As I begin my study of PBL through Wilkes University course EDIM 502 those are the questions foremost in my mind.
I understand the importance of student engagement and authentic learning in the educational process. My students are often not ready to leave when class is over, they are excited about their learning, they share our activities at home. But I’m the one designing the projects, making sure the necessary curricular content is included.
Studying “More Fun Than a Barrel of …Worms?!,” “Geometry Students Angle into Architecture Through Project Learning” and “March of the Monarchs: Students Follow the Butterflies’ Migration” has given me a bit of insight into what PBL might look at for students of different ages. The teachers for all of these projects spent a great deal of time preparing for the projects, considering options and how best to guide their students. They wanted experiences in which students would be learning even as they used that learning to forge different products or solve additional questions.
Knowledge acquisition takes on a whole new feel when students need to use what they’ve learned – not for a test but to figure out what to do next, or how that knowledge fills a need. Technology use is vital, whether for researching worms, conducting calculations or charting migration and connecting with other classrooms.
As an educator, I want to excite and engage my students, create lifelong learners, and give them the tools they need to be successful, happy, contributing members of society. These projects allow students to learn content, see the opportunities technology offers and gain experience in working collaboratively as well.
After reading through just the basics of PBL, it is also clear to me that in a traditional school setting with a few teachers ‘doing’ PBL the role of the librarian would be a collaborative one – assisting with research, helping locate experts, providing guidance. It would be difficult to reach a Gold Standard level of PBL with my once a week students. However, if the whole school followed a PBL model I could see the librarian’s role evolving into a project mentor one – how awesome would that be!
I do have questions. PBL still seems much better suited as a complete way of learning for secondary students than for primary grades. Students will need certain basic reading, writing and mathematics skills in order to work on their projects. They will also need more advanced skills regarding constructive feedback, following rubrics, reflection and self-assessment. And all students are not the same. As adults, we know our strengths and interests. Not all adults are interested, engaged or curious about the same subjects and I believe it is the same with students.
Luckily, I have several more weeks to find these answers, and more.
10 Takeaway Tips for Project-Based Learning. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/stw-maine-project-based-learning-ten-key-lessons
Bookworm (2). [Clip Art]. Available from http://www.discoveryeducation.com/
Boy with Hat. [Clip Art]. Available from http://www.discoveryeducation.com/
Discovery Communications, Inc., Monarch Butterfly. [Image]. Available from http://www.discoveryeducation.com/
Getty, Gold. [Image]. Available from http://www.discoveryeducation.com/
Getty Images, Architectural Model. [Image]. Available from http://www.discoveryeducation.com/
Larmer, J., & Mergendoller, J. R. (2015, April 21). Gold Standard PBL: Essential Project Design Elements [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://bie.org/blog/gold_standard_pbl_essential_project_design_elements
Bucks Institute for Education Website
March of the Monarchs: Students Follow the Butterflies' Migration. (2002). Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/march-monarchs
More Fun Than a Barrel of . . . Worms?! (2001). Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/more-fun-barrel-worms
Planning for Project Learning in Your Classroom, School, or School District. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/stw-maine-project-based-learning-replication-tips
Project Design Rubric | Project Based Learning | BIE. Retrieved from http://bie.org/object/document/project_design_rubric