Hi Ladies,
I hope that you have been able to successfully read the attachments from week 1 and found the articles to be informative. Please know that you do have 4 weeks to complete the orientation, but please be advised that if you have reliable internet connections at the moment, it is beneficial to keep up with the site in a timely manner.
Here are Amy's questions from the site so that you can frame your responses for this week. Thanks for your participation; stay cool this week!
As you read through the articles and browse the suggested sites, please think about the following questions for your weekly blog post.
* What do you see as potential benefits to this type of learning?
* What do you see as potential challenges to this type of learning?
* What questions do you have about how to design and/or implement PBL in the classroom?
* Can you think of any interesting cross disciplinary projects you would like to explore using this model?
Since this is a blog I am writing however I feel, so sorry if it is confusing since I tend to write stream of consciousness style. I also focused more on project based since I do not have experience with it.
ReplyDeleteBenefits: Actually working towards something instead of learning to learn
Challenges: Creating a problem based unit; it was easy to come up with a project to focus all the material on but I don’t know how to come up with a problem
Questions of design and implementation: For certain grades you need to re-enforce the problem or project that they are working on/towards. I don’t understand what “ill-structured” problems means. Should we be creating problems based on material and curriculum that we have or should we be focusing more on the problem and then bring in the material that we need to solve the problem?
I really liked the PBLNetwork website as a background basis for creating and implementing PBL. They have a lot of good ideas for high school that we would be able to alter for the grades we are teaching (I was looking at Humanities too). Most of the information is for science, should we be integrating math and science or creating a different problem for math? That would be a challenge for me based on my scientific knowledge, or lack there of.
Hey Kara,
ReplyDeleteGreat questions and ideas, and you're right-- project based is definitely easier to design and implement.
Looking at working with different grades, you can change the format to give the younger girls more structure, while letting the older girls have more independence, another piece that is nice about the PBL format. They're really no right or wrong way to do it-- it's just meant to guide your design.
In terms of integration, the ideal types of PBL lessons really are integrated, but they don't have to be. I'm trying to design one for 5th grade (which I'll share with folks on the math & science site when it's in a little better shape) that's about honeybees-- we'll look at the science of honeybees and pollination as it relates to things, but also the impact on human society and things like that, giving it a bit of a history/social studies piece too.
I don't think it's better or worse if you integrate; I think it just gives you the option to go as narrow or as broad as you'd like in your investigation. What is DOES accomplish, though, is to show the girls how subjects and ideas are related, which is a nice piece. And it can be as simple as teaching them about measurement (a math skill) to help them accomplish part of the project in science. It doesn't need to be any more detailed than that, unless you'd want it to be.
Thanks for sharing. Can't wait to hear what other folks have to say, and then start brainstorming lesson ideas with you all!!! :)
Amy
Hi, hi, e.b. again!
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting to read articles analyzing the style of PBL teaching and learning in such a scientific way because without realizing it, I feel like most of what I did in school was PBL. I guess this is part of this whole transitioning from being the student to being the teacher, but I hadn't realized just how much work goes into constructing a proper good question and setting up the curriculum because when I was a student I felt like I was really running the material through my own research and my own thinking.... I guess that's just proof that it worked well? Like Ms. Foley I found the idea of an "ill-constructed" question confusing -- that phrase makes it sound like a question that is bad and complicated and confusing for the students to figure out, but I feel like what it is supposed to mean more is just a question that doesn't have an easy yes or no answer, yes? Constructing a good question though seems to be the most challenging aspect for the teacher because you need something that challenges the student to do research and hit certain topics through looking for the difficult answer. I just read a book, "Beatrice and Virgil" by Yann Martel, where at the end there is this series of questions in a mini-novella called "Games for Gustav" where the reader is asked to think about questions involving morals that may have come up in the Holocaust, things like "your son found a way to obtain food for your starving family, but if he is caught he will be killed. do you send your son to get the food or not?" Those questions are more philosophical and have less room for research, but that was the kind of thing I began to thing about when I was reading about the "ill-constructed question."
I think though that this whole PBL style of teaching though is especially great for middle schoolers -- it gives them the opportunity to do things like write letters to senators or community members to do research, hands on interview kind of things, that (according to last week's reading) eleven and twelve year olds start to really desire, more than just "busy work." One of the things I always found hardest as a student, even in college, is when I am aware that I am learning just for the sake of learning.... it makes it hard to get motivated. It was always easier to get myself going on a project when I had a final goal -- a photo exhibition or a big final presentation or research paper. PBL seems to disguise learning for the sake of learning in situations that mirror real life. This definitely works because all of the things that remember the most from my middle school classes were when we had to do projects in this PBL style -- things like studying the Lowell Mill girls where we even made our own quilts and had to research their daily lives and put on a play depicting what we learned..... but classes like 5th grade geography where all I did was have to memorize capitals and countries... I can't tell you half of the things I used to know then because they never stuck. But I can tell you all about nine year old mill girls getting their hair stuck in the machines and living in boarding houses far from home and all of that. Basically, what I am trying to get at, is I think it is very affective. I just have a harder time imagining it in a math/science situation though -- maybe because I have less experience in those subjects or maybe just because answers in those disciplines often seem much more straightforward and simple, so how can you complicate matters to come up with an "ill-constructed" question?
What are the benefits of this type of learning?
ReplyDeleteThe studies and the resources provided a pretty good explanation of the benefits. What particularly interested/excited me about the benefits of PBL is the effects on self-efficacy and peer relationships, on which the Cerezo article explored in depth. Although these are valuable qualities at any age level, they seem particularly important for middle school girls, given their developing and ever changing focus on peer-relationships and self-concept.
What do you see as potential challenges to this type of learning?
I was working part-time this past year on an after school program that was meant to build self-efficacy and teach metacognitive strategies through PBL. While there were many things that were successful in this first pilot year, reading these articles helped me realize the source of what was not very successful. The authors of the program focused too much on teaching the strategies and pushing “confidence and relationship growth” activities directly, rather than letting it naturally evolve or be folded into the problem solving itself. Something that stood out for me in the WikEd article from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign was the critic of PBL who mentioned that not all students took real ownership of the problem. While his attitude seemed to be that there is nothing we can do to ensure such ownership, I think the right environment and structuring of the problem would avoid this (as I learned the hard my after school kids this year).
What questions do you have about how to design and/or implement PBL in the classroom?
1) How can I use PBL to develop abstract thinking? Can I attack big questions like ‘who am I?’ or ‘how do we as a society decide what is the right, just, or ethical thing to do?’I know middle schoolers are developing the ability for this kind of abstract thinking--can I help foster it through a concrete and hands on project?
2) What is the best way to introduce this model and the learning attitudes that make it successful for students who are new to PBL? (When I spent a year teaching in a big, traditional public school, I told students to get into small groups to discuss an issue and they just looked at me confused—they had no idea how to even hold such a conversation without a teacher looking over their shoulders. I realize I actually had to “teach” this kind of interaction.)
A friend of mine recently shared this Newsweek article with me and it seemed particularly appropriate for our discussion:
http://www.newsweek.com/2010/07/10/the-creativity-crisis.html
Oh heaven help me, I have not been participating at all and am SO sorry. Is there a way that we can get updates sent to email or something like in a Google group? I seem to be absent-minded at the end of the day.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, regarding problem and project-based learning, I look a pragmatic standpoint in the reading and, while I absolutely see the strength and merit in both models, recognize that they both require a substantial understanding on the teacher's end of the material presented. In order to frame content and day-to-day planning and teaching toward solving one over-arching problem or completing a comprehensive unit project, the teacher must have really critical and dynamic comprehension of the material involved, which I think is something that gets overlooked too often.
I also see the danger in centering an entire unit on a problem or topic that may become a tangent that takes away from the center of the classroom content and building skills and content understanding from year to year. I think as we approach these models of learning, we must be clear on the goals, be they content or skill-based, of the class and grade level as a whole. Our objectives are always to help our students become critical thinkers, but also to prepare them for the challenges of an accelerated curriculum in high school.
I really appreciated especially the site with example PBL topics; one thing that comes to mind for me immediately is framing the 8th grade physics trimester on building makeshift roller coasters, a unit plan idea that was pitched to me this summer by another teacher, and framing a unit of 7th grade science not only on cellular biology but also organismal biology through more experimentation and growing of plants- an easy way to help test and demonstrate not only cells, but also genetics, with plenty of opportunity to tie in social issues of environmentalism.
I like it, but, as always, am overly critical. Creating unit plans that are more project and problem-based, however, is my biggest goal for the year, especially considering the possibility of leaving them in place for future years as a genuine possibility and framework rather than an abstract ideal.
On to week 3!
I enjoyed the articles on PBl and I thought that the websites had some great sample problems that I would love to see enacted in the classroom.
ReplyDelete--What do you see as potential benefits to this type of learning?
This type of learning and interaction in the classroom give students more control over their experience. From the articles about the different ages, it seems to me that at this age, control over their own learning and being given the chance to take on responsibility for their own learning can be very valuable. PBL is based in real-life problems and, like EB said, is not just about learning for learning's sake. It shows the purpose for learning about different subject areas and how they are applied in actual situations. The article about at-risk girls also made some great points about the importance of peer-relationship and how PBL supports that. The group nature of PBL allows students to act as role models for each other. If everyone is expected to contribute to the group, an individual student might feel less afraid to speak up for fear of standing out from the crowd. I remember sitting in class and knowing the answer but not saying anything because I didn't want to draw attention to myself. Collaboration is more important than competition and this can lead to self confidence and self-efficacy. Collaboration also allows students of all levels to be involved in a non-threatening way and to learn from each other and learn how to work in groups.
-- What do you see as potential challenges to this type of learning?
I think the biggest challenge for me with PBL is the group aspect of it. Some people naturally work better in groups and others on their own and to try to get classes to engage in this type of learning requires the successful functioning of groups. One of the pieces we read talked about how the groups also creates challenges in classroom management. Students have to learn how to work in groups and the teacher has to learn how to facilitate the groups as well.
-- What questions do you have about how to design and/or implement PBL in the classroom?
One thing that I didn't see a lot of mention in the articles was about assessment. PBL involves a lot of group work and the teacher can't observe every student's behavior in the group all the time. How is the individual student assessed in addition to the final results that the groups comes up with? Is there a combination of individual and group final products?
-- Can you think of any interesting cross disciplinary projects you would like to explore using this model?
I really liked the examples that involved humanities and social sciences. While I think it is probably easier to come up with problems that involve science and math concepts, it is often the history material that seem less relevant to real life. I would like to see problems and projects that involve social studies and history concepts that relate them to issues that the students might see as relevant. The history of the building that the school is in could be an interesting problem that addresses that history of the area as well as city planning and space use.
I really love what everyone has said so far. You guys are bringing up some really great points that I hadn’t considered, and it’s making me THINK! Weird…
ReplyDeleteI really love the idea of allowing students to have control over the projects they pursue. As E.B. made note of, people are much more likely to remember things they learn that they are actually interested in. While I can see issues of keeping students on task arising, I think, with the right amount of teacher facilitation, support, and encouragement, students will be receptive to teacher suggestions and will remain enthusiastic about their projects.
To address the issue of what an “ill-constructed” question actually is, I think that it is a question that arises from an issue of interest, an inquiry coming from genuine curiosity that does not have a black-and-white, easily reached solution. While, as Amanda said, this type of learning requires the teacher to have significant knowledge of the material, I think it is also important that the teacher learns along with the students. Students are doing real research about a topic, and if the teacher is cast as the all-knowing authority on the topic, the students might feel that they need to defer to the teacher in every aspect of their work, rather than using the teacher as a resource and having confidence and pride in their own research and conclusions.
The after-school program that I worked at in Philadelphia is creating a garden in its backyard for its summer camp project. As a part of this, the kids are learning about community gardening, its impact on their environment, and what they can do to make sure that they and their families are eating healthfully. I think that doing some kind of project on world nutrition and the benefits of different kinds of agriculture could be a good way of integrating science and the humanities, as well as possibly bringing in a community service angle. Just a thought :)
Hi all :)
ReplyDeleteFair warning. . . this is a long one-- had to cut it into 2 posts! You'll learn that about me soon enough!!
Great questions and insights. Just a few thoughts going forward that hopefully address the things that you've indicated as critical, and that we can continue to talk about next month in person. . .
-- Coming up with the QUESTION; I like asking the girls for things they would like to explore, and tease out some possible ideas; then we vote. You have to be willing to work on the fly a little, but you can always give them some parameters to work within. The "ill-defined" part of the question is a tricky piece of this, and Lily's point is a good one. It generally IS something that comes from a desire to explore and may not have a clear cut answer. The key is that you have a general idea of what you (or the girls) want to investigate, but might not know the exact outcome. It's not the outcome that is critical, but the learning that occurs along the way. They take an issue (like the Gulf Oil Spill) and talk about their questions and concerns, and inevitably, find something to explore-- you can guide them in different directions and help them determine what is important. Obviously with an issue like this one, there ARE no answers yet (and may never be!), but there are areas for them to explore where they can build mastery of skills in relation to what they want to know (effect of pollution, how species' survival is impacted, taking measurements, looking at commerce in society, etc.). Our job in this area is to look at the skills we want them to learn and find a way to help them develop those in their investigations.
-- That goes along nicely with the piece about TEACHER KNOWLEDGE; you do need to have a sense of what is important about the general topic, but don't need to be an expert-- plus, it's impossible to be an expert on everything. Some of my favorite projects are those where my classes have explored something that I was not an expert on because it kept things fresh for me. You do have to have a good framework, but you can build your knowledge as you work with them, and it gives them a good model-- YOU are learning with them, and they see that learning should happen all through our lives. What you CAN do to help out, is to give them a range of topics from which to develop questions so that you have some idea of where you are going rather than a completely wide open field—the girls can make the decisions, which gives them the ownership that is so important to this process, but you can set the stage.
-- The SOLUTION isn't always a "right answer”; matter of fact, there usually ISN’T a right answer. A key piece of PBL is the self-assessment of the group and of individuals. Learners look at what they did and decide together if they are happy with the outcome, or if they'd like to change something and try again; OR different groups could present different solutions, and then as a group they could decide which are the most beneficial individually, or in combination. One of the unique pieces about PBL is that the process can cycle as many times as needed, and that meta-cognitive approach is encouraged.
ok, here's the rest :)
ReplyDelete-- Lastly for now, ASSESSMENT; this is a tricky piece when working in PBL at first, but we have two advantages. (1) there is more than 1 teacher in the classroom and (2) the girls have technology to use that will make life easier for us on this end. Obviously, the group assessment is going to be easier; there will be a final product of some kind and a criteria for assessing that (which you will develop, hopefully with the girls' input)
As for the INDIVIDUAL assessment, I have a favorite method, and technology is a big piece of making that work. While the girls are working in small groups (and I would advise this is always a small-group activity, not a whole class piece; it gives you more options for exploration AND more manageable groups), I go around and sit in on their work for 5-10 minutes at a time, and ask questions of the girls, and keep a running log of their progress; for simplicity’s sake I use 1 notebook per investigation (or my laptop if I have it). I try and do this regularly, but it does get a little erratic at time. It's more of a subjective narrative, but it helps me see how they are working through the process, and identify strengths and challenges that may not be apparent when assessing the whole group.
Beyond that, I have each of the girls do a number of things individually, and submit them electronically-- it's basically a checklist that each girl must complete as she works with her group. In it, she assesses her own work, and she submits pieces to show what she has done. It basically becomes a little portfolio, and since it is electronic, it's much easier for her to submit at her own pace and for me to keep track of.
OK, enough rambling from me. Ideally, if we have time during our in-person week, anyone who is interested can join in and we’ll do a mock-setup of a unit so you can see how it works. Please don’t feel like you MUST use this method, or that you have to use it for every unit if you decide to try it. Like anything else, it is another means of reaching the girls and differentiating, but it is not the only way. I hope you’ll give it a try, and I’ll be right behind you to help! ☺
since I'm signed in through my email, I think the website tells you who I am, but just in case.. it Emily!!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading these articles because it brought me back to my middle school days! Back when learning was more than just sitting through a 2 hour lecture and spitting out a 7 page paper (don’t get me wrong, I loved college and learned a ton, but it wouldn’t have hurt to add some PBL in there!).
That being said, I feel like the BENEFITS of this kind of learning are: it supports student inquiry. It lets them ask the questions they’re interested in finding the answers to, and then learning how to go about finding that answer. It is self-directed learning, and as I read in last week’s articles, (from giving students an opportunity to discuss and modify rules, group discussions, and the importance of social interaction) it’s perfect for this age group! PBL is also ‘real-life’ learning and can encourage students to apply what they learn in the classroom to their every day life. Practical knowledge paired with education of the Classics make a well rounded student. PBL also makes learning an active process where students are in teams or groups and able to see the results of their effort.
Some CHALLENGES might be: as teachers, we still need to grade and assess the students’ work. It is difficult to come up with a fair rubric on PBL projects. One of the articles discussed how the implementation of grades takes away from the authentic learning that PBL encourages. Although it is not impossible to figure this out, it may take some getting used to it, especially if, like me, you have never done anything like it before. As far as QUESTIONS, I have a few, but after reading the previous entries, some of them have been answered. I feel like I will have a better understanding of how PBL projects work once we get started, and I would love to do a mock set up once we all get to MCA!
As I was reading the articles that had PROJECT IDEAS, there were a few that stuck out to me. Granted these are not original ideas, but I feel like they can be tailored/adjusted to the curriculum and students at MCA. I really liked the idea about doing something with recycling and the environment. “Going Green” is big right now, but I think it’s important to bring it to a level that doesn’t seem overwhelming. People can do little things to improve the environment; we don’t have to be down in FL cleaning up the oil spill to participate. We could do a project exploring the impact the oil spill has on the environment, animals, etc. I also think that this could go along with the Seedfolks book everyone is reading this year. Gardening and sustainable projects would be another avenue we could explore. My other favorite idea was the Local History Fair (wested.org) because it could be paired with History, Language Arts/Writing, Theater/Art lesson plans. Students could research towns they live in and find out when they were established, what kind of industry/jobs were there, what kind of people lived there, were there immigrants? If the surrounding towns don’t bode well for this project, we could always do Boston… there’s such a rich history there, and we could make it into a unit/school wide project that covers multiple facets of our curriculum.