Jeneane Allgood--Blog Post #3

"Inspiring students not to hate botany"

I had a student tell me this week that she thought she wouldn't like the plant unit (because let's face it---they're plants), but because I got so excited about the plant unit, she is excited about the plant unit and wants to go home and plant other things besides what she planted as part of her project. I've actually heard this from several students. One group wanted to grow lemon trees for their project, but then decided it would be too difficult, so one of the  group members is going to try to grow lemon trees on her own. I had soccer players who took "plant selfies" of primary succession and lichens while on a trip to Stone Mountain, Georgia and then couldn't wait to get back and show me. 

I really think that their new-found love of plants is due in large part to my PBL project for the spring. Instead of just taking notes on seed germination, they are getting to watch their seeds germinate. Instead of telling them, "You will plant this", they got to choose what they wanted to plant and which variables they wanted to investigate, so they are taking ownership over their experiments.  Most of what we are doing is being done at home, so it's not really taking that much time away from AP Bio, but it is teaching them SO much more than what I could have done with traditional learning styles. And, best of all, it is learning that will stick with them for a long time.  

With the support I have received from Dawn and from my classmates, I am no longer "afraid" of PBL. I have experienced the lessons that didn't go as well and lessons that went better than expected. I have received great feedback and suggestions from my peers, and that feedback has made my lessons stronger and more meaningful. So, in case I forget to say it later, THANK YOU!