Seymour Papert first used the term "Constructionism" in 1985, to describe an approach to learning he was developing at the MIT Media Lab. I and many others worked with Papert to refine and explore this approach in following years at the Media Lab. The Constructionist approach to learning is based on and grows out of an essential reassessment of the ways in which children think and learn. Papert understood that it was a mistake to focus on the ways that adults teach children, and chose instead to study how children learn. What he discovered was that open-ended, construction-oriented activities are the best way motivate children to learn new skills, inspiring them to learn by themselves and from each other. In opposition to the rote-learning and drill-based teaching that has so long dominated teaching, this approach seeks to build "learning cultures" in which children learn through activities which are meaningful to them personally. |
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