Blog Post #9 What Can Teachers and Students Teach us about project based learning?

The Seven Essentials of Project Based Learning
(summarized)

I.
 Grab attention, engage and guide students in a meaningful project that will challenge them, solve problems and involve them in their community.

II.
 Create questions that will have the students research and hypothesize themselves.

III.
 Give students a choice to arrange their projects with creativity and a voice to reflect.

IV.
 Have students utilize skills such as collaboration, critical thinking, and synthesizing.

V.
 Let the students become empowered by discovery. Let their questions intrigue you as much as your questions gave them enthusiasm. Give guidance not instruction.

VI.
 Give direct feedback and allow the students to analyze and comment on each others work.

VII.
 Give public recognition and let the students reflect on their projects.

Project Based Learning for Teachers

Project based learning for eachers creates a classroom in which students can become members of current society. They will use critical thinking and problem solving skills and apply these to real world situations. Below I have found several lesson plans that involve these.

C . Mccllough
Kindergarten PBL - FIVE SENSES

This lesson will help kindergarteners realize that their senses help them to solve mysteries and problems everyday. You could perhaps also add in the problem with smells in inner cities. Give them guidance on waste products and how to help enviromental issues pertaining to these pollutants. The possibilities for 5 year olds to comprehend the world around them are endless.

Involving Students in Project Based Learning

By allowing students to give input on the project you are empowering their minds to think beyond the project. You may find that the students ideas will blossom more questions and more projects. Do not be afraid to allow the students to create and maintain their own projects. Help guide them with checklists or rubrics to evaluate themselves and other classmates.  Giving students a choice in learning instead of forcing memorization with help them to become more well rounded and better assets in their careers later in life. Giving them group projects will all diversity in the groups show that collaboration is essential to have success in careers and college.

Indvidual Responsibility in Project Based Learning

Giving each member a role in learning is essential. This will guide the student to responsibility for oneself. It can help build the skills to become confident in ones work and give the student investigative skills. This should also help them on interviewing skills in the workplace , whether they are the interviewer and investigating a potential employee or the interviewee and being able to solve problems during an interview if given opportunity. The most asked question during an interview is what are your strengths, what are your weaknesses? Being able to use the skills such as critical thinking and collaboration in a group should help the student to achieve success on obtaining a career.


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