Traditional classroom
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Constructivist Classroom
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Student primarily work alone.
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Students primarily work in groups.
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Curriculum is presented part to whole, with emphasis on basic
skills.(bottom - up)
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Curriculum is presented whole to part with emphasis on the big
concept.(top - down)
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Strict adherence to a fixed curriculum is highly valued.
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Pursuit of student questions is highly valued.
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Curricular activities rely heavily on textbooks of data and manipulative
materials.
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Curricular activities rely heavily on primary sources.
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Students are viewed as "blank slates" onto which information
is etched by the teacher.
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Students are viewed as thinkers with emerging theories about
the world.
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Teachers generally behave in a didactic manner, disseminating
information to students.
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Teachers generally behave in an interactive manner mediating
the environment for students.
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Teachers seek the correct answers to validate student lessons.
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Teachers seek the student's point of view in order to understand
student learning for use in subsequent conceptions.
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Assessment of student learning is viewed as separate from teaching
and occurs almost entirely through testing.
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Assessment of student learning is interwoven with teaching and
occurs through teacher observation of students at work and through
exhibitions and protfolios.
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