Crossing Boundaries: What Constructivists Can Teach Intensive-Ex plicit Instructors and Vice Versa

Abstract

Alex's parents had a lot of questions. Just recently, they had been asked to attend an IEP meeting at Alex's elementary school, and they were told that their thirdgrader was below an appropriate achievement level for his grade. Alex was a bright kid, everyone agreed, but he didn't seem to learn as effectively as others. The team at the school suggested that Alex be tested, and the subsequent assessment determined that Alex had a learning disability. Even though Alex 's intelligence was above average, the educational professionals agreed that he would require special help to reach his potential in life. Like many other children that Christmas, Alex received a sophisticated video game as a gift. He soon was plugged in and playing happily. Over the next few days, Alex played his game for hours each day, and he kept getting better at it. Four days after Christmas, Alex's older cousins, who were in high school , came to visit. They had received the same game for Christmas, but they had not yet learned nearly as much about it as Alex had. For two hours, Alex proceeded to tutor his older cousins in how to play the game, "Jump up and down here," he said, "and you'll find some coins." "Go through that door, and you'll turn invisible." The high schoolers were impressed-Alex had learned the entire language of the game in only 4 days, and he was only in third grade. "How is it," Alex's parents asked, "that our son has learned so much about this game, and yet he's 'learning disabled' in school?" "Why does he love learning the game and hate learning in school?" "Are his teachers really seeing how smart he is?" "Are they building on his strengths?" "Are they teaching him in ways that will be best for him?" "Does he really have a learning disability?"