Chapter 1: Introduction and a PBL example
A s soon as I began reading Project Based Learning (PBL) by Moursund, I became intrigued. PBL’s goals that encourages higher order thinking and is learner centered resonates and supports curriculum standards for our district .Naturally I was very curious to see how Moursund would demonstrate these goals in a tangible and realistic manner. The lesson that he presented exceeded my expectations since it included effective team effort and differentiated instruction. Infusing PBL in lesson plans would truly create an awesome learning experience for all learners.
As a student in high school, I never had the benefit of using technology for projects. The teacher was in total control of the learning environment and as such most learners were passive, good listeners and great note takers. As a teacher, I agree that classrooms should be student centered to encourage high order thinking. In my years as a novice teacher, I usually tried to infuse technology in my lessons whether through the use of computer based projects or overheads etc. However, I must admit that I became more empowered as a teacher to confidently incorporate technology in my classes after taking classes at Seton Hall and also taking advantage of technology workshops. I use the Smart board every day and incorporate the use of technology in every lesson plan.
According to Moursund (6) “By doing a project, students often gain a high level of expertise within the specific area they are studying”. I think it is very important for teachers to empower students so that they assume responsibility for their learning. For example, my students had to choose and research the customs and business etiquette of a country and then prepare a power point or use movie maker to teach this lesson to their classmates. Since they each had to choose a different country, they became experts in their research and used all their technology skills to present a professional presentation. Even the students that were specially challenged created great power point presentations.
PBL is student centered. “Students have a significant voice in selecting the content areas and nature of the projects they do….and the method of assessment. (Moursund 7). Students are blatantly honest, and they will tell you if the topic you are teaching is boring! Sometimes as a teacher it is painful to hear the truth. I have learnt through the years and having observed bored faces to change the method of instruction in all my lessons. For example, when I taught consumer credit, I organized students into groups to choose and research any credit card topic and then teach it to the class using any type of presentation format. The class created the rubric and evaluated groups according to the rubric. They also had to prepare 3-4 questions on their topic to test for understanding. I then collected all the questions and included in their assessments. I must add they were tough evaluators. They all presented lesson using some type of technology format and really enjoyed the lesson.
Finally, in my district and my school to be specific, the older teachers are technologically challenged and as a result they use it as an excuse as Moursund correctly implies to avoid incorporating technology in their lessons. What I have experienced is that it is a learning process and my students have taught me how to create pamphlets and even assisted me with some power point effects. They really enjoyed being empowered.
Chapter 2: An overview of IT -assisted PBL
Since PBL focuses on doing something and is action oriented, students are always actively engaged since they have to produce or present a product. I enjoy listening to my students collaborate and solve team problems. My classroom is always arranged for students to sit in groups since I encourage and require team work for a lot of activities. An example of team work occurred when my marketing students had to create a 30 second pitch for a product they were marketing. After I modeled a pitch for them and reviewed the rubric, they organized themselves into groups, asked to practice in the hallway, did research on the computer and collaborated as a team to market their product. It was a resounding success, especially since they infused their pitch with creativity, great body language, and appropriate facial expressions in order to convince their investors (classmates) to invest in their product. Their classmates evaluated them based on the rubric and had to make comments and give suggestions for improvement if needed. Peer feedback provided a rich learning environment that assisted the students in their growth.
I have made a lot of errors as a teacher and as I noted earlier, teaching is a learning experience. I have learnt that my role as a facilitator challenges the students to their fullest potential and also encourages them to think “outside the box”. For example, we have a block reserved every week for “advisory”, where students can discuss any problems, concerns etc both academic and social that may be hindering them from realizing their academic and personal goals. I usually assign different students to conduct this session or encourage students to volunteer. They research, discuss, debate and conduct a rich discussion about the topics presented and generally take charge of the class. The topics (example tattoos, gangs, social network etc), all interest them and they usually have a lot of fun. They use the smart boards, chalk board etc to facilitate discussion and become more self sufficient learners.
I always try to relate my lessons to “real world tasks” (Moursund 15) to make it interesting, realistic and to engage them so that they can relate it to their own lives. For example, in my marketing class, I always use Newark as the city students have to market a product or establish a business. They can quickly share the demographics, target market, problems they may encounter to market their product and suggest solutions for various problems that may face an entrepreneur. Since they live in the environment, they provide a wealth of information that serves as a learning experience for me as well. I have also encouraged them to reflect and share their reasons why so many teenagers get tattoos on their bodies. We had a debate on this topic and the students were very passionate in their discussions since tattoos are part of this urban teenage culture. They learnt how to work well as part of a team, even though there were squabbles intermittently. They had a lot to share, had fun and it also helped me to understand their environment. There were a lot of “teachable moments” for me!
Chandrowtie Fermin
EDST 6306
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