EDLD+5364+Week+1+Assignment+Reflection

Week 1's readings about the use of Constructivist Theory in the classroom helped me understand the importance of my embracing this theory if I'm to be successful as an Ed Tech Leader. Much of this approach calls for the teacher to relinguish the reigns as the presentation manager and design a lesson that is more learner based. This approach was often frowned upon because we then would take on what seemed to be a passive role in the classroom. We were often told not to be caught teaching as the "guide on the side" or "assign and recline". I truly appreciated the article, "If I Teach This Way, Am I Doing My Job?" because it clearly showed that looks can be deceiving when a teacher takes on this role. Sprague and Dede showed the contrast between two teaching styles where the principal who observed the teachers thought that one of them was doing more work than the other because of what was observed in teacher and student behaviors. But once he shared more indepthly with the teachers through parent/teacher conferences, he learned that one approach was more highly effective than the other. ".......He saw that Elizabeth was able to provide a richer assessment of Johnny's abilities, one that went beyond just his low-level skills and knowledge." (Sprague and Dede, (1999) If we plan to advance technology, we must help teachers adopt this attitude.

Sprague, D & Dede, C. (1999). If I teach this way, am I doing my job: Constructivism in the classroom. Leading and Learning, 27(1).