Project Based Learning
Sarah Kate Chatel
Project Based
learning is an approach to teaching that engages and challenges students beyond
any other approach to teaching. I used to think the Project Based Learning was
not anything that I could implement for my students, who struggle as learners
already. I had a perception that it was something for science teachers to
utilize with their experiments. I had difficulty seeing how I could use this
model within my own room. I see now that this should be a primary approach to
teaching within my classroom. I teach a resource math class where I focus on
math foundational skills, often times my students are exposed to the skills I
teach multiple times throughout their educational careers, yet they still have
not reached mastery. I can see that by implementing the PBL model I can
hopefully have students make deeper connections within these foundational
skills in a way that they will never forget. I hope that I can make these
skills as real world as possible, so that students see the importance of
learning and the impact it will have in the real world, not just on a
worksheet. I can see the importance of Project Based Learning (PBL) and how
effective it is with teaching real world life skills. I believe that my
students can be extremely successful within the real world as long as they have
foundational academic skills and real world skills that are instructed and utilized,
within the PBL approach. I am so excited to see my students enhance their
self-awareness and their ability to collaborate and work with others in a way
that impacts the world in a positive way.
I have loved learning the Project
Based Learning approach through living it. I, like my students, remember
through experiencing much more than just reading or listening. My favorite part
about this class is going through a variety of protocols, because it has
expanded my way of thinking on how I can assess and monitor understanding of my
students in a different way than just an exit ticket or a quiz. I enjoyed this
past week spent learning about project based learning and I am looking forward
to implementing this approach within my own classroom.
I agree that experience is so important to learning and TRULY remembering what you learned!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite part about this experience was also learning a variety of protocols to use in our classrooms. It gives different ways of assessing our students, than through typical way.
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah Kate,
ReplyDeleteI am glad that you enjoyed this class and have found project based learning to not only be relevant for your students but an approach that could work for all students. Like you, I have enjoyed the collaboration that the various protocols promote and the new learning that inquiry based learning brings to us individually and to our whole group, collectively. I appreciate so much the ways you've integrated what you've learned about pbl into your career exploration and interview you created for your students.
Sincerely,
Dawn