The very first thing you need to know about constructivist learning theory is the premise that students arrive at learning situations with prior knowledge and proceed to take an active part in constructing new knowledge about that prior knowledge as they experience new things and reflect on those collected experiences (Learning Theories Knowledgebase, 2012). This theory directly contradicts behaviorist learning theory in which students are believed to arrive at learning situations with a “clean slate” of understanding. From a behaviorist perspective, people learn because they respond to negative and positive stimuli in their environment (Learning Theories Knowledgebase, 2012). While this may temporarily change observable behavior, it does not always result in significant, lasting changes in attitudes toward learning in general, nor does it produce a deeper understanding of concepts and skills. The behaviorist teacher must constantly entice and push students towards desired behavior with rewards and punishments. Unfortunately, this places too much of the burden of motivation and external results on the shoulders of educators. At the same time, it downplays students' ability to organize information into meaningful systems on their own, whether we can see external changes or not, while also ignoring the responsibility required and the credit that should be given to engaged, active students who are motivated ​​to build in-depth and meaningful knowledge themselves (Culatta, 2012). Constructivists believe that when we experience new things we actively construct new, subjective, and personal understanding and knowledge of our environment (Lang & Evans, 2006, p. 220). Each person has a different interpretation of what it says...... half of the article ......nc.Learning Theories Knowledgebase (2012). Learning-Theories.com. Retrieved June 3, 2012, from http://www.learning-theories.com/McClurg, S. (2009). Raising middle school student achievement in reading and language arts with project-based teaching methods. Walden University). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, http://search.proquest.com/docview/276075080?accountid=38569Mussman, B. A. (2012). At-risk students' experiences with project-based learning: A phenomenological study. Capella University). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, http://search.proquest.com/docview/1013836714?accountid=38569Puntambekar, S. (2012). Scaffolding. Retrieved from http://www.education.com/reference/article/scaffolding/Smith, M.K. (2002). "Jerome S. Bruner and the Educational Process", the encyclopedia of informal education http://www.infed.org/thinkers/bruner.htm.