PBL
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“Imagine a day in the distant future when a student
comes home from school (or the community learning center), and the parent asks,
“What did you do at school today?” And the child answers, “The teacher tried something
new today. She called it a “lecture”. It’s something they used to do in school at
the beginning of the century” (Markham, 2011).
Project based learning (PBL) is becoming increasingly popular in schools, replacing lecture and direct instruction with more student oriented learning activities. While most teacher traditionally assign planned project at the end of a learning cycle and then assess student learning, PBL is designed to allow students to learn as they investigate. “First, PBL integrates knowing and doing” (Markham, 2011). This is done through learning and applying what students already know to solve real problems and produce solutions or answers that matter. “Students focus on a problem or challenge, work in teams to find a solution to the problem, and often exhibit their work to an adult audience at the end of the project. Increasingly, PBL students take advantage of digital tools to produce high quality, collaborative projects” (Markham, 2011). It is important as educators to remember that students need guidance and direction when searching for a real problem to solve and investigate. “Second, well-executed PBL emphasizes a carefully planned assessment that incorporates formative feedback, detailed rubrics, and multiple evaluations of content and skills. It offers the teachers the opportunity to teach, observe, and measure the growth of real world skills” (Markham, 2011). By allowing teachers the opportunity to not only teach, but observe and measure their students’ progress; it gives them the opportunity to learn and grow right along with their students. The 21st century has seen students move towards computer and technology use in the classroom. Technology can be used as a means to allow students to experiment with different aspects of PBL. “An authentic use of technology is highly engaging to students, because it taps into their fluency with computers. Students participate in research using the Internet. During this phase of PBL, students learn how to navigate the Internet judiciously, as well as to discriminate between reliable and unreliable sources” (Bell, 2010). Students need to practice and show that they know the skills necessary to succeed at PBL. PBL “refocuses education on the student, not the curriculum, which rewards intangible assets such as drive, passion, creativity, empathy, and resiliency. These cannot be taught out of a textbook, but must be activated through experience” (Markham, 2011). That experience is something that PBL can give to students and teachers. References: Markham, T. (2011). Project Based Learning. Teacher Librarian, 39(2), 38-42. Bell, S. (2010). Project-based learning for the 21st century: skills for the future. Clearing House, 83(2), 39-43. | Project-Based Learning
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