With PBL, teachers construct real-life problems that connect to students' prior knowledge and experience. Through coaching and modeling, teachers help students consult with one another, probe for answers, and create presentations worthy of impressing adult panels of experts. From figuring out how to construct a car in China to solving a local environmental problem, students who see their work as not only engaging but also relevant are more motivated to learn. 34-38 Constructivist classrooms are active classrooms. Rather than fight to contain the remarkable energy that students bring, teachers in constructivist classrooms direct this energy by engaging students actively in the learning process.
Constructivist classrooms share five contextual teaching strategies.
Relating means learning in the context of one's life experiences. Experiencing is learning by doing through exploration, discovery, and invention, especially with the help of manipulatives, problem-solving activities, and laboratory activities. Applying is learning by putting the concepts to use. Cooperating is learning in the context of sharing, responding, and communicating with other learners. Transferring means using knowledge in a new context or situation.