Constructivism

Building, layer upon layer, "floor" upon "floor" the knowledge necessary to create a well balanced and interested learner.

The teacher is the guide and the student is the gatherer.
Mastery, comprehension, and content application are the key roles of constructivism.
The three three main characteristics are: 1) There are different kinds of knowledge, 2) Prior knowledge affects the learning process, and 3) Group learning is more productive than individual
Advantages: Critical thinking, more learning-style freedom, differences are appreciated, active engagement, encourages individual methods for task completion, learning becomes more interesting, confidence-building, and preparation for real-world scenarios
Some disadvantages: Teacher knowledge must be extensive and vast, requires lots of planning, assignments are long-term, unconventional, overhaul of old curriculum time and labor intensive, traditional teachers may resist, ongoing professional development necessary, and those who don't know will see the class as "messy", disorganized, and unmanageable.