Blog Post #9

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

This week we were challenged to view 5 articles or videos and answer the above question. My first article was Seven Essentials for Project-Based Learning by John Lamer and John R. Mergendoller. They break down the most important aspects of PBL(project based learning). What stuck out the most to me was their third point, "Students Voice and Choice" (Lamer and Mergendoller). It is best to give students the ability to decide some aspect of the project for themselves. The students most also be able to relate the project to real life. To often students question whether or not what they are learning is applicable to real life. You must also put in 21st century forms of teaching critical thinking and use of technology. The point of projects is to give the students a way of teaching themselves about something that interest them along with educating their classmates.

This video about Project-Based Learning for Teachers by Tony Vincent approaches project-based learning the way everyone does, it is a way to take the Common Core standards and apply them in a fun and interesting way that asks How or Why. The idea that students take charge in their learning. It is up to them what they discover about a particular topic. Although I do feel that PBL can be a supplement for what is taught in the class. That the student will take a lesson and do a project that expands on what is discussed. So often teachers are restrained by time on what they are able to cover during a class period. Giving students the opportunity to delve deeper into study and discover things on their own could possibly spark an interest in that particular subject while improving critical thing, communication and team work skills. Just as above, you must ensure there is a purpose.

What Motivates Students Today?  and High School Teachers Meet the Challenges of PBL Implementation show that PBL is about the student. Why are we trying to implement PBL into all classrooms, it is to make students who would not normally be interested in a topic a reason to focus. If you give a student a reason to learn they will, which was also a point made in What Motivates Students Today? that students want something as a reward. If a student is giving prizes for completion of tasks or good grades there is a motivation to learn. That motivation can even come in the form of compliments for good test grades. Teachers must implement PBL's into their class wher they fit. They will not work for every class but it will involve all students and include the curriculum standards.
When discussing how each subject area must come up with unique ways of adding projects, in PBL's in Physical Education the teacher shows that you must think outside of the box to teach students. It was the goal of his project to have high school students create a workout plan for middle school students. In hopes that students will take the plans given to them and implement them at school as well as at home. The students who create the plans could also take what they learned and use it in their own life. Given the current health state of our students this is possibly the most important PBL i have read about.