Assignment# 9

The Article Seven Essentials For Project-Based Learning had some great advice on how to approach project based-Learning. As I read this article I thought about our recent assignment in EDM 310, which we made our own PBL plan (assignment 13 and 14). It was encouraging to see that I was on the right track in how I personally thought was a good approach to a project. For instance, I also believe that a project must be meaningful both personally, and educationally in order for it to be successful. Students want to get involved with projects that make them think, and make them want to know more. In our group project, we decided to incorporate what this article called an "entry event". Our event was a book, and a video discussing the wide range of fruits, and vegetables that are locally grown. Having something to capture the attention of student is so important, in order to get them interested from the beginning.

Tony Vincent made a cool video Project-Based Learning for Teachers. PBL is such a great way to teach student, or in many ways a great way for students to teach themselves. It seems more clear to me that in EMD 310 I am involved in my own PBL assignment and the driving question is Project-Based Learning itself. It is amazing how much students can teach themselves by problem solving. Not only is it teaching us to answer the question at hand, but it teaches us the importance of communication, gives us confidence, and a voice. Personally I am experiencing its benefits through-out this course.

Project-Based Learning in High School was a insightful video on the challenges teachers face when trying to come up with an effective PBL Plan. As an aspiring English teacher it really touched on questions I had myself. In certain subjects such as English or Math it is going to be more of a challenge to come up with your own PBL Plans. They included a wonderful project where students read a book on the Holocaust, and were encouraged to think about what it must feel like to have no voice. They then did research on organizations that gives a voice to the voiceless. What an incredible way to keep important literature alive, and dig deeper in order to bring out the emotions of these writers.  There are so many lessons to be learned with this one example PBL plan.

Five Keys to Rigorous Project-Based Learning is a really informal video on some key components to effective PBL.
1. Real World Connection: Project-Based Learning should include real problems facing the world today. Real problems that drive open-ended questions.
2. Core to Learning: Following standards that are straight forward.
3. Structural Collaboration: Allows students to work together, but each person becomes in control of their own task in the project.
4. Student Driven: Teachers are more of the facilitators in the classroom. They must ask the right questions in order to keep students thinking critically.
5. Multifaceted Assessment: Students are assessed without directly knowing they are being assessed, and at the same time taught to assess themselves.
These five concepts are all interesting to me because they give you an understanding of what PBL is all about. Although it is not the traditional way of learning that many educators are used to, it is a very effective, and necessary approach to learning in the 21st century. PBL is not only a wonderful way to learn, but a wonderful way to help many issues facing our world today. With students collaborating with others around the world the possibilities are endless.

I really loved this video PBL Math: Beyond The Textbook Everyone who knows me, knows my absolute "kryptonite" is Math! I'm not ashamed to say, I am horrible at it. This video shows how an 8th grade Algebra class came up with a neat way to involve PBL in their lesson. Using cube shapes to what one student called "crack the code" for each equation. For me math is something that I have a hard time learning, and if PBL was something that was used in my classes growing up, it probably would have made all of the difference. One students said " Doing these projects helped to break my shyness barrier, and I'm not as afraid to as questions". So many students are nervous to ask questions, with PBL its ok to ask questions, and most importantly its ok to be wrong and make mistakes.