EDTECH 542 - Managing the Project

Possible Criticisms of Project Based Learning:

• students won't perform well on standardized assessments
• students don't know what they need to know to solve a problem
• students aren't self driven
• students are not being taught
• skills are not being assessed

Response to criticisms/Rationale for incorporating PBL:

• through a PBL approach students often gain a deeper knowledge, there is often a better retention of learning, often ties primary learning with secondary skills
• learning connects to reality
• students make connections between different subjects increasing understanding why they learn
• integration of technology in a meaningful and real life way
• easy to integrate 21st century skills
• all students are assessed with various methods throughout the unit (not just once which commonly happens with standard teaching methods)
• all students are still assessed individually
• there is scaffolding involved to create independence in the process
• lessons and "teaching" are part of the process - better because teaching occurs as needed and on weak areas - not as much teaching of things students already know

One of the greatest challenges for an instructor in a PBL unit is to adapt to the role of facilitator. Reflect on the following:

• Will my role in the teaching/learning process change?
• What are the skills of effective facilitation?
• Will the students develop the competencies and skills needed to be successful?
• What changes will you need to make in order to become an effective facilitator in your PBL unit?

Taking this class has probably made me think more about teaching and how to teach than any other class I've taken so far during this program. It may also be because I had a very challenging class this past year and there were many times when instruction was interrupted and I was unable to continue because I had to deal with severe behavior issues. This just gives me more reason to incorporate PBL in my classroom. Because my role changes from just an instructor to an instructor/facilitator I will be able to address problems and issues whether big or small as they come up and not take away from other students. Other students can continue working. Hopefully students will also be more engaged in what they are doing, and there will be less issues to begin with. I believe that students can develop the competencies and skills needed to be successful. Even though it will take a good deal of modeling, scaffolding, and practice I know that even young students will be successful. I think having more opportunities to work in groups and practice cooperative learning skills will also be beneficial. Practicing how to support and work with each other would have also helped many of the behavior issues I had last year.

I believe the biggest skills needed for effective facilitation is questioning and letting students think and make decisions about their own learning for themselves even if this leads to mistakes on occasion, as long as students realize, discover, or are told about any mistakes or misconceptions at some point.