What I need to keep in mind as I start my journey through PBL, is that today's students are up for the challenge, projects are worth the effort, students live and learn in the real world, and new contexts encourage the project approach.
The overall benefits of this approach are that they from the centerpiece of the curriculum, students engage in real-world activities and practice the strategies of authentic disciplines, students work collaboratively to solve problems, technology is used as a tool that takes learner to new places, and teachers collaborate to design and implement projects that cross time zones.
The benefits for students that use PBL are that they develop good communication skills, develop good inquiry skills, learn to be flexible with their working hours, develop a fuller understanding of how the world works, and they achieve the feeling that though communication with and understanding of people, individuals can do something about changing the world.
Some issues that need to be considered when using this approach are my learning goals, the way I talk and engage withe students, my classroom management style, my physical arrangement of my class, how I think about assessment, what I collect, and how I communicate with parents and colleagues.
Hallmarks of the New Tech Model are its size of design, which is small, less time with student management and more time for learning, real-world learning are the center pieces of instruction, technology is everywhere, and this can help them using web-based tools, teachers are given time to work together including shared planning, tools enable teachers to provide students with feedback, and that many good ideas are being shared.
One thing I didn't think about when considering using project-based learning is the way I arrange my classroom. I'm glad you mentioned that. It seems like an important aspect and really sets the tone for how a teacher wants the students to be interacting. I also like that you said students are up for the challenge. Students these days are very good at using technology.
ReplyDeleteI think it's important that you mentioned how great Project Based Learning is in regards to students being able to develop a fuller understanding of how the world works. I didn't realize that they achieved this feeling through the communication with and ability to understand other people. I love that with PBL students can do something about their desire to change the world. Thanks for mentioning that!
ReplyDeleteIn the posts I've read the real worl experience seems to be central to most of them. I still feel conflicted when I see videos from Edutopia and these cool projects everywhere and I've seen few to none in the KPS schools I've been in. Maybe we as teachers need to be more proactive and seek out partnerships that are meaningful with university personal etc. I loved the horny toad video. Those kids seemed fully engaged!! thank you.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jake about today's students being up for the challenge in regard to education and the challenges they will tackle in a PBL setting. Also, I have often thought about the fact that the videos we watch seem so interesting and fun, yet I have never seen anything close to that in our area, as Chris mentioned. Many of the videos show that there was not a need for a lot of money, so funding can't be what holds our local schools back, right? I would love to be a part of a changing environment that results in a PBL-oriented school!
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