Prompt: Explain the pedagogical justifications for using project-based learning based on the unit's readings.
Think back to learning experiences in your own education. Describe the circumstances of that experience that were particularly successful in helping you make meaning of and transfer the learning.
The one thing that stuck out in my mind about the textbook reading is that it focuses on "real world projects." The students now are in the driver's seat. "Instead of following the teacher's lead, learners pursue their own questions to create their own meaning"(Boss & Krauss, 2007). The student's are creating lifelong connections to the material being presented. They are seeing the APPLICATION of the knowledge instead of memorizing the material only to forget it once the test is over. This reminds me of Bloom's Taxonomy. This is taking learning from the bottom of the taxonomy, all the way to the top! The students are going from memorizing details to applying the knowledge to ask and answer higher level questions. When the student's get their mind to make these connections, they truly learn.
One of the things that Wiggins and McTigh mention is how students always ask, “Why do we need to learn this stuff?” I have to say, I get that all of the time being a social studies teacher. I also notice that a great deal of my students simply forget material after I give the test. According to Wiggins and McTighe, “Students typically perform adequately on items requiring recall and basic skills but do poorly on items requiring application or careful analysis and explanation” (2008). This statement truly is telling. The students are not developing those higher thinking skills. They are simply cramming for an exam, spitting out the info, then forgetting about it. I want to break this mold!! Project based learning forces the students to think beyond the information. PBL requires that the students to make connections, ask questions and apply knowledge they already have. The pedagogical justifications of PBL are that the students aren’t just memorizing then forgetting. They are not only building knowledge but also building a problem solving skill set that will serve them as they go through school and life. “The mission of high school is not to cover content, but rather to help learners become thoughtful about, and productive with content. It’s not to help students get good at school, but to prepare them for the world beyond school- to enable them to apply what they have learned to issues and problems they will face in the future” (Wiggins & McTigh, 2008). The purpose and justification of PBL is to create high level thinkers that use their new found skills for the rest of their lives.
One of the things I thought about while doing the readings for this week is that I can barely get through the curriculum as it is. How can I effectively get through the curriculum and devote a large block of time to doing projects. There have been times I have had to cut things short because I simply had to get through x number of chapters. “In the race to prepare for high stakes state assessments, students are losing out on instructional practices that foster meaningful learning” (Brooks & Brooks, 1999). I sometimes think that the current climate toward high stakes testing, limits the true learning that can occur in a classroom. It really is sad! This article also discussed that these tests are actually constricting learning and I completely agree with them. Project Based Learning is about taking the time for students to find and construct their own learning. “Learners control their learning” (Brooks & Brooks, 1999). Are state tests a good measure of this learning? Teachers today spend a great deal of time getting information in before a state tests. If a student needs more time with a topic, sometimes the teacher will just move on in fear of not getting to page xxx in the textbook. I truly believe that state assessments hinder the cultivation of higher level thinking in the classroom.
To be completely honest, I cannot remember any particular project based lessons during my education. The one thing I do remember is that in 8th grade, we had had to debate a topic in one of my classes. We had groups and we had to develop our own arguments to support a topic. Our goal was to win the debate. I wish I could remember more about the project, but I know we had to be really prepared on BOTH sides in order to win. From my experience being a teacher, I had one group of students that completely modified a project I had assigned. Instead of writing diaries of a frontier traveler, the students put on a full scale play. They researched the obstacles a settler would face, and also researched what was required for the trip and wrote a script. They even wrote their own music and lyrics that helped portray the move westward. They even performed the play in front of the entire team! I also have a project that goes over the difficulties of the Jamestown settlement. They have to identify the issues that Jamestown had and solve them. They have to sketch Jamestown how they would lead it. They would have to think of the basic necessities of life and of community and implement them into this new Jamestown. I would simply ask them questions like “How are they going to store food?” or “How would you solve the Native American issue?” I am going to include this in my own education because I saw that the students enjoyed these projects much more than writing an essay. I learned from my students!
References:
Brooks, M. G., & Brooks, J. G. (1999). The courage to be constructivist. 57(3), 18-24. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/nov99/vol57/num03PBL Research
Boss, S., & Krauss, J. (2007). Reinventing project based learning: Your field guide to real world projects in the digital age. Eugene, Oregon: International Society for Technology in Education.
Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2008, May). Put understanding first. Educational Leadership: Reshaping High Schools, 65 (8), 36-41. Retrieved from: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/may08/vol65/num08/Put_Understanding_First.aspx
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