Watching the film Paper Clips provided a great opportunity for me to observe a classroom using a primarily constructive approach to learn about the Holocaust. Rather than teaching the class facts, dates, figures, and other historical information to teach the students about the holocaust, the teachers used a variety of interactive activities and scenarios. The teachers also encouraged the students to apply the knowledge they were learning about racism and stereotyping during the Holocaust to their own lives and situations in modern day Tennessee. By relating the extreme racism that occurred during the Holocaust to the racism and stereotyping that exists in America today, this project became real and relevant for these children. Furthermore, bringing Holocaust survivors into their classrooms to talk about their experiences made learning more than memorizing facts and reading out of textbooks. The Holocaust came to life for these children and, in my opinion, made more of an impact on them than listening to lectures and reading books ever could have.
There are times when the more traditional direct instruction approach may be an effective way to teach a lesson. I do not feel, however, that this is possible to do when teaching about the Holocaust. This is obviously an extremely powerful, intense, overwhelming topic to discuss and the only way to grasp the horrors of this time in history is to understand the important dates, names, etc. and then go beyond that and get into the emotion and reality of this event. On the other hand, there are topics that could successfully be taught using the constructivist approach that are not as intense. I feel as a teacher is important to use both forms of teaching and to know when it is best to use which type. It is also important to focus on the needs of the class, what is appropriate at each grade level, and to adapt accordingly to the students responses and learning styles.
