As I was reading the assignment, one main aspect that I realized is important to start my journey in PBL is the ability to adapt to change. Change is inevitable in PBL and as a teacher I will need to be able to adapt to those changes and learn to be flexible with my teaching. I also need to keep in mind that with PBL I will not only be teaching, but I will be learning along with my students too. I will need to get comfortable with taking the role of the learner in the classroom.
The overall benefits of PBL are great. It is a new, profound way of learning that strays from the traditional learning styles. PBL is more engaging for both the students and the teacher, and both gain a deeper knowledge from this type of learning.
PBL has many benefits for students including preparing students for the real world, learning to work collaboratively, developing a deeper understanding of topics, and many more. I think having students engaged in real world activities is a great way for them to learn and for that learning to make a deep impact on their experience.
One issue that should be considered in the PBL approach is the fact that technology is not the focus, but simply a tool of PBL. Technology makes PBL more approachable and it helps students get a better understanding of topics by researching, blogging, and collaborating, but it is not the main focus.
One great example of how New Technology High represents the New Tech model is the fact that they keep their student capacity to no more than 100 students per grade. Having a small school makes for a better, hands-on learning environment and allows students to collaborate more easily. The bond between students and teachers is also good since there is a smaller student to teacher ratio and they are able to get to know each other on a deeper level.
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Sarah Hughey's Reading Reflection #1
When
reflecting on the reading assigned for this week, the first thing that comes to
mind is that I need to make an effort to be open to what the book has to teach
me about the Project-Based Learning (PBL) method of teaching. When I started reading this book, I was
immediately turned off by two things: 1) the book’s reliance on personal
testimonies and case studies to promote PBL rather than referencing
peer-reviewed studies and research on PBL versus traditional teaching and 2)
the tone that any teacher who is not using PBL is doing something wrong. I personally believe that if a teacher finds
a research-backed manner of teaching that s/he is comfortable with and finds
that her/his students are successful with this method, then no one should be
shaming that teacher for his/her work, so I am extremely tempted to just remain
close-minded to the rest of the book after feeling like the opening chapters
stigmatize those who choose a different method of teaching. This was a less-than-positive way of starting
my journey through PBL, and I have to make sure to not let the bad first-impression
stop me from really considering what this book has to say.
Something
that will help me stay open to listening to what the book has to teach me is to
remind myself what the overall benefits of the PBL approach are. With projects, students can use technology in
ways that can lead them to learning or experiencing things that the teacher
would not have been able to take them, meaning that teachers learn along with
the students and are able to meet required benchmarks in more ways than
one. It would be exciting to see where a
lesson can go and reach rather than just stick to a pre-determined plan all of
the time. Teachers are also encouraged
to collaborate with each other and with sources outside of the school, ex.
experts in the field or other schools in different countries, which can lead to
better results and exploration than what could have happened if the teacher had
no feedback. And with these benefits,
teachers using PBL report feeling more fulfillment and satisfaction with their
jobs. Perhaps PBL can even reduce rates
of teacher burnout!
Along with
the previously mentioned benefits, there are also many benefits that the
students get from PBL as well. As the
book states, students not only gain skills in teamwork, research, communication,
and applying their knowledge to the “real world”, but they also are able to
self-manage and monitor their progress better.
All of these skills are great and will help them succeed in everyday
life and in the workplace, but I believe that the self-management and time-management
skills are what may give PBL a step above some other teaching methods; I
believe that these two skills will help students gain more independence,
confidence, and less frustration in just about any facet of life. And combined with the encouragement for students
to become active rather than passive learners, these benefits for students make
PBL a viable option to consider when choosing a teaching method.
However,
beyond just considering the benefits, there are also issues to be considered
with the PBL approach. The reading
emphasized that PBL takes an extensive amount of preparation and planning on
the teacher’s part, and I get the feel that it is much more than what needs to
be done with a traditional lesson. This
tells me that teachers have to be prepared to put in much more time and effort
using PBL, and they also have to be ready to make mistakes and be open to a lot
of change. PBL also means that the teacher
has much less control over the classroom and the lesson, as students are in
charge of their learning with the teacher as more of a guide. Having less control over the classroom honestly
sounds a bit scary, so teachers need to be ready to fight the temptation to
take back the power from the students. Also,
a teacher using PBL has to be ready to explain why s/he is using this method of
teaching and have answers ready for skeptical parents and/or colleagues. These issues are the ones that I consider the
most pressing when it comes to considering the use of PBL in my future class,
but they are not enough to completely stop me from keeping the option of PBL
open.
Finally, the
last topic I will reflect on is how New Technology High is an example for the
New Technology Model. The items that
stuck out to me the most on how this school embodies the New Technology Model
are how PBL and real-world applications are the focus of the entire curriculum rather
than just an option or a side piece, how students have access to computers and
their “project briefcases” whenever they need it yet the focus doesn’t shift to
the technology, as it is seen as a tool and not the goal, and how collaboration
and constructive feedback takes precedence over grades. All of this tells me that the students under
this model are going to be well-prepared for the workforce in terms of not just
technological savvy but also in terms of their readiness for tackling projects
and receiving/giving constructive feedback, and the fact that this model is
financially backed by for-profit businesses shows that these skills are highly
sought after.
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