Obviously, planning is essential for a PBL to be successful at any level. In my first grade classroom, I have to be sure that I have activities planned that will reach all of my students, and engage and motivate them. Usually, with a project, my students and I meet together on the carpet whole group and discuss components of the project together. We then will break into collaborative groups to complete a hands-on/research activity. During the course of the project, we use a blog to publish our activities or findings of the day or week.
Students' small groups vary. Somestudents may be creating an illustration and writing to later add to a Voicethread or Blabberize. When the group is finished, I will upload the pictures to the Voicethread, and the students will individually add their voice to the picture. Other groups may be researching and recording information. Students may choose to record their findings using the iPod/tunetalk.
With PBL, it's great to have events planned and organized, and a Timeline to follow. However, I realize that in a primary classroom, flexibility is essential. Activities that I may prepare for my students sometimes need to be later modified to meet individual learning needs. Also, some activities may take longer than anticipated.I am always flexible with the activities that are planned. In a first grade classroom, schedules need to be flexible!
When my students work in collaborative groups, I circulate around the classroom, monitoring each groups progress. Expectations for behavior are set at the beginning of a project. Consequences are decided also. I must say though, I have not had any difficulty with behavior during a project. My first graders are generally engrossed in what they are doing.
I love PBL because my students are able to explore a concept and discover new things. It is an amazing learning experience for both myself and my students.