Thought Paper 3 Troy Moore von Glasersfeld states: " to assess the truth of your knowledge you would

d have to know what you come to know before you come to know it". He also says " it appears that knowledge is not a transferable commodity and communication not a conveyance" Explain these quotes and what they mean for constructivist teaching. The first quote is a contradiction. It is impossible to know the truth of your knowledge if you had to know what you needed to know before you needed to know it. What true knowledge entails is not only knowing something, but recognizing what you know and how it is shaped by the real world. It is impossible because a huge part of constructivist learning is accessing prior knowledge through guidance and if you had the knowledge fully formed it would not access that prior knowledge. It would be like the 6 year old who rode her bike home, knowing how to get home and how to ride a bike before ever setting foot on a bike or ever leaving the house (although some constructivists would argue this is too early of a developmental stage). The second quote is simple. Knowledge is not something transferred between people. Facts maybe, but not understanding. In addition, communication is not necessarily the way to convey knowledge. Knowledge is shaped within us and by our experiences and prior learning. Therefore, we can teach facts and ideas but it is what the learner does with it that makes it knowledge and each individual facet impacts that knowledge. Essentially what these quotes mean for constructivist teaching is that knowledge is created, individually, through a multistage process. First, prior knowledge is accessed. Due to its individuality, prior knowledge is different for everyone. Then some form of interaction occurs, through groups or teaching guidance. Then internalization of the knowledge occurs, which includes reflection. The interesting piece is once that knowledge is completed it will also become prior knowledge in future events, making constructivism a never ending cycle. In order to ensure this happens, teachers cannot simply be fact dispensers, they must act as facilitators or guides to knowledge. They need to use techniques, like KWL sheets or review, to access prior knowledge. They need to recognize that individual experience will shape the learning process differently for different learners. They need to encourage a hands-on approach to learning. People learn better by doing. They need to bring in different medias for learning, such as movies, models, group work, projects, etc. to ensure all different learners are respected. Finally, teachers need to recognize the importance of social interaction as a zone of proximal learning, through activities such as letting students be experts to tech one another. Constructivism is an approach which exploration, interaction, and reflection are valued.