Week 1: Project Based Learning - Exemplars

"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." --- Benjamin Franklin

This quote from Benjamin Franklin could be the motto for project-based learning (PBL).  The more involved students are in their learning, the more they will learn, and are able to make connections to other concepts.

The exemplar lessons available on Edutopia depict great examples of students taking ownership in what they want to learn about as well as applying what they have already learned to real-world situations.

In each of the examples, the students are given choices and are making decisions. The teacher does not dictate what the students are to be learning about; they offer guidance by asking questions to help narrow and define the topic.

Authentic learning is happening in an architecture lesson at Mountlake Terrace High School where students use what they have learned in Geometry to create a design plan for a state-of-the-art high school in 2050. They enthusiastically begin developing futuristic models. There seems to be no limits to their ideas other than those that are bound by the laws of mathematics. The project allows them to unleash their creativity while working with peers developing communication and collaboration skills. The teacher provides guidance and invites experts into the classroom to offer suggestions and help assess the projects. The students’ ideas were valued and efforts awarded with compliments from the experts during development and through presentations at the end of the project.

Worms were just one topic of interest for a group of students at Newsome Park Elementary School. The school’s progressive approach to incorporate PBL allowed students the opportunity to investigate topics they were interested in, not just dictated by the teacher. The ideas ranged from worms to the stock market to cystic fibrosis, all due to the concern of a fellow student stricken with the disease. Through hands-on experiences, the students develop problem solving strategies and critical thinking skills that will be embedded for life-long learning. Because the teacher has taken time to carefully plan the project framework, other skills such as writing, math, and reading are incorporated, as they would be in the real world.

Technology can be a big component of the PBL process. Students learning about the migration of monarchs utilize the Internet to monitor their journey north after winter. It also provides a way for students to communicate and collaborate with peers in other states, or countries, as they contribute valuable data to the Journey North project. The students also connect what they learn through this project into the classroom as they observe and record changes to butterfly eggs found just outside their school. They were able to document larval activity until emergence using photography and create a culminating presentation to share with their peers as well as community members.

All three examples highlighted how this type of learning crosses curricular boundaries. In addition, multiple academic standards could be incorporated throughout one project with careful planning. In this format, the role of the teacher does change from the “sage on the stage” to facilitator and coach. The students are active participants in what they learn and how they learn, giving them the motivation and enthusiasm to become life-long learners.

References

Armstrong, S. (2002, February 11). Geometry Students Angle into Architecture Through Project Learning. Edutopia.com. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/geometry-real-world-students-architects

Curtis, D. (2001, October 1). More Fun Than a Barrel of . . . Worms?! Edutopia.com. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/more-fun-barrel-worms

Curtis, D. (2002, June 6). March of the Monarchs: Students Follow the Butterflies' Migration. Edutopia.com. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/march-monarchs