1. Define Constructivist theory. Explain it in your own words.

For me, Constructivist theory simply means making your students relate into their
own different experiences and to connect it to new ideas that they can encounter on their
daily life basis. This theory is said to be best, when it comes to teaching mathematics,
because mathematics needs more attention, patience and in deep analyzation for someone
to understand it clearly and knowledgably. So meaning it’s not just triggers your
Imagination but also your creativeness on how you will manage each student in your
classroom that has different unique perspective of life that brought by their experiences
and to be able them to construct new knowledge on their pre-existing knowledge and then
continues to build their understanding on top of anything. Remember that learning is
lifelong and an active process, so students must actively engage their self in every
discussions and activities in order to construct knowledge and to build meaningful ideas
for positive outcome.
a. Give at least 5 characteristics of a constructivist teacher. Explain each.
1. He or she must have an explicit social skills. Because openness of a
teacher makes them more approachable to any students for questions
and ideas of everyone in his or her classroom that makes them
understand everything with no further question.
2. They must be motivational teacher. Because some student needs a
lot of motivation to speak out their thoughts and participate in the class
for more learning outcomes.
3. Must also a creative teacher. Because the teacher must also full of
interest, curiosity, and real world application of knowledge through
collaborating with different techniques and others.
4. Must also be a Technology literate or updated to present trends.
Because a teacher must know how to attract children that has most of
the interest to latest trends and since we are in technological era, a
teacher must know how to use or operate different technology.
5. Encourage students to respect and use other people’s ideas.
Because students must learn a lot of things along with respect to
everything. They also seek help from someone for more knowledge
and skills.
2. Expound why constructivist theory is applicable in teaching mathematics.
Constructivist theory is really applicable in teaching Mathematics, because
Constructivism is a thinking of knowledge founded on the principle that, by thinking about
our experiences, and how it makes sense of the world we live in. As students try to make
sense of new sub topics, formulas, and solutions to mathematical problems the student will
‘construct’ new meanings. This highlights is the key role of the student’s previous
knowledge. Since constructivism focuses on the importance of both entities as well as parts of
a situation, this idea clearly lends itself to the teaching of math when the parts of the answer
and the journey to the answer are just as vital as the answer itself. i.e. How will they solve the
problem is equally important to what the answer is. To help with teaching math it is highly
relevant for teachers to be aware of the ‘mental models’ that their students imagines the
meaning to mathematical questions. This is very necessary to learning how math works for them,
i.e. students need to make their own meanings, not merely rehearse and scripted answers from
memory.
3. Compare and contrast traditional classroom and constructivist classroom using
Venn diagram.

Traditional Classroom vs Constructivist Classroom

4. How do you understand Montessori approach? Discuss.
Based on what I learned in the previous discussion, the Montessori philosophy
approach is based on supporting the whole development of the child or student as they
grow from birth to adulthood. As an approach of teaching, Montessori deals with the
understanding that knowledge isn’t reflexively gained by just listening to words.
Somewhat, it is gained through experiences in the surrounding setting of a child or
student. Each child must be valued as a unique individual with unique diversity of
perspective. That’s why Montessori education recognizes that children learn in different
ways, and accommodates all learning styles. Beginning at an early age, Montessori
students develop order, coordination, concentration, and independence. Classroom
design, materials, and daily routines support the individual’s emerging “self-regulation”
(ability to educate one’s self, and to think about what one learning is. They are able to
think critically, work collaboratively, and act boldly—a skill set for the 21st century.

5. Give at least 5 benefits of using graphic organizers.

Here we will be taking a closer look at the benefits of using graphic organizers in the
classroom. Using graphic organizers can be extremely helpful for both students and teachers.
1. It simplifies the teaching and the learning process while making it more
enjoyable and interactive for everyone. The use of graphic organizers
improves learning in the classroom. Though very simple to the eye, graphic
organizers are powerful tools, highly instrumental in altering and improving
the teaching-learning process in the classroom. Using graphic organizers can
both beneficial and helpful for students and teachers.
2. Graphic organizers have dual functions. They are effective as both a
teaching and learning tool. As an instructional strategy it helps teachers.
3. Increases student engagement: These tools, when incorporated in the lesson,
provide students with the opportunity to actively participate and contribute to
their learning process. The designs of the graphical organizers and the act of
organizing content serves to stimulate both the creative and logical parts of the
brain.
 4. Facilitates cognitive processes: Through the use of graphic organizers
various cognitive skills like brainstorming, generation of ideas, organizing and
prioritizing content, critical analysis and reflection can be developed. This is
highly useful when reviewing notes before examinations.
5. Improves comprehension: The use of graphic organizers allows for a deeper
understanding of the content. The pictorial representations enable students to
break down bigger ideas or concepts into smaller, simpler illustrations that are
easily comprehended.

6. Discuss the different categories of graphic organizer

a. Conceptual graphic organizer
A concept map is a general organizer that shows a central idea with its
corresponding characteristics. Concept maps can take many different shapes and can
be used to show any type of relationship that can be labeled.
b. Hierarchical graphic organizer
Often, a “big idea” can be broken down into several component parts, or small
ideas. Each of these “small ideas," in turn, can be further analyzed and subdivided
even further into its component parts. The information can be organized into a
hierarchy of levels (big idea, small ideas, parts of the small ideas, etc.).
c. Cyclical graphic organizer
Cycle Diagrams are a type of graphic organizer that shows how items are
related to one another in a repeating cycle. Use a cycle diagram when there is no
beginning and no end to a repeating process.
d. Sequential graphic organizer
A flow diagram or sequence chart shows a series of steps or events in the order in
which they take place. Any concept that has a distinct order can be displayed in this
type of organizer. It is an excellent tool for teaching students the steps necessary to
reach a final point.