Unit 1: Commonalities Among Project Based Learning Examples

The three Project Based Learing (PBL) examples found on Edutopia.org that I reviewed shared several circumstances and design principles, despite the fact that each one was taught at a different grade level. First, all of the projects were designed around driving questions that were meaningful to the students and applied to real world problems. In More Fun Than a Barrell of...Worms by Diane Curtis, first grade students began the PBL by brainstorming ideas of topics and questions they were interested in. After some discussion on exploring different animals such as snakes they arrived at worms because of the ease of accessibility. In another example from the same article, 2nd grade students chose to build their project around cystic fibrosis because one of their classmates was dealing with this disease. Since the students were given control over the topic their motivation and buy in was high. The topics in the other two PBL examples were more teacher lead but, the students were able to formulate their own questions throughout the process. All of the examples had guiding hands on activities built in and clear goals for the outcome. Students were investigating first hand butterflies, worms and designing blueprints. In addition, resources were brought in or connected with through technology, to give students more information and feedback on their progress, these resources included peer collaboration online, parents and local experts in the field. All of the examples had authentic assessments to evaluate student work during and after. In the PBL entitled, Geometry Students Angle into Architecture through Project Based Learning, students were able to present their final project to architects who would give them feedback on the validity of their projects. Many projects brought in peer and community critiques as well.

In all of these examples, the role of the teacher and students was very clear. The teacher was to plan and create the outline for the scope and sequence of the PBL. Students were given criteria for judging the quality of their work and deadlines to meet. Throughout the process, the teacher facilitated student learning by conferencing with students on their progress, offering resources for learning such as field trips, guest speakers, web based collaborating and supplied feedback as needed. Students were given ownership and responsibilities at varying degrees depending on the grade level. Students were responsible for planning, organizing, researching, creating and ultimately presenting their projects. They had to work as a team to ensure everything was done on time and accurately. They were engaged in investigations through hands on learning and through technology to gather information, answer questions and formulate new questions. The ownership piece of PBL and the depth at which students are able to learn makes it clear to me why so many teachers and school districts adopt this method of teaching and learning.

The high impact of PBL on student learning and growth is distinct in these examples. Student engagement was prevalent throughout these projects because they had a hand in choosing the topic and/or formulating the questions they wanted answered. In addition, the topics were relevant and related directly to their lives. The processes, skills and products the students applied can carry over not only to classroom assignments but, to any career or entrepreneurship students wish to pursue. PBL addresses 21st century skills and processes in a very authentic way that sets students up for success throughout their lives.

 References

Armstrong, S. (2002). Geometry students angle into architecture through project based learning.       Retrieved on January 25, 2015 from http://www.edutopia.org/geometry-real-world-students-architects

Curtis, D. (2001). More fun than a barrell of...worms?! Retrieved on January 25, 2015 from http://www.edutopia.org/more-fun-barrel-worms

Curtis, D. (2002). March of the monarchs:students follow butterfly migration Retrieved on January 25, 2015 from http://www.edutopia.org/march-monarchs