Project Based Learning

This week I have chosen to explore project based learning deeper. From what I have gathered so far it looks like a promising way to shape the pedagogy of my future classroom. However I still have questions and a lot to learn so hopefully this blog will provide insight into my journey of understanding and help inform yours as well.

The first article I read was "Project-Based Learning and the Research Paper" by Brandie Provenzano. As an English student and future teacher I have a lot of experience with research papers and I can attest to the draining affect they can have. The author of this article more or less felt the same and decided to try a project based learning approach to the traditional research paper assignment. A powerful insight I got form this article is that the teacher of this class felt like she, "couldn’t anticipate [her student's] every need, they had to take responsibility for their own learning, and solve problems as they encountered them." This stood out to me because as a teacher there is a strong pull to be in control of everything that goes on in the classroom. With project based learning that control is often sacrificed. Despite this the author managed to improvise and create meaningful and powerful lessons for students that apply to the real world. In the end she decided to, "never teach the research paper any other way because the PBL model we used helped develop real-world problem solvers, thinkers, and doers instead of rule followers."

From this article I learned the importance of willingness to improvise and cater to students need. As teachers of course we should plan ahead but we also should not be afraid to improvise. This is essential when implementing project based learning in a classroom. I will need to be able to go outside of my comfort zone and sacrifice some control in order to make the best experience for my future students.

The second article I chose to read was "PBL and Standardized Tests? It Can Work!" by Andrew Miller. This focus of this article was exploring the connection between standardized tests and project based learning. There is research that links project based learning with higher standardized scores which shows that the two can work nicely together. However it is harder to do this than with a traditional method of instruction that just focuses on memorization of the testing skills. The second half of the article focuses on how to implement test preparation into project based learning. The most effective way is to target what is on these exams and weave it into the projects that will happen. Finally the article critiques the idea of standardized tests being the measure for success in the first place. It poses the question that while project based learning can help on standardized tests those tests are not always the best measurement of success.

With the reality that standardized tests are going to be a part of my classroom and students lives I would like to implement some of what this article had to say. Especially the idea of targeting what is essential. I think it is easy to get caught up in the excitement of project based learning and forget that testing is still a required part of school and is what shapes the learning. There are many skills that need to be accomplished through projects and those skills are what shape the instruction.

Some of the challenges I see around implementing project based learning is a lack of monitoring on the teachers end. If the students are all working on different projects how can we as teachers be sure they are getting what we need them to get from the project? Are mini lessons enough? Do we have the time and resources to adequately give students the attention they need? I have learned a lot the concept of project based learning so far but still have a lot of questions that need answers. Maybe those questions can only be answered with experience. We will see!