Blog Entry #4 — von Glasersfeld and Constructivism

Writing: Write a two-paragraph entry about constructivism. The first paragraph should describe what von Glasersfeld meant by "constructing knowledge." You may want to address some of the following issues:

• The reason(s) von Glasersfeld chose the term "constructing" knowledge rather than "acquiring" or "gaining" knowledge.
• A description of what it means to construct knowledge.
• The role that experience plays in constructing knowledge.
• The conditions under which we construct knowledge.
• The reason(s) von Glasersfeld referred to knowledge as a "theory."
• The reason(s) von Glasersfeld talked about knowledge as being "viable" rather than "correct."

For the second paragraph, discuss one implication of constructivism for teaching mathematics. In other words, imagine that you believe in constructivism, and describe one thing you might do in your own teaching of mathematics as a direct result of this belief. Describe the implication in enough detail so that your audience can understand exactly what you would do. Also explain why this implication is compatible with a constructivist perspective.

As usual, be sure to use topic sentences for both paragraphs. Also, be kind enough to proofread your entry.

Commenting: Visit three student blogs. If a blog already has five comments for this entry, choose a different blog. Read both paragraphs. Then comment on the author's implication. Some of the things you might consider discussing are the following:

• Is the implication clearly described?
• Does the author adequately explain why the described action follows from a belief in constructivism? 
• Do you agree with the author?
• Are the elements of writing present, such as a topic sentence, a logical flow in the argument of the paragraph, a scholarly tone, etc.?

Due Dates: Entry due at the beginning of class on February 10; comments due at the beginning of class on February 12.