Searching to understand In Search of Understanding

As I read the first chapters of In Search of Understanding my mind wandered away multiple times. I was recalling my experiences as a a student and my experiences as an instructional assistant, teacher, tutor and coach. During the second semester of last year our Instructional Coach teamed with a 7th grade math teacher and myself to try to implement some of these constructivist ideas. Unfortunately the execution was, in my opinion, very poor. The book addresses  a thought that I had constantly in that experimental class, "what good is this format if the kids have no interest in the general material?"  The students were given a step by step guide (17 steps in fact) that they were to use to generate thinking and discussions in small groups of two on the math that we were currently studying. They were confused and confined by the step by step guide. At the same time the teacher was forced to move quickly through the material because he has other masters to serve; state testing, keeping pace with the curriculum scope ad sequence.  The book gives beautiful examples of science and history classes activly participating in shared, student led, learning activities. This was the intent of the experimental class in our school but the desired outcome was not reached.

The second idea that resonated with me was that of paradigm shifting. In order to see more constructionist classrooms in our school there needs to be a paradigm shift in the approach of teachers, administrators, legislators and students. This is obviously a daunting task. In my example from above, it is hard to see how individual teachers could implement this effectively without wider support. Of course many talented and creative teachers are leading constructivist classrooms right now but in my experience they are the minority. 

Finally, the value of changing ones mind was of particular personal interest to me. I have found that having this mind set has helped me to be a better learner and a better teacher. I strive to teach my students that being wrong is okay and that changing your mind is growth. Making a hypothesis about how something is, testing it and then reevaluating the evidence seems to be corner stone of the constructivist classroom.