In Search of Understanding: The Case for Constructivist Classrooms (ASCD)

"In Search of Understanding is the most logical, and effective paradigm in education. It helped me clarify and understand my own thinking and also changed how I see the education process for my students. If you need iron-grip control of your classroom at all times, this book is not for you. If you are ready open your mind, your classroom, and your students to new possibilities, this is a step in the right direction."
~ Written on 2007-02-15

"The authors in this text present a clear and organized overview of constructivist learning that is accessible to the beginner interested in the topic. The text is geared toward primary education, but I have been able to implement modified constructivist techniques presented in the text in my college courses. Constructivism is valuable for any learner.

I am disturbed at the negative comments regarding this book. I would not suggest that the book is above critisim, but the current retoric outlined in other reviews is without intellectual substance and is demeaning to many learners. As a student in primary and secondary education I struggled in with traditional educational methods. (I also see the same traditional methods being inflicted on my children.... education is slow if not impossible to change!) Not until I reached college and entered design and architectural education did I realize that different methods of instruction could be used effectively. For those who look down on constructivist methodology they are also disregarding the excellent educational practices in disciplines such as architecture, music, theater, design, art, and other forms of learning that require students to make judgments and create tangible proposals that impact the quality of society. Many would like you to think that constructivism is a radical and "new" educational method. But actually it has been part of our learning process in many disciplines long before the educational community formally recognized the theory.

Without dedicated professors that mostly unknowingly implemented constructivist methods in undergraduate and graduate education I would have never made my way though architectural school and become a design professor. I use this book in my design studio when I have my students create architectural proposals for schools of the future. It is interesting to hear the rhetoric of protecting traditional educational methods that I have had to un-teach on the college level. The most common comment I receive from my college students when they read this book is "Why did I not get learn this way?"

The authors are to be commended on creating a text that is accessible and usable to diverse disciplines. "
~ Written on 2006-08-20

"The author's case for constructivism is predicated on unrealistic notions not only concerning the realities of education, but also the fundamentals of social diversity. The book seems to take the view that the more radical a notion is the more bookworthy it becomes. This concept is promoted by outlandish recommendations that clearly could not be practically implemented ... or even reasonable to consider. The author does not provide empirical evidence to support his opinion. The author seems to rely on a self-aggrandizing style to entrap other educators who may embrace his liberal ideas more as a defense against being labeled the traditionalist villian in this fictional work. Any educator who embraces this book has a parallax view of the classroom ... one that is upside down and inside out. In that case, the problem is not the classroom, but the teacher."
~ Written on 2004-02-16

"Do you teach in a classroom in which there are no behavior problems. Where students sit at there desks with arms folded and smiles on their faces, eager to jump at the challenge you are about to put before them? No? This book assumes you do. Not only is this book an excersize in Utopia, it is very liberal by design. Several times, known communists are quoted and their ideas taken as gospel. Do you want our children being taught by a teacher following a socialist agenda? Do you want to teach your classroom in this manner? Then do not follow this book. The book is peppered with a few good ideas, but I have a problem with the message delivered. Comments such as "truth is often a matter of interpetation", and "grades are used to communicate that some students are smarter than others" are liberal ideas communicated throughout this book. If you want to improve your teaching by using research based instructional strategies, there are many pieces available that address this without being so radical."
~ Written on 2003-07-02

"I first read the 1993 edition in 1993, and I was sold on it. There is no more clear nor concise book on constructivist instructional design in the business. The book is practical and can be read quickly. It doesn't get bogged down in too much jargon or theory. I object to one critic who claims the book is "ivory tower" and leans to much on science and math examples. The book is just the opposite from "ivory tower" and as for math and science examples, as a science teacher who spent years reading theory pitched toward humanities teachers that I had to adapt to my realm, I found this book refreshing. I would counter that creative,constructivist, dedicated teachers of English, World Languages, and Social Sciences would be able to adapt the Brookses's examples to their fields with ease."
~ Written on 2003-04-11