Strategies for PBL

Here are my two strategies that I’ll be implementing in my PBL:

Jigsaw activity:

Choose an aspect of your group’s presentation, could be the effects of a problem, a certain player on the football team, etc.

You will then research this aspect for up to an hour using the Internet.

You will then be placed into mixed groups containing students from different teams and will discuss what you have learned about this aspect for about 15-20 minutes.

Questions you will ask in the mixed groups:

1) What did you learn about your topic that you didn’t already know?

2) Does what you learned change your opinion about the topic?

3) How does your topic affect society, you, or the school?

4) What are the problems, challenges, weaknesses, and strengths of your topic?

Afterwards, you will come back to your home groups and discuss what you have learned for about 15-20 minutes.

Questions you will ask when back in home teams:

1) What did the other group’s topics have in common with your topics?

2) What was different about their topics and why?

3) What additional knowledge did you gain from discussing their topic or your topic?

4) Knowing what you know now about the topics, what would you change about your article, or the other groups’ articles?

At the conclusion of the home group’s discussion, each home group will give a brief oral presentation listing the five most important or interesting things they learned about their topics or the other students’ topics.

Concept Attainment:

Home teams will create quizzes about their topic after completing their articles; quizzes should be at least 15 questions long and will be embedded into the templates for the class magazine. The quizzes should follow the videos. When students read and comment on the articles at the end of the project, they will be required to complete at least two quizzes. Students will use MyStudiyo to create the quizzes.

http://www.mystudiyo.com/

Concept Attainment

http://www.mystudiyo.com/ch/a98372/go

 

I couldn’t get the quiz to embed here. Please click the above link to see my quiz!

Assessment

http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AcAXbDgEpuYjZGM3Y3AzN3BfNGQzdG1ncGhu&hl=en

I couldn’t get the tables to come out right here so I’ve put my rubric into a Google Doc. Check it out via the link above.

Class Magazine

An idea for an IT-assisted project I have for a social studies or English class is a “Class Magazine.” It would be similar to a school newspaper but not as structured or in a tradional format. Students would form groups based on their interests and then research a topic and write an article on it. So, for example, students into sports could write something about the football team; students into music could write about a band in the school or about an artist they like; students who like a particular TV show, book, social issue, or movie could write about that; a lot of things could be written about, and it would be fun for students and cater to their interests. The students could use word processing, graphic design, spreadsheets, and other software and hardware IT applications. The project would also make good use of the multiple intelligences in that students would be interacting, being creative, and pursuing their interests be they musical, physical, and artistic, etc.

Of course certain parameters must be set for such a project; students would only be able to cover subjects that are school-appropriate and hold at least some educational value. Schedules, time limits, content expectations, and milestones must be set up. Self, group, and class assessments must be implemented, and the project needs to explained clearly to the students so they know what they are working towards. The teacher must also be able to motivate the students along the way and make sure that they are making adequate progress and working together in an acceptable fashion.

Parameters, content, and behavior issues aside, this could be a fun and enjoyable project for students. They could pursue their interests and build IT, group work, thinking and writing skills in the process.

Time Management

Time management in project based learning is crucial. Since students are working on their own, they must have an idea of when things will be due and how much time they’ll have to complete each part, etc. It’s important that they are aware of time constraints so they’ll finish the project in a timely manner. I like the idea of milestones and goals and setting up specific schedules for projects. Say if it’s a research project, it’s a good idea to have a couple days for research, a day or two for writing, a day or two for editing, and a day for tying up loose ends and making final adjustments. Setting such a schedule allows students to work at a measured pace toward a specific goal. Students will also be better off in knowing exactly what they need to do, what is expected of them, and how much time they’ll have to complete the project. Setting a schedule and having milestones is vital to any project based learning activity.

The only downside I can see in having a schedule is that some students might feel rushed and become stressed. Deadlines are stressful things, but they are a part of life students will inevitably deal with in some form or another regardless of whichever occupation they choose.  It’s best to prepare students for such realities of life as soon as possible, in my opinion; however, we should be setting realistic deadlines and milestones for them that are achievable, and teachers should make a strong  effort to help their students achieve these goals.

Lastly, when doing an IT based project, special consideration should be paid to students from economically disadvantaged homes. It’s not fair to give all students take home IT assignments if they do not all have Internet or computer access. Accommodations should be made for students to stay after school and use a computer lab if take home work IT work is required. Students should also be given realistic homework assignments and not have too much piled upon them. While they do need to be challenged, they also don’t need to be overwhelmed. Teachers should be careful not to assign too much but also not to make the projects too easy for students.

Social Networking: How one could use it in the classroom

I think Facebook, or a similar social-networking application, would be an excellent Web 2.0 tool to use in the classroom because it connects everyone together. For example, students in an English class could use it as an electronic journal. Instead of writing entries in a traditional notebook, students could write them online. This would enable other students to read and critique them, would save a lot of money on paper and pens, and teachers could easily go through and give instant feedback or grades on the entries. There are ways to make entries or posts private, too, so only a certain person or people could view them; that way a student could feel comfortable writing about something personal that they don’t want to share with everyone.

Another great thing about using a social networking site would be the ability for students to make use of other Web 2.0 tools. They could post pics, videos, communicate with each other about class projects, and even access and update their pages via mobile devices as well. Students would have the ability to post media relating to a story they’ve written or are reading in class such as pics, music, clips from a play, movie, TV show, or anything relevant. Doing so would be a great application of the multiple intelligences in that artistically or musically inclined individuals could showcase their abilities. Also, by their very nature, these sorts of sites make great use of interaction (interpersonal intelligence) and expression (intrapersonal intelligence).

Collaborative writing projects could be done with ease, too, as students could write and quickly email drafts to each other for additions, revisions, and publication. A story could be sent around to twenty people in a day or two and the teacher could monitor the progress of each draft and offer guidance along the way.

Obviously, there are many drawbacks and things to be wary of when using such applications. Will students abuse it? Will students use the text-message speak teenagers often do on these sites? (Teachers should certainly discourage that!) Will their pages be accessible by anyone? Security procedures are important with anything involving children. Teachers should make sure that all pages are private and viewable only by others in the class. Perhaps instead of using Facebook, a similar social networking page could be set up inside a school’s Intranet which could only be used in school. Also, what about students who are economically disadvantaged and don’t have access to a computer? A teacher must make accommodations for any such student so they aren’t left out.

In the future, I see more and more integration of technology in the classroom as we become increasingly dependent on the Internet for even the most routine functions in our daily lives. I think that setting up networks where students can interact, publish work, seek assistance, and use various tools for educational purposes will greatly benefit our children by making learning more interactive and will definitely help further prepare them for today’s high tech world.

Inquiry-Based Learning: What is it?

Inquiry-Based Learning is an educational movement which began in the 1960s and continues to grow in popularity. Like any sort of educational practice or philosophy, its effectiveness is debated. I will examine Inquiry-Based Learning and its applications in this blog entry.

What is Inquiry-Based Learning?

Inquiry-Based Learning is a type of instruction in which students work to find solutions to problems, generate hypotheses, further questions, and accumulate knowledge and theories about a given topic, problem, or area. Its progress is judged by how well students generate experimental and analytical skills rather than on how much knowledge they possess.

How does it differ from traditional instruction?

Traditional instruction focuses more on content mastery, seeking the “right” answer, and having the teacher be the dispenser of knowledge, whereas IBL is more focused on generating multiple answers to questions, investigating why a question or topic is important, and has the teacher in more of a “guide” function, helping the students along, rather than instructing them. In IBL the students are the ones instructing themselves through their research and applications of knowledge.

What does it have to do with my classroom?

That’s a good question. It’s up to the individual teacher to decide whether they want to use IBL methods of instruction. However, teachers should think about the fact that traditional methods of instruction centered around rote-memorization and lower-order thinking skills are becoming obsolete in today’s fast-paced world and should consider more thought-provoking and student-involved methods of instruction such as IBL.

What are the benefits of IBL?

Students are benefited by being more involved in their work, not being confined to seeking only one “correct” answer, and hopefully should be more motivated by this type of constructivist instruction.

How has IBL developed since its inception and initial popularity?

IBL has gone through many changes and developments. The “Whole Language” movement was an important development in IBL in that it emphasized the roles reading and writing play in learning. Nowadays, there are a lot of changes coming into IBL as computers, the Internet, and software change how students learn. Many IT components can be used in IBL activities in a way not possible ten or twenty years ago.

What are some critical perspectives?

Education is not fixed or static. We need to constantly adjust the way we teach students due to our ever-changing world. Students need to be able to utilize their different intelligences, write clearly, ask questions, generate theories and solutions, and think out of the box. IBL prepares students and gives them the skills to do such things, while traditional instruction does not.

How can I use IBL in conjunction with other educational techniques?

Teachers should look for ways to integrate IBL into their lessons. For instance, in an English class, instead of reading a story and coming to one determination about a protagonist’s actions, why not generate multiple theories about his/her actions? Then, at the conclusion of the unit, an exam could be taken to evaluate students’ understanding of the material. Something like that is an easy way to mesh traditional instruction and IBL together.

I think it’s up to each individual teacher to decide whether or not to use IBL in the classroom. Does it suit his/her style of instruction? What about the students? How would they respond to it? It’s even possible to try some IBL activities and see how they go; if they work, a teacher could integrate more of them into their lessons. However, one thing I wonder about is whether or not it’s possible in a “No Child Left Behind” environment to use this sort of instruction when you’re so pressed for time and have several high-stakes tests to take. Balancing that and innovative methods like Problem-Based Learning and Inquiry-Based Learning is tough but is something, in my opinion, we as educators should seek to accomplish.

Project Based Learning Websites

Some different Project Based Learning  and other education websites I’ve visited-

http://www.edutopia.org/project-based-learning-overview

The George Lucas Educational Foundation has set up this site, and it’s full of lots of good stuff. There are videos on Project Based Learning, articles, blogs/comments from education experts, info on technology integration, and a lot more. I’d have liked links to other education sites and lesson plans, but overall it’s a good site, especially if you’re just seeking an overview of the concept. Plus, they’re doing a lot more than just PBL here and there many other things on the site worth looking into.

http://teachersnetwork.org/

This is a site I really like. They have a good page on PBL and many PBL lesson plans categorized by subject. In addition, there are all sorts of resources for teachers both new and experienced. There’s lots great videos, podcasts, links, articles, research, etc. Although it is designed and directed at teachers in NYC, the resources here are so good that they can carry over to teaching anywhere. I especially liked the PBL lesson plans and will undoubtedly be coming back to this page again and taking advantage of its many resources.

http://pbl-online.org/default.htm

Project based learning dot org is a fantastic website. For just purely Project Based Learning, it’s the best site I’ve found. There are comprehensive explanations of what PBL is, how to implement it in the classroom, how to assess it, a project library, forms for teachers and students to use, books, videos, tuturials on online learning for both students and teachers, and much more. To access the PBL laboratory you need to sign up for an account, but other than that, everything else is instantly accessible. This is really a great site and I would definitely recommend it.

http://virtualinquiry.com/inquiry/inquiry7.htm

Information age inquiry is a good site for ‘Inquiry Based Learning.” It explains what IBL is, how it’s best carried out, barriers to it, and has tons of links with examples, articles, lesson plans, research, models, etc. The layout of the page is simple and easy to navigate. I might like a few pics and some videos on there as well, but the simple layout does help make it an easy to navigate and concise site, and I found many of the links helpful.

http://youtube.com

I found many different Project, Inquiry, and Problem ased Learning videos on YouTube. Some were better than others, but many were useful, such as the one above that spells out how to enact Problem Based Learning projects in the classroom. What I liked about some of the other videos I found were that many showed these types of instruction in action, so you could see how they were done. There are also testimonials from educators on PBL, IBL, etc., and news clips on their growing popularity in schools. The downside to YouTube is you have to wade through many irrelevant videos to find good ones, though the time and effort is often worth it as there are lots of good educational videos there, and I like how you can easily embed them to other sites, such as this!

Didactic Versus Constructivist Learning

For my learning and teaching, I must say I prefer constructivist learning and teaching. It allows students to get involved to a greater extent and gives them a greater choice in, and control of, their learning. Having the students work in teams, pick different ways to solve problems, and utilize various forms of media and IT is a beneficial and interactive approach to education that is more engaging and rewarding than the straightforward lecture approach of direct instruction. However, there are times when some lecture is necessary, such as a subject like math where steps, formulas, etc., need to be explained in detail before students will be able to work on their own. And even with most constructivist learning projects, it’s a good idea to have a mini-lecture beforehand just to explain the purpose of the project so the students know what to do, what’s expected of them, and so on.

It’s best to find a good mix between the two. Too many constructivist activities and students may lose focus, not have enough guidance, et cetera; too much of a didactic approach and students might become bored and disinterested. A good balance of the two, which keeps students centered, interested, and motivated, is what all teachers should strive to employ in their classrooms.

Chapter Two, “An Overview of IT-Assisted PBL,”  further explains the benefits of constructivist learning in that it increases opportunities for students to use IT applications. Instead of just answering questions on worksheets, students use software to create projects; in doing so, they able to be creative and further sharpen their computer skills. CH2 also proposes that a lot of instruction is not necessary on how to use the software, either, as students (and teachers) tend to learn through doing. I would definitely agree with that. Certainly problem based learning and constructivist activities are better for learning IT and software applications because they are much more hands-on. I also really like what Ch2 says about how the teacher should be more of a guide than a sage and how the teacher is also a learner, too, in constructivist instruction. For me as a teacher that style is very appealing in many ways, mostly because it makes me as a teacher feel like I’m part of the class instead of the one in charge of it. To me, constructivist learning is the way to go because it is much more involving and motivating, not just for students, but for teachers too.

Drought Project

A project based activity I can remember from elementary school was one where my fifth grade social studies class compiled a special issue of the student newspaper dedicated to the drought our area was undergoing. We worked as a team to discuss what a drought is, its effects on the environment, and water conservation. My friend and I were chosen to investigate ways to conserve water, and we talked to our science teacher, our parents, and the local chapter of Greenpeace about ways to use less water in our daily routines. Some of the things we learned have actually stayed with me to this day, such not leaving the sink running while brushing your teeth, taking shorter showers, etc. It was actually very informative learning about how much water we consume; it made me think of being careful about not using so much, even in non-draught conditions, because there is only so much of it on the planet.

The final edition of the newspaper was very interesting and had a lot of people talking. I think a project like this is a good idea because it deals with an important and relevant issue everybody can relate to; water effects us all in one way or another. The fact that I can even remember it to this day proves that it was certainly a worthwhile and educational activity. The only problem I can remember having with it was that we had compiled so much information that it was hard to edit everything down for a final article. I recall there being some arguments between people as to what information should go into the final copy of the newspaper, but I guess those sorts of confrontations are natural.

Perhaps something like this could be done now in a South Texas classroom since we are experiencing drought conditions. I think the current draught has made me think back to this project.

I would say the project met the ten goals of Problem Based Learning in the following ways:

1. Developing content area expertise: Researching, discussing, writing about and compiling information gave us a greater understanding of the content

2. Improve research skills: We got to practice and put into action the information we compiled

3. Improve higher-order thinking skills: The project required us to think about solutions to the problem

4. Learning how to do a project: We learned about teamwork, editing, and how to put togther a project containing a lot of information

5. Learning to use IT: This was before computers were as widespread. We didn’t use IT. Certainly a similar project nowadays would.

6. Conducting self- and peer-assessment: We gave each other feedback but didn’t really assess each other formally. As a teacher I might give students self-assessment rubrics.

7.  Developing a portfolio: I didn’t use the project in any type of portfolio; my school didn’t really have such things as portfolios, though this sort of project certainly would look good in one.

8. Asssuming personal responsibility: I remember us all being intrinsically motivated and enthusiastic about the project. As a teacher that’s what you’d want from your students. If they weren’t motivated or were disruptive, you’d have to find ways to motivate them.

9. Being part of a community of scholars: I remember the entire class, school, and parents being very active and engaged in the project; obviously, that’s what you’d want as a teacher or student. I think this goes back to number 8, if people are motivated, their positive attitude will foster this sort of environment.

10. Working on important ideas: The project definitely focused on an important and relevant issue that affected all of us. I believe any good project based learning activity should.