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Abstract
The article titled “Enhancing the learning of constructivism in an ELT classroom using Totto-chan as tool” aims to chalk out how the text of Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window can be used to enhance the learning experience of constructivist theory in an M.A. English class to aid the teaching of constructivism. The article proceeds by stating how literary works can assist the learning experience in ELT classes. It lists out the basic precepts of constructivism, provides a lesson plan and a sample activity sheet based on the lesson plan.
Key words: Constructivism, Totto-chan, active learner, flexibility, collaborative learning.
Literary texts can very often be used as tools that would aid the learning experience in ELT classes. They can be used as effective means to inculcate in the learners a love for teaching. Literary works that feature successful teachers and elucidate the learning experience of children can be used in ELT classes as motivational tools. The present paper is an attempt to chart out how the text Totto-chan can be used effectively to enhance the learning experience of the theory of constructivism in an ELT class.
The basic precepts of constructivism are to be outlined before the literary work can be used as a tool to supplement the learning of constructivism. What then is constructivism? George .E. Hein defines constructivism as the idea that “learners construct knowledge for themselves—each learner individually (and socially) constructs meaning—as he or she learns” (par 2). Here the focus is on the learner rather than the subject or the lesson, and experience (constructed) by the learner has primacy. Constructivist theory requires that we must “look towards all those wonderful individual living beings—the learners—each of whom creates his or her model to explain nature.”(Ibid par 7). Further “If we accept the constructivist position we are inevitably required to follow a pedagogy which argues that we must provide learners with the opportunity to: a) interact with sensory data, and b) construct their own world” (Ibid par 7).
The learner is an active agent rather than a passive recipient of information. Meaning construction takes place in the mind as a social activity, is contextual and involves language. Motivation is also important and “Any effort to teach must be connected to the state of the learner, must provide a path into the subject for the learner based on the learner’s previous knowledge” (Ibid par 9).
The article “Constructivism sand Social Constructivism” published in the web as part of the Open Educational Resources of UCD Teaching and Learning, University College, Dublin contends that in constructivism, “what the student currently believes, whether correct or incorrect is important,” despite having the same learning experience, each individual will base their learning on the understanding and meaning personal to them” and that the students take responsibility to learn” (par 3). Here the educator has to take into account the knowledge and experiences of the student, should facilitate ‘discovery,’ allow sufficiently flexible learning programmes, put the students at ease to facilitate learning and support collaborative activities (Ibid par 7).
A lesson plan that uses Totto-chan as tool to aid the learning experience of constructivism has been outlined below.
Subject: Pedagogy; English
Grade: M.A
Topic: Constructivism
Content: Identifying elements of constructivist learning using Totto-chan as reference material
The activity done by the group would somewhat resemble the following:
Using the above lesson plan, the learning experience of constructivist theory in the case of M.A. English students may be enhanced.
Acknowledgement
This research paper evolved in course of my Minor Research Project work funded by University Grants Commission. I thank the UGC for sanctioning and funding the project titled “The Wise Contact of Life’: Moral Edification and Life Skills Training through Children’s Literature”.
References
Hein, G. E. “Constructivist Learning Theory.”Institute for Inquim. 1996. Accessed on 26 March 2015. http://www.exploratarium.edu/ifi/resources/constuctivistlearning.html
Kuroyanagi, T. Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window. Trans. Dorothy Britton. USA: Kodansha, 2011.
Open Educational Resources of UCD Teaching and Learning, University College, Dublin. “Constructivism sand Social Constructivism.” Accessed on 26 March 2015.
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