RSA #2 Project-Based Learning

Project-Based Learning

Online Resource:

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/pbl-role-shift-to-ccss-sara-hallermann

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMCZvGesRz8

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/PBL-aligned-to-common-core-eric-isslehardt

http://bie.org/object/document/main_course_not_dessert

http://www.teachthought.com/learning/project-based-learning/13-timeless-project-based-learning-resources/

What would it be like to walk into a Project-Based Learning classroom? A project –based learning (PBL) classroom will have students trying to answer driving questions, collaborating, and researching.  Students learn as “they build collaboration, problem-solving, communication and technological skills” (Larmer, J & Mergendoller,J.R., 2010).

According to The Main Course…Not Dessert, students need to do more than remember information (2010). By using PBL in the classroom students will learn at a deeper level. Students will have to learn to ask questions, and use a process of inquiry to find answers to their questions. Opportunities for students to revise and reflect upon their learning are also part of PBL. Using a PBL model will help students learn real life skills to enable them to achieve their goals in life. Students can be presented with a real life project to solve. The students learn from doing a project, not from listening to lectures. According to Project-Based Learning Research Review, “students learn best by experiencing and solving real-world problems” (Vega, 2012). The PBL model in Project-Based Learning Research Review article, states that it “helps students perform as well as or better than traditional learners in high-stakes tests, improves problem-solving and collaboration skills, and improves students' attitudes towards learning” (Vega, 2012).  In a PBL environment teachers serve as facilitators or coaches “of inquiry and reflection” (Vega, 2012). The video, Project-Based Learning:Explained was great for summing up PBL.

Trying to use PBL in your classroom may feel overwhelming when thinking about the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The article, The Role of PBL in Making The Shift to Common Core, gives great examples about how PBL will fit into the CCSS classroom. One “Big Idea,” is about teaching students to persevere. In PBL students are to analyze, solve problems, and think critically ( Hallermann, 2013).  “PBL teachers to provide students with regular, structured opportunities to give and receive feedback about the quality of their work-in-progress, demonstrate perseverance, and polish their products until they successfully meet the established criteria for success” (Hallermann, 2013).  At one school implementing PBL, Green Street Academy Fountation, Isselhardt says, “Rather than acting as directive teachers, our faculty members were more like coaches in a student-led inquiry environment” (2013). PBL can provide an authentic learning experience for students in the classroom.  Moving from a traditional classroom model may be difficult for teachers who have a hard time giving up control, but after they see the results in student achievement they may change their minds.

           

References

Problem-Base Learning:Explained. (2010). Buck Institute for Education. Retrieved February 6, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMCZvGesRz8

Hallermann, Sara  (2013). The Role of PBL in Making the Shift to Common Core. Edutopia, , . 

   Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/pbl-role-shift-to-ccss-sara-hallermann

Isselhardt,Eric Ph.D. (2013). Creating Schoolwide PBL Aligned to Common Core. Edutopia, , .    Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/PBL-aligned-to-common-core-eric-isslehardt

Larmer,John, & Mergendoller, John R. (2010). The Main Course, Not Dessert. Buck Institute for Education 2010, , . Retrieved from http://bie.org/object/document/main_course_not_dessert

Staff (2013). 12 Timeless Project-Based Learning Resources. TeachThought, , . 

  Retrieved from http://www.teachthought.com/learning/project-based-learning/13-timeless-project-based-learning-resources/