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It is the emotionally rewarding state of being optimally challenged
or being in a state of flow that motivates us to learn.
But what makes learning last in our minds?
Professor Emeritus, MIT Seymour Papert says:
"Constructionism means learning by making something. LEGO is
an example, writing computer programs is an example, painting
is an example, and what you learn in the process of doing sinks
much deeper, its roots go deeper into the subsoil of the mind
than anything anybody can tell you."
Students who create their own solutions to problems experience the thrill of
genuine achievement an experience altogether different from simply
memorising the achievements of others. This makes learning an adventure.
The more empowered children feel, the more they enjoy their classes, and
the more they begin to take charge of their own learning process.
We believe that optimal learning occurs when children are given the
opportunity to explore the world on their own, but in a guided environment.
When children actively construct things in the physical world, it really helps
them to build knowledge in their minds. This new knowledge enables them
to create ever more sophisticated solutions, yielding more skills, more
knowledge, and more solved challenges in a self-reinforcing cycle.
Learning by making
Steve Davies,
Tarporley High School, Chester, Cheshire, UK
on using classroom solutions from
LEGO Educational Division:
"The children are very much
working on their own with it, as a
teacher I gave an input, then they
went off and explored various
avenues by themselves and came
up with their own solutions."
