Recently, I attended a conference (una conferencia) for students in science education, which was attended by upwards of 200 students from 10 different universities across Chile. Te students are all involved in programs that will lead them to be educators, primarily science teachers in middle schools (escuelas secundarias) and high schools (liceos) in Chile. The students were assembled for a three-day conference in order to improve their knowledge, to increase their abilities and to enlarge (engordar) their networks with other students and participating faculty members.
The main thrust of this event was to uncover concepts associated with constructivism (el constructivismo) and how this methodology can be implemented in the mostly traditional teaching climate found in Chilean schools. Constructivism is a learning strategy that builds upon students' existing knowledge, beliefs, and skills. Within a constructivist approach, as students encounter new information (información nueva), they work to synthesize new understandings based on their current experiences and their prior learning. In other words, the constructivist approach to learning states that learners of all ages build new ideas on top of their personal conceptual understandings. In this process (este proceso), students and teachers experience common activities, activate and build on prior knowledge and experiences. Learners construct (construir) meaning while continually assessing their understandings of concepts.
I was fortunate enough to participate (participar) in the event and deliver a presentation with my colleague and fellow constructivist, Claudio Pérez. We gave a talk which focused on our experiences in science education (educación de ciencia) and the use of specific methods and techniques that centered on practical applications in the classroom. In interacting with the students within the talk, at lunch and in 3 subsequent round table (mesas) discussions, I was given the unique opportunity to actually participate in a practical manner as both a teacher and a learner.
At times, this one hour presentation that turned into a six hour event was challenging, as I struggled to find the correct terms (las palabras correctas) in Spanish. Yet, I felt confident throughout in my habits of mind and abilities when it comes to being a constructivist educator. The discussions (las discusiones) with the students were rich and the analysis of the issues by the students quite profound. With a heart for learning and an ability to synthesize the issues, these future teachers (los maestros futuros) stand poised to not only contribute to the future of education in Chile, but to impact it greatly. I was truly blessed to have this experience and to see the future in education face to face (cara a cara).
No comments:
Post a Comment