What Can Teachers and Students Teach Us About Project Based Learning?
After reading this article I learned seven essentials for project-based learning. The first essential is called an entry event. This gets the students engaged into the project. It allows them to start conversations and create interests for the students. The second essential is called a driving question. A driving question should be an open ended question that gets students to begin thinking. The question should be a way to overview what the students are learning at the time. It should give the students the knowledge and purpose of the project. It also allows the students to know what information to put into the project. The third essential for project-based learning is to remember to not give students a limit. Allow them to explore and be creative in their own ways. We should not tell them exactly what we expect of them, but instead give them the basic guidelines which will allow them to create on their own. The fourth essential is technology. We should use as well as allow the students to use it. It's the twenty-first century! They can use the technology for communicating and exploring. We should not keep them from that. The fifth essential is to help create students that want to ask their own questions so that they learn more. Teachers should not just tell them information. We should tell them in a way that gets their minds curious and causes them to ask more questions. The sixth essential for project-based learning is feedback and revision. Feedback and revision is important to cause students to become successful at creating quality work. When they receive feedback and revision on their work, whether positive or negative, they will know what to improve on for the next project. The seventh and final essential is to publicly present the product. When students know they have to present work to the class, they want to work harder and make a better product. Students take pride in their work when they created it and came up with all the ideas. Allowing them to present their product builds up confidence in them.
Project-based learning is important for teachers to incorporate in their classroom because it creates students that are able to be creative and inspired learners. This video tells teachers that we should not be asking the question of "what" but "how". Project based learning allows them to think on their own with a driven question from the teacher. In classrooms today, we expect students to follow specific instructions and follow them exactly. It seems that students today are not allowed to explore, think, or be creative on their own. Project-based learning creates and allows those things to be reincorporated into the classroom atmosphere.
3. PBL: What Motivates Students Today
After watching this video, I am more concerned about what motivates students and I question if they are really learning. The student in this video, says that she wants to be veterinarian when she grows up but seems to be only concerned about her grades. Are the students today only concerned about make the "A" and only absorbing the knowledge long enough to pass the test which leads to forgetting what they memorized? As a future educator, I long to create students that genuinely want to learn as well as want to make good grades, but I do not want the grades to be their main motivation. Students should be taught so that they learn the knowledge for long term, not just for a test.
After watching this video, I am more concerned about what motivates students and I question if they are really learning. The student in this video, says that she wants to be veterinarian when she grows up but seems to be only concerned about her grades. Are the students today only concerned about make the "A" and only absorbing the knowledge long enough to pass the test which leads to forgetting what they memorized? As a future educator, I long to create students that genuinely want to learn as well as want to make good grades, but I do not want the grades to be their main motivation. Students should be taught so that they learn the knowledge for long term, not just for a test.
4. High School Teachers Meet the Challenges of PBL Implementation
Project-based learning is for all grades and even for any subject. Project-based learning is not conformed to a specific way or type. It can be changed and reformed to fit the needs of the subject of students. There is not a right or wrong way to create a project assignment for students. Teachers just need remember to accommodate the requirement and information for the age classroom they are applying it to. Project-based learning can be fun and affective for any grade or any subject but it just needs accommodate for the specific situation for the best results.
Project-based learning is for all grades and even for any subject. Project-based learning is not conformed to a specific way or type. It can be changed and reformed to fit the needs of the subject of students. There is not a right or wrong way to create a project assignment for students. Teachers just need remember to accommodate the requirement and information for the age classroom they are applying it to. Project-based learning can be fun and affective for any grade or any subject but it just needs accommodate for the specific situation for the best results.
5. Students Solve the Problem of Watery Ketchup by Designing a New Cap
This article was unlike any other project-based learning assignment I have ever see or heard. The students were using a ketchup cap and determining, "what really bugs them." These students seemed to be engaged in the project. They seemed to enjoy making their own ketchup cap. Their driving question was, "it bugs me when." This question did not limit the students to a specific answer or project, but allowed them to think and create their own project. This article did a great job at showing that students are capable of more than we give them credit. As a future educator, I need to remember to ask my students the driving question and then allow them to think and explore on their own - outside the box.
This article was unlike any other project-based learning assignment I have ever see or heard. The students were using a ketchup cap and determining, "what really bugs them." These students seemed to be engaged in the project. They seemed to enjoy making their own ketchup cap. Their driving question was, "it bugs me when." This question did not limit the students to a specific answer or project, but allowed them to think and create their own project. This article did a great job at showing that students are capable of more than we give them credit. As a future educator, I need to remember to ask my students the driving question and then allow them to think and explore on their own - outside the box.
Great post Courtney! I like how thorough you were in writing about the materials we read/watched in preparation for this post. Project based learning allows students to take learning into their own hands, and the "pay-off"seems to be so much greater than a traditional lecture format. I'm excited at the prospect of being able to incorporate PBL in my class room.
ReplyDeleteHey Courtney!
ReplyDeleteAll this research that we do on Project Based Learning has me very excited about teaching it. I like how PBL helps students have fun while learning and exploring. The best part is that they get to express themselves and be creative! futhermore, a lot of kids struggle with being themselves at school and doing projects that incorporate individuality is a great way to help them express themselves and deal with peer pressure because they are learning how to be themselves without shame.
Great post!