I feel that one of the challenges of global PBL are time issues. We realized this obstacle when my classroom video-conferenced with a former student in Russia. Being flexible and willing to use hours that are outside the normal school day is necessary. Hours outside of normal classroom time would definitely need to be utilized, because so much planning goes into a successful project. Also, challenges could arise with time differences that are wide-ranged, because being a day ahead of or behind another classroom could also impact the type of project chosen, and the learning activities shared.
Language issues could be a challenge with my classroom also. The translation sites are convenient and nice, but if my students in first grade are still learning how to read their own language, they would have trouble trying to translate another. This obstacle could be overcome by possibly having parent volunteers or older student buddies within the building help them to read and translate the language using the www.epals.com site.
District filters could also be a challenge. Many Web2.0 tools within districts are blocked, despite educational value. Acknowledging these issues beforehand would make this challenge easier to overcome. If there is value to a site being used with the project, teachers could ask their technology department to unblock it. Bandwidth within a district could also be an obstacle. It could require classrooms to find other means of communicating. For example, they may not have the means to video, so instead they'd have to chat... which would be feasible, but may not have the same impact on the learning experience.
Cultural differences may also be challenging, because students' expectations and behaviors differ with different cultures. Educational and personal values are different between countries. Understanding other cultures before the initial project starts is very important. Providing that background to students will make the project more meaningful and will enable them to realize commonalities and differences that may arise.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
There are definitely many justifications for implementing PBL into the curriculum.
According to research, PBL lends itself to student achievement through engaging activities that provide collaborative learning skills and improved test scores. Constructivist learning drives PBL.
As Brooks stated:
Meaningful learning takes place and students are developing real life skills that are relevant. They are exploring deep into a topic of interest, actively acquiring knowledge. Being a primary teacher, I use PBL in my classroom all the time. Hands-on learning is modeled and encouraged in the primary grades. PBL is great because I am able to reach all of my students' learning styles, and students are motivated to learn.
PBL also has all of the qualities that are necessary to prepare students for 21st Century learning. Students are communicating, thinking critically and making connections.
Understandably, PBL entails a lot of planning by the teacher. Lessons must be developed to meet students needs and interests. Assessments occur through daily classroom projects or activities, and are varied. As teachers, our job is to prepare our students for the future. We should provide learning experiences that foster Pinks "six senses" in order to help our students succeed in an ever changing world. PBL can lend itself to this goal, and enable students to practice the 3C's: Collaborate, Communicate, and Construct knowledge.
According to research, PBL lends itself to student achievement through engaging activities that provide collaborative learning skills and improved test scores. Constructivist learning drives PBL.
As Brooks stated:
"Students are given the freedom to think, question, reflect, and interact with ideas, objects and others."
Meaningful learning takes place and students are developing real life skills that are relevant. They are exploring deep into a topic of interest, actively acquiring knowledge. Being a primary teacher, I use PBL in my classroom all the time. Hands-on learning is modeled and encouraged in the primary grades. PBL is great because I am able to reach all of my students' learning styles, and students are motivated to learn.
PBL also has all of the qualities that are necessary to prepare students for 21st Century learning. Students are communicating, thinking critically and making connections.
Understandably, PBL entails a lot of planning by the teacher. Lessons must be developed to meet students needs and interests. Assessments occur through daily classroom projects or activities, and are varied. As teachers, our job is to prepare our students for the future. We should provide learning experiences that foster Pinks "six senses" in order to help our students succeed in an ever changing world. PBL can lend itself to this goal, and enable students to practice the 3C's: Collaborate, Communicate, and Construct knowledge.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
~ Exemplars of Project Based Learning ~
After exploring these three articles...
“More Fun Than a Barrel of . . . Worms?!”
- Diane Curtis, Edutopia
“Geometry Students Angle into Architecture Through Project Learning” - Sara Armstrong, Edutopia
“March of the Monarchs: Students Follow the Butterflies' Migration”
- Diane Curtis, Edutopia
The circumstances and design principles that were common among these three examples were that each project contained real-life connections and was brain-based. Students were engaged in active learning and became efficient workers through demonstrating critical thinking, interpersonal, and problem solving skills. Transfer of learning occurred in each of these examples, because real-world connections were made. Different instructional methods were used to reach all students’ learning styles. All of the projects were developed based on an essential question and enabled students to engage in 21st Century learning skills.
The role of the teachers in the three examples was that of a facilitator. The teachers allowed students to experience the freedom, flexibility, and challenge of lifelong learning, and were not the sole source of knowledge for the students. Students were learning in ways that were meaningful to them and teachers guided the students to learn and seek information on their own. They seemed to encourage students to communicate, share ideas, make decisions and solve problems. In the “Worms” example, the teacher demonstrated a nice balance between teacher/facilitator roles. The teachers in all three examples essentially gave up some control in the classroom, and shared the opinion that knowing how to learn, problem solve, think and be flexible may be more important for students than specific disciplines and content material. The students’ role in the three examples was to explore, investigate the topic at hand, make decisions, work collaboratively, and communicate with others. Students learned to practice teamwork and gain respect for others through these projects.
These learning experiences all increased student engagement and knowledge because students were experiencing real understanding of content taught and were emotionally involved in their learning. The students were actively engaged in the learning process and were all experiencing learning instead of merely reading out of textbooks. The enthusiasm of each students learning experience was evident in the video examples. They were all emotionally attached to their projects and found meaning and value in them. I am certain that these projects will be something the students remember for many years to come. They took pride in their work because they were responsible for the content and final outcome.
“More Fun Than a Barrel of . . . Worms?!”
- Diane Curtis, Edutopia
“Geometry Students Angle into Architecture Through Project Learning” - Sara Armstrong, Edutopia
“March of the Monarchs: Students Follow the Butterflies' Migration”
- Diane Curtis, Edutopia
The circumstances and design principles that were common among these three examples were that each project contained real-life connections and was brain-based. Students were engaged in active learning and became efficient workers through demonstrating critical thinking, interpersonal, and problem solving skills. Transfer of learning occurred in each of these examples, because real-world connections were made. Different instructional methods were used to reach all students’ learning styles. All of the projects were developed based on an essential question and enabled students to engage in 21st Century learning skills.
The role of the teachers in the three examples was that of a facilitator. The teachers allowed students to experience the freedom, flexibility, and challenge of lifelong learning, and were not the sole source of knowledge for the students. Students were learning in ways that were meaningful to them and teachers guided the students to learn and seek information on their own. They seemed to encourage students to communicate, share ideas, make decisions and solve problems. In the “Worms” example, the teacher demonstrated a nice balance between teacher/facilitator roles. The teachers in all three examples essentially gave up some control in the classroom, and shared the opinion that knowing how to learn, problem solve, think and be flexible may be more important for students than specific disciplines and content material. The students’ role in the three examples was to explore, investigate the topic at hand, make decisions, work collaboratively, and communicate with others. Students learned to practice teamwork and gain respect for others through these projects.
These learning experiences all increased student engagement and knowledge because students were experiencing real understanding of content taught and were emotionally involved in their learning. The students were actively engaged in the learning process and were all experiencing learning instead of merely reading out of textbooks. The enthusiasm of each students learning experience was evident in the video examples. They were all emotionally attached to their projects and found meaning and value in them. I am certain that these projects will be something the students remember for many years to come. They took pride in their work because they were responsible for the content and final outcome.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
