According to John Larmer and John Mergendoller at the Buck Institute, there is a Gold Standard that ensures Project-Based Learning (PBL) in the classroom is as rigorous as it is meant to be. In order to meet the "Gold Standard", PBL projects must:
-be well planned on the teacher's end
-have a driving question
-relate to the content standards as well as real-world experiences
-be student-centered
-provide students with opportunities to reflect on their work and revise as needed
-include some type of finished product for students to share publicly
(Larmer & Mergendoller, 2015)
Since PBL is new to me and my classroom, I believe it always helps to build your understanding when you see something in action. Here are three different classrooms that use Project-Based Learning:
Applying Math Skills to a Real-World Problem
From Worms to Wall Street
Monitoring Monarchs
What principles are common among all three classrooms? Were students engaged?
In all three classrooms, students were engaged while conducting research that was based on a driving question. Teachers introduced the project to students and set the expectations, and then sat back as the students began working. The students were very excited and passionate about their projects, some working in groups and some independently. To aide their research, students were using technology in different ways. Whether it was to look something up or to create their final product, technology was incorporated and served as an important part of the project.
What is the Role of the Teacher vs. the Role of the Student in a PBL environment?
In each of the videos and articles that I explored, the role of the teacher and student remained the same. The role of the teacher is to plan a well-thought out project that uses technology to explore real-world problems and that also touches different content areas. Once planned, introduce to students and then stay behind the scenes as the students make their own discoveries. Teachers are there for assistance as needed, but for the most part a PBL project is student-centered. The role of the student is to collaborate with peers when necessary and also complete independent work when needed. Students are also required to follow expectations laid out in the rubric and produce the necessary product.
How was technology used?
Technology plays an important part in a PBL environment. Technology can be integrated into every step of the project. In Applying Math Skills to a Real-World Problem, students used computer programs to help configure the budget of the building project (Armstrong, 2002). In Monitoring Monarchs, students used computer programs to create their project, and also entered their local information into database that could be accessed by other students around the world who were also researching the Monarchs (Curtis, 2002). In From Worms to Wall Street, students used computers to create brochures and presentations to display their research (Curtis, 2001). While not all teachers have the same resources available to them, integrating some form of technology for one or multiple steps of the PBL process is an important factor when preparing students for their future.
Back to the "Buck Institute Gold Standard;" Do these classrooms meet it?
Since Larmer & Mergendoller refer to the "Gold Standard" as being engaging, based on a driving questions, cross different content-areas and include a final product, I would say that all three classrooms meet the Gold Standard. While some were more rigorous than others, all three classrooms consisted of engaged students who collaborated and used technology when necessary to achieve a final conclusion that answered their beginning question. Also, all three classrooms incorporated different content-areas into the project. Many of the projects incorporated a writing aspect which tied in language arts while the primary focus may be math, social studies or science. All three classrooms met many of the PBL elements discussed by Larmer & Mergendoller.
Resources
1. Applying Math Skills to a Real-World Problem. (2002, February 11). Retrieved September 05, 2016, from http://www.edutopia.org/mountlake-terrace-geometry-real-world-video
2. By taking trips and doing projects, students learn more and retain more of the information presented to them. (2001, October 01). From Worms to Wall Street: Projects Prompt Active, Authentic Learning. Retrieved September 05, 2016, from http://www.edutopia.org/newsome-park-elementary-project-learning-video
3. Journey North: Children Practice Real Science by Monitoring Monarchs. (2002, June 06). Retrieved September 05, 2016, from http://www.edutopia.org/journey-north-butterfly-migration-project-video
4. PBL Blog. (n.d.). Retrieved September 05, 2016, from http://www.bie.org/blog/gold_standard_pbl_essential_project_design_elements
-be well planned on the teacher's end
-have a driving question
-relate to the content standards as well as real-world experiences
-be student-centered
-provide students with opportunities to reflect on their work and revise as needed
-include some type of finished product for students to share publicly
(Larmer & Mergendoller, 2015)
Since PBL is new to me and my classroom, I believe it always helps to build your understanding when you see something in action. Here are three different classrooms that use Project-Based Learning:
Applying Math Skills to a Real-World Problem
From Worms to Wall Street
Monitoring Monarchs
What principles are common among all three classrooms? Were students engaged?
In all three classrooms, students were engaged while conducting research that was based on a driving question. Teachers introduced the project to students and set the expectations, and then sat back as the students began working. The students were very excited and passionate about their projects, some working in groups and some independently. To aide their research, students were using technology in different ways. Whether it was to look something up or to create their final product, technology was incorporated and served as an important part of the project.
What is the Role of the Teacher vs. the Role of the Student in a PBL environment?
In each of the videos and articles that I explored, the role of the teacher and student remained the same. The role of the teacher is to plan a well-thought out project that uses technology to explore real-world problems and that also touches different content areas. Once planned, introduce to students and then stay behind the scenes as the students make their own discoveries. Teachers are there for assistance as needed, but for the most part a PBL project is student-centered. The role of the student is to collaborate with peers when necessary and also complete independent work when needed. Students are also required to follow expectations laid out in the rubric and produce the necessary product.
How was technology used?
Technology plays an important part in a PBL environment. Technology can be integrated into every step of the project. In Applying Math Skills to a Real-World Problem, students used computer programs to help configure the budget of the building project (Armstrong, 2002). In Monitoring Monarchs, students used computer programs to create their project, and also entered their local information into database that could be accessed by other students around the world who were also researching the Monarchs (Curtis, 2002). In From Worms to Wall Street, students used computers to create brochures and presentations to display their research (Curtis, 2001). While not all teachers have the same resources available to them, integrating some form of technology for one or multiple steps of the PBL process is an important factor when preparing students for their future.
Back to the "Buck Institute Gold Standard;" Do these classrooms meet it?
Since Larmer & Mergendoller refer to the "Gold Standard" as being engaging, based on a driving questions, cross different content-areas and include a final product, I would say that all three classrooms meet the Gold Standard. While some were more rigorous than others, all three classrooms consisted of engaged students who collaborated and used technology when necessary to achieve a final conclusion that answered their beginning question. Also, all three classrooms incorporated different content-areas into the project. Many of the projects incorporated a writing aspect which tied in language arts while the primary focus may be math, social studies or science. All three classrooms met many of the PBL elements discussed by Larmer & Mergendoller.
Resources
1. Applying Math Skills to a Real-World Problem. (2002, February 11). Retrieved September 05, 2016, from http://www.edutopia.org/mountlake-terrace-geometry-real-world-video
2. By taking trips and doing projects, students learn more and retain more of the information presented to them. (2001, October 01). From Worms to Wall Street: Projects Prompt Active, Authentic Learning. Retrieved September 05, 2016, from http://www.edutopia.org/newsome-park-elementary-project-learning-video
3. Journey North: Children Practice Real Science by Monitoring Monarchs. (2002, June 06). Retrieved September 05, 2016, from http://www.edutopia.org/journey-north-butterfly-migration-project-video
4. PBL Blog. (n.d.). Retrieved September 05, 2016, from http://www.bie.org/blog/gold_standard_pbl_essential_project_design_elements