My name is Kirstyn Preizer. I graduated with an Associate of Science from Ivy Tech Community College. I went on to complete my BA in Elementary Education at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis in 2010. I have always wanted to work with older elementary kids and I absolutely love it! I am very open and passionate about what I do. I have a two year old son whose name is Graham. I am excited to be a teacher that your children will look up to and appreciate! I hope to make learning fun and interesting for all! If you ever have any questions please feel free to call or email me.
(765) 561-9313
My Philosophy
I am a strong believer in the contructivist learning theory. I believe that students must construct their own views of the world and of knowledge. I will attempt to do this by letting the students learn from not only me but their peers as well. There will be a lot fo group work in my classroom. I hope to learn from your children as well as teaching them! We will be doing many hands on activities. My hope is that your children will come to their own conclusions and continue asking questions!
I believe that all students learn differently, and I plan to actively seek out ways to reach every student in my classroom. I encourage parents to speak with me to help meet the needs of your child! I look forward to teaching your children this year! Here is a little more about the constructivist learning theory.
Constructivism
Definition
Constructivism is a philosophy of learning founded on the premise that, by reflecting on our experiences, we construct our own understanding of the world we live in. Each of us generates our own “rules” and “mental models,” which we use to make sense of our experiences. Learning, therefore, is simply the process of adjusting our mental models to accommodate new experiences.
Discussion
There are several guiding principles of constructivism:
- Learning is a search for meaning. Therefore, learning must start with the issues around which students are actively trying to construct meaning.
- Meaning requires understanding wholes as well as parts. And parts must be understood in the context of wholes. Therefore, the learning process focuses on primary concepts, not isolated facts.
- In order to teach well, we must understand the mental models that students use to perceive the world and the assumptions they make to support those models.
- The purpose of learning is for an individual to construct his or her own meaning, not just memorize the “right” answers and regurgitate someone else’s meaning. Since education is inherently interdisciplinary, the only valuable way to measure learning is to make the assessment part of the learning process, ensuring it provides students with information on the quality of their learning.
How Constructivism Impacts Learning
Curriculum–Constructivism calls for the elimination of a standardized curriculum. Instead, it promotes using curricula customized to the students’ prior knowledge. Also, it emphasizes hands-on problem solving.
Instruction–Under the theory of constructivism, educators focus on making connections between facts and fostering new understanding in students. Instructors tailor their teaching strategies to student responses and encourage students to analyze, interpret, and predict information. Teachers also rely heavily on open-ended questions and promote extensive dialogue among students.
Information taken from http://www.funderstanding.com/content/constructivism