I loved reading about the maker movement and the digital fabrication paper. I can see how these methods of learning would probably really engage students and gear their education towards real world action and problem-solving.

However, I have a few questions about it. Coming from a place where the best schools in the country have around 50 kids in a class and the worst don’t even have proper teachers, I can see how these movements can remain inaccessible to a large part of the world’s population. Given this, won’t this just lead to greater educational equity and lead to the further mystifying of technology for some parts of the world?

Additionally, I’m not sure how I feel about “the activity, which was originally a history project, becoming a sophisticated mathematics project. ” The reverse is hardly ever true and never encouraged to be true as a result of any movement. If as a society we start valuing “making”, “creating” and “innovating”, where will the traditional humanities which lay emphasis on thinking and analyzing fall? Given there already diminishing importance won’t this just lead to further issues?

In this particular example, it seemed as if the class learnt the actual history aspect of i.e. the architectural features of the various monuments pretty quickly and spent majority of the time designing and building it. That sounds like engineering/architecture with a bit of history thrown in to me.

“This chameleonesque adaptivity [of machines], which is embedded in technology, permits the acknowledgement and embracing of different learning styles and epistemologies, engendering aconvivial environment in which students can concretize their ideas and projects with intense personal engagement.”

The idea of constructivist learning– one in which students take ownership of their own projects and learning tracts– has always fascinated me. On one hand, the idea of empowering students to be “makers” and “follow their passions” from a young age has tremendous potential. However, I do believe that a common core is crucial today.

My question this week surrounds the discussion on constructivist learning. Is it possible to provide students with a practical foundation of knowledge by still implementing project based innovative strategies (including digital fabrication)?

What are other limitations of constructivism?