' performance (Kohn, 1994, p. 356).

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