Friday, August 14, 2009

Week 7: Thoughts on Project Based Learning

Just like any "idea" in the educational environment, people are going to embrace it or reject it. Project Based Learning is no exception. The idea of giving a student a long-term project and working with classmates to develop understanding and mastery of GLE/State Standards is amazing. It is challenging for both the students and teachers, and keep students involved and participating.

The one concern I have is that school cannot do it because of high stakes testing. I don't mean that they are unable to in the sense of wanting to, but being allowed to. Our district is in entering its 5th year on the "list." At some point were going to be forced to follow a specific curriculum, which is no way will be close to Project Based Learning.

I found a website PBL, that list some good resource:

Project Based Learning Resources
iEARN: International Education and Resource Network
Project Based Learning and Multimedia by the San Mateo County Office of Education
Project Based Learning: What is it?
Buck Institute of Education: Project Based Learning
Guide on the Side by Bill Belsley
Criteria for Authentic PBL
Project Based Learning from 2Learn.ca

Classroom Work Tools by National Educational Technology Consortium

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2 comments:

  1. Mr. Mark ParsonsAugust 16, 2009 at 6:41 PM

    It would be great if you could supplement the "canned" curriculum with some PBL if it ever came to that point. I totally understand where you are coming from. It would be great to use PBL, differentiated instruction, technology, and you name it... but no matter what, you first priority needs to be doing better on the test. Sad isn't it?

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  2. marg299August 17, 2009 at 8:30 AM

    I completely agree, it's so frustrating to have lessons that you know the students enjoy and learn from and then have to can it all to do an EXTREMELY boring canned program.

    Not that I can back it up at all, but through the grapevine I've heard that the trend is going to start pushing toward individual progress monitoring and not the standardized test. Not sure how or when this is supposed to happen, but I've heard talk and it at least gives me hope... hope it does for you as well.

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