ABSTRACT
One might argue that the field of gifted education has been built firmly upon the foundation of constructivism. The ideas of Dewey, Vygotsky, and Bruner seem to be alive and well in gifted education in the form of hands-on, project-based, and problem-based learning. Instead of having students learn by doing, constructionism focuses on learning by making. Constructionism is an idea inspired by constructivism and is typically attributed to Seymour Papert who also happens to be one of the creators of Logo, a computer programming language for kids designed in the 1960s that utilized a “turtle” to create line graphics. Constructionism posits that learning can happen most effectively when students are involved in the process of constructing tangible objects in the real world. The principles of constructionism have been actualized in what is commonly referred to as the “Maker Movement,” a subculture of individuals fueled by imagination and innovation that typically involves new and unique applications of existing or new technologies.
