Blog Post 9

What Can Teachers And Students Teach Us About Project Based Learning?

By now I am realizing that children do not learn the same way I learned when I was young. It was very different for me growing up. I think that Project Based Learning is a way that is necessary for children to learn more effectively. I knew I always wanted to be more interactive than some of the teachers I had in elementary school, and now teaching in the 21st century gives me that opportunity. I love to see how much children are engaged when involved in Project Based Learning.

For this post, I learned about Seven Essentials for Project Based Learning. The First one was -A need to know. When designing a project for your students you should always introduce it to them in a fun and exciting way. You could create a video, go on a field trip, have a guest speaker, or even have a fun scavenger hunt for clues to what the project is. By doing this, you make the students more interested and give them curiosity, or "need to know" about the topic. The second thing on the list was -A driving question. This captures the heart of the project and sense of purpose to what they are learning about. Third was -Voice and Choice. It is important to give the children freedom to what they want to do in their project. Having it their way makes it more fun and holds their attention longer. You also have to be careful about giving too many choices, by doing so they might become overwhelmed by choices. Fourth on the list was -21st Century Skills. Collaboration, Communication, Critical thinking and problem solving are all very important skills for children to learn to be able to deal with everyday problems that they will face. The fifth thing on the list was -Inquiry and Innovation. When the students come up with a driving question for their project they end up generating more questions and problems, this creates a train-like learning effect for them to follow. Sixth was -Feedback and Revision. This step is very important when children are creating a project. It allows them to critique each others' work. As the teacher, it also helps you see where your students are in the process of their project. Seventh, and Last on the list was -Presented Project. It is better to have your students present their final projects to an audience. When they know it is going to be shown to people, they care about the quality of the project and the information is more meaningful when it is not just for the teacher or for tests.

I had fun searching for more information on Project Based Learning. I found a couple of sources that were very interesting. One was a Project Based Learning lesson plan for a first grade class on ocean animals. I read through a lot of it and thought it was very neat and educational. It met many of their state standards, and the lesson plan was very detailed and thoroughly thought out. Plus, I love the ocean and what is inside of it, so I searched for PBL with oceans and came across a lot of fun ideas that I cannot wait to use. First Grade Lesson Plan

I also found a video that was very cute! It was about five and six year old students utilizing project based learning in their classroom. They were doing so many different activities and projects like flying a pretend plane to Brazil, (A country the students were learning about.) Or sailing a cardboard ship to Africa. Everything the teachers were doing for these students turned into an educational lesson. The students were participating in lessons on the Smart Board, practicing their reading and writing skills, and playing out real-life situations by using PBL. One of the students (about 5-6 years old) was asked what he thought about using the Smart Board and the internet, and his response was "you can just learn" in a really excited voice. He is right, you CAN just learn! Five-Year-Olds Pilot Their Own Project Based Learning

I think that Project Based Learning is not only for students, but for teachers, parents, and the community as well. We all have the ability to help teach one another with PBL. I am learning that the opportunities are endless when it comes to using Project Based Learning in the classroom. Almost any situation you are faced with as a teacher can be turned into a valuable lesson for your students.