Project Based Learning:
This module was focused on project based learning and how it can be incorporated in classrooms. According to the Buck Institute for Education, PBL is a "teaching method in which students learn by actively engaging in real-world and personally meaningful projects." The idea behind PBL is to create projects that get students thinking and working to answer a complex question. PBL typically will culminate with a finished product or a presentation to a real audience.
Additionally, PBL projects are different than simply "doing a project" because projects are typically given to students after they fully understand a topic while in project based learning, "the project is the vehicle for teaching the important knowledge and skills student need to learn." (Buck Institute)
At the end of the day, the Gold Standard PBL model gives teachers two useful guides to showcase what a high quality project based learning experience would look like and feel like in a classroom. The information presented in the graph on the left details design elements that should be in the project and the information on the right details best teaching practices as students engage in PBL.
This module was focused on project based learning and how it can be incorporated in classrooms. According to the Buck Institute for Education, PBL is a "teaching method in which students learn by actively engaging in real-world and personally meaningful projects." The idea behind PBL is to create projects that get students thinking and working to answer a complex question. PBL typically will culminate with a finished product or a presentation to a real audience.
Additionally, PBL projects are different than simply "doing a project" because projects are typically given to students after they fully understand a topic while in project based learning, "the project is the vehicle for teaching the important knowledge and skills student need to learn." (Buck Institute)
At the end of the day, the Gold Standard PBL model gives teachers two useful guides to showcase what a high quality project based learning experience would look like and feel like in a classroom. The information presented in the graph on the left details design elements that should be in the project and the information on the right details best teaching practices as students engage in PBL.
More on PBL...
After learning more about project based learning I was intrigued and wanted to answer the question: is project based learning an effective learning strategy or are students not getting as much out of it than they could through direct instruction or group work? Project based learning is important because it connects students to the real world and gives them a taste of what professionals do every day. Additionally, Daniel Pink, the author of Drive and a ted talk speaker stated that, "people are intrinsically motivated by three things—autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Popular terms like grit and rigor become embedded dispositions when learners sink their teeth into meaningful endeavors." Projects that are meaningful may increase student engagement and learning. Additionally, studies done by "the University and Michigan and Michigan State University suggests the implementation of project-based learning correlated positively with student achievement, particularly in schools serving high-poverty communities." (link here) Overall, I feel that PBL gives students opportunities to work with their hands and technology, understand the content, increase their ability to work with others, and also develop problem solving skills. See the following links to learn more about the benefits of project based learning. Sources: https://www.pblworks.org/what-is-pbl https://www.schoology.com/blog/project-based-learning-pbl-benefits-examples-and-resources https://www.edutopia.org/project-based-learning-guide-importance Project Based Learning in my classroom In my current role as an Algebra 1, Algebra 2 and Geometry teacher I try to incorporate PBL and integrated projects where I can and have capacity for. In order to create PBL learning segments it is necessary to plan ahead, gather materials, fully understand your students and what drives them. Currently, my geometry students are learning about dilations and similarity . In an attempt to have them better understand similar triangles I had students create pinhole cameras using old coffee containers. The idea was inspired by the following lesson and my lesson materials (provided by the Oakland Unified School District) can be found by opening the following file. Through this lesson, students became more familiar with the technology of cameras, learned about negative dilations and scale factor, worked with a partner, and had fun while doing it. This was a two day lesson with a debrief at the end to summarize student learning and understanding. PBL often appears in my classroom in other forms, mainly through integrated projects. An example of an integrated project was the 9th Grade Algebra 1 Cancer Project where students learned to analyze statistics, mainly relative risk, standard deviation, and average to explain who is potentially at risk for developing cancer. Students role played doctor and patient and had opportunities to work with real health care professionals. PBL also showed up in my Algebra 2 class earlier this year as students were working to complete what is known as the Sophomore Defense. See the following site for a detailed outline of the project and the task that students had to complete. Click here. Students learned how to utilize Google Spreadsheets to analyze data and create graphs about HIV prevalence in Alameda County and defend their argument on potential solutions to the HIV epidemic. |