In Piaget's theory of Cognitive Constructivism, learning occurs through the gradual building and categorizing of new information. Piaget's term for these categories is schema. As we age and learn we build more schemata. The example from one of the articles is the way I have always remembered Piaget's theory. People all have files in their minds. When we encounter something new, we have to decide if it fits in one of our files (assimilation). If it does not fit into one of our already existing files, we must create a new file or alter and existing file to allow for the new information (accommodation). The picture to the right is an example I found of a teacher using this theory in the classroom. I have seen many teachers use strategies like this one to help students categorize material. I also think of Constructivism using the root of the word, "construction." In this theory, we are building our knowledge. Knowledge accumulates over time. By the time we are adults, we have a very full filing cabinet.
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