H809-10. And the learning theory is...

I have just discovered that my instructional methods are firmly constructivist. It seems so silly that I did not know this before, but on second thought, English language teachers are not, to my knowledge, explicitly taught learning theories - why not, I wonder?

CONSTRUCTIVISM IN MY CLASSROOM
-active involvement of learners
-democratic classroom environment this is of course what I strive for, but what does it actually mean in a Turkish university? The usual interpretations do not apply...
-interactive, student-centred activities
-teacher as facilitator
-students encouraged to be responsible and autonomous
-collaboration and exchange of ideas in groups
-emphasis on social and communication skills
-research projects, films, class discussions
-modelling/coaching/scaffolding
-process and product of learning equally important

(from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructivist_teaching_methods)
Some assessment strategies include:

• Oral discussions. The teacher presents students with a “focus” question and allows an open discussion on the topic.
• KWL(H) Chart (What we know, What we want to know, What we have learned, How we know it). This technique can be used throughout the course of study for a particular topic, but is also a good assessment technique as it shows the teacher the progress of the student throughout the course of study.
• Mind Mapping. In this activity, students list and categorize the concepts and ideas relating to a topic.
• Hands-on activities. These encourage students to manipulate their environments or a particular learning tool. Teachers can use a checklist and observation to assess student success with the particular material.
• Pre-testing. This allows a teacher to determine what knowledge students bring to a new topic and thus will be helpful in directing the course of study.