Alana McSharry- Blog 7- "What I Use to Think But Now I Know"

"What I Use to Think"
*Students decide what they will learn during project based learning units.
*PBL units do not include standards.
*PBL units are not planned units.
*PBL units are unorganized and unstructured.
*PBL units are about the products during and at the end of the units.
*PBL units are long and drawn out.


"But Now I Know"
*The teacher decides what to teach students.
*The standards drive the students' learning when teaching a project based learning unit.
*Before teaching a project based learning unit the teacher needs to plan it.
*Planning is important because it causes the unit to be successful.
*Organization is key to a successful project based learning unit.
*The process students move through is more important than the products at the end of the unit.
*The process includes sustained inquiry into a certain subject or idea.
*Students have choices but those choices are within the boundaries given to them by the teacher.
*The project based learning units need to be relevant and authentic so students will solve a problem while they are learning.
*Assessment is an important component to project based learning units.
*Assessment can drive the learning and teaching.
*Students have a final product to present their learning.
*Students reflect on their work throughout the project.
*Students present the information from a unit to a public audience.
*Students need the opportunity to work independently and to create authentic work even when they are four-years old.

During the three courses I learned many helpful concepts and ideas to create a better learning environment in my classroom. I would like to work on creating PBL units for the other units that I teach in K4. I enjoyed the challenge of these classes this school year.

Alana McSharry- Blog 6- Workshop for K4 Teachers in Spartanburg

At the end of the fall class Dawn asked me to present Exercise, Eat, Sleep and Be Healthy to a group of K4 teachers at a school in Spartanburg. It was the first time that I would present a workshop to other teachers and I was nervous about the whole experience. I gathered all of my students' products, my books and my computer and drove to Spartanburg with a sense of nervousness and excitement. The principal of the school walked me to the library where there were about eight to ten teachers waiting on me. The principal was kind and informative about her K4 program as we walked to the library. Dawn introduced me to the teachers and I began the workshop. I presented the project using the PowerPoint I created during the fall class. Throughout the presentation I talked about my students and how they moved through the project. I passed out some of the books I read to the students to help them learn about healthy habits. I also gave the teachers the opportunity to read the students' healthy habit books. I passed out three examples of the books which demonstrated the different levels of the students in my class. At the end of the workshop I showed the videos created by the students. One video was about staying clean and the other video was about how exercise is fun. I think the teachers enjoyed the workshop and found it helpful. I offered the teachers the planner for the project and also gave them the opportunity to ask questions about the project. I enjoyed the whole experience and it was a confidence builder for me. I appreciated Dawn giving me the opportunity to share Exercise, Eat, Sleep and Be Happy to a group of colleagues.

Alana McSharry- Blog 5- Monarch Elementary and Drayton Mills Elementary

Monarch Elementary
During the visit to Monarch Elementary I observed PBL in a classroom from each grade level. In the fifth grade class the students worked on deciding the best stock to buy. They graphed the stocks for a couple of days. The students were engaged in their work and understood their assignments. The teacher walked around the classroom and talked with students to check on their progress. I was impressed with the focus of the students on their work. In another classroom the students were creating a perfect school building. Each group of students had to design a section of the school building. The design of one group included windows that opened to the outside. When I questioned the student about the importance of windows that open she expressed her concern about having an alternative way to leave the classroom in an emergency. This conversation impressed and intrigued me. The students took this project seriously. In every classroom that I entered the students were working either in small groups or independently with the teacher walking around and engaging with students.

Fort Mill Elementary
During the visit to Drayton Mills Elementary I observed more of the structure and design of a school that implements PBL. Each grade level has an open area for the students to gather and work together on projects. This area had tables and chairs that was appropriate for the age of the child. The school has a classroom that students can use to build or create an object. The teachers can schedule this classroom when their students are creating a bigger or more complicated project. It was interesting to visit a school that was designed for the implementation of PBL.

Alana McSharry- Blog 4- Coaching Cycle

During our coaching cycle Dawn and I talked on the phone about the current project and the project I did during the fall class. While talking about the implementation of this project I brought up the topic of students doing work independently. Dawn encouraged me to let students do their work by themselves as much as possible. The students have their own level of independence and it is my responsibility to meet them at that level and to help them when they need it. These ideas created an environment that helped my students complete their artistic representation of their weather projects. I watched my students working and waited until they indicated that they needed my help. This action on my part improved my students' independence and confidence. I learned to value the power of observation and the power of student independence. I appreciated Dawn's encouragement and helpful advice because it improved the implementation of the project.

Alana McSharry- Blog 3- Observation of Spring PBL

I chose for Dawn to observe a lesson that involved the students observing a rain making activity.

Here is the lesson.
Standards: 1. LDC-2o: Participate in a group discussion making comments and asking questions related to the topic. 2. LDC-13f: Represent thoughts and ideas in drawings and by writing letters or letter-like forms. 3. CD-10o: Notice and describe weather conditions, position of the sun and moon at different times and seasonal changes. 4. CD-11n: Represent what they learn during scientific exploration through drawing, modeling, building, movement and other methods.
Procedures: 1. Review the idea of rainy days with students. 2. Explain to students that they will participate in an experiment that will show how rain falls from a cloud. 3. Show students a cup with water in it. 4. Add shaving cream to the top of the cup. 5. Show students how to use the eye dropper to get water and drop it on the shaving cream. 6. Explain to students that they will do the experiment, discuss it and draw a picture of it. 7. Send students to their tables. 8. Place a cup with water and shaving cream on the table, a small cup with blue water and eye droppers. 9. Have students begin to drop the blue water onto the shaving cream. 10. Have students observe what is happening to the blue water and the water in the cup. 11. Have students discuss with each other what is happening and how it is similar to rain falling from the clouds. 12. Give students paper and have them draw a picture of what is happening in the cup. 13. Have students write about what is happening in the cup. 14. Have students bring their papers back to large group and share it with a friend.
Assessment: Students participate in discussions. Students draw about their observations.

During the lesson the students actively participated in the activity. The students talked about how the blue water moved through the shaving cream into the water in the cup. They talked about how it looked similar to rain. The students took turns sharing the eye dropper and worked well together.

After the observation the students drew and colored a picture of what happened to the blue water when it was dropped on the shaving cream. Then the students dictated a sentence that matched their picture. All of the students' pictures had detail and related to their observations. All of the students dictated sentences that explained the activity or rain in a correct manner.

In large group three or four students presented their picture to the other students. The students spoke clearly and did a great job explaining their work. The students were engaged and involved throughout the lesson.

In my opinion the lesson went well. It was organized and well delivered. I think there is little I could do to improve the lesson.

Alana McSharry- Blog 2- Implementation of Spring PBL

During the first week of the project I read books about different types weather to the students. Many of the books had interesting pictures and information for the students to learn about weather. The students began a list of weather words. As they presented the weather words I added the words to the list with a picture next to it. On the first day of the project we graphed the weather and continued with the graph throughout the whole project. The students also went home with a calendar so they could track the weather at home with their parents. During the first week I filled a container up with water, dyed the water, drew a line, wrote the date and placed the container on top of the refrigerator. The idea is for the students to observe how water evaporates over time and how this evaporation is part of the water cycle. In art class the students started an art project that related to rainy weather. The students splatter painted blue on their paper to represent the rain. Each week the students worked on the project until they completed it.

During the second week of the project the students watched videos about different types of weather. The videos explained tornadoes and hurricanes in a way that allowed students to understand those types of weather. The students continued to graph the weather every day at school and at home. The students observed the container with the water and realized that the water had evaporated into the air. The students continued to work on their art project during art class. The students drew and colored a person holding an umbrella. 

During the third week of the project the students began to use the information about weather to participate in different activities. One activity was to observe the water cycle. Each table of students had a cup of water, a cup of blue water and eye droppers. My assistant and I went to each table of students and placed shaving cream on top of the water. The students took turns dropping the blue water onto the shaving cream and watching how the blue water soaks through the shaving cream and into the water. The students related the action of the blue water and shaving cream to the water cycle and how rain forms in clouds and falls down to the Earth. After the observation the students drew and colored a picture of what happened to the water. Then the students dictated a sentence to the teachers. The students worked with "snow" and made a snowman and decorated it. Another activity the students observed how a tornado swirls around in a funnel. The students had a cup of water with glitter in it. They took a pencil and stirred the water. After stirring for a few minutes the students removed the pencil and noticed how the water spun like a tornado. The students participated in other activities during the week. They continued to observe the container and how the water continued to evaporate throughout the weeks. During art class the students created a snowy day. They started by drawing and coloring grass, a tree and a snowman.

During the fourth week of the project the students worked on their artistic representation of their chosen weather. First the students chose the weather that they wanted to create artistically. Then the students worked with an adult on their artistic representation. The students chose the materials to create the weather. The students used paint, paper, shaving cream, glue and other materials. They enjoyed the creative process and had pride in their work. At the end of the fourth week we finished graphing the weather. We asked and answered questions about the graph. During art class the students finished the snowy day by painting over their picture with blue paint.

During the fifth week of the project the students worked on writing about the weather that they created artistically. The students worked with an adult to write about their chosen weather. The students had to write at least one sentence. The students talked with the teacher about their chosen weather. The teachers helped the students sound out words during their writing. If the students had questions about their chosen weather the teachers had the students look at a book to refresh their memory about the weather.

At the end of the project the students had the opportunity to share their weather work with their parents during a student-led conference after school and with a first grade class during the day. The parents enjoyed looking at their child's work. The students talked about their project with confidence and pride. The students were excited to present their work to their first grade friends.

Tieraney G. Rice Blog Post #2: Coaching Cycle

For our coaching cycle, I decided that I wanted Dawn to help me with implementing the use of technology into my project.  Other than making some videos, I didn't really use technology with my project I implemented in the Fall.  I took a technology class a couple of summer's ago and learned about all kinds of cool apps that can be used with children.  While I left the course with a tool belt full of wonderful ideas and ways to use technology with my kids, I never used any of it!  I had good intentions!  So, I decided one of the ways I wanted to improve my Spring project was to use technology in a meaningful way.  "Blabberize" was one of the sites in my toolbox that I had never tried, & boy was I in for a surprise.  Our coaching cycle consisted of Dawn helping me set up my blabbering account.  Once I had an account, she walked me through how to use it.  Because of this guidance, I was able to use this fun site with my students as a way of showing what they learned during this project.  They were super excited to see what they had done!

Tieraney G. Rice Blog Post #1: Implementation Observation

Tieraney G. Rice
Blog Post #1:  PBL Implementation Observation

Whenever we have a visitor in my school, the students are always excited and eager to welcome the person or people.  So, it was no different when Dawn walked in!  All of a sudden, they all became a little bit more talkative than usual.  Dawn got a chance to see how we begin our day with a whole group time which consists of welcoming everyone to school, setting up the calendar, and singing some songs.  I had introduced the "All About Shapes" PBL project the week before.  So, this particular week we were learning a song about shapes, and identifying/exploring 2-D shapes.  After learning the song, we split the students into two groups.  One group stayed with me and worked in small groups.  One group made shapes using popsicle sticks, one group used manipulatives of various shapes to create pictures, and the other group used foam shapes to match to puzzles to make pictures.  There were many conversations and discoveries in each group as the students experimented with their objects.  The other group was with my assistant.  She had a cube with a picture and the name of the shape on each side.  As the students sat in a circle, she rolled the cube and asked students to tell her the name of the shape pictured on the side the cube landed on.  These activities the students were engaged in during this observation were very beneficial and necessary at the beginning of the project because a major "Need To Know" for the project was the name of 2-D shapes.  Once the students could identify 2-D shapes, we moved on to 3-D shapes.
Dawn's advice and feedback during this observation was very helpful!            

Rachael Le Mee, Post #6: What I used to think, but now I know....

Way back when in the spring of 2018 when I started my PBL experience with an online course through Converse, I used to think that PBL could be the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. The "thing" I'd been searching for in education that would make all the difference. Now, I know, after spending a year teaching this way, that it's the truth. Some people will just claim it's just the "latest thing" or that it will fade away, but I know that it is rooted in every single best practice I can think of, and I've seen the impact it has made on my students and me as a teacher.

Another thing I know for sure now is that PBL is a process. Getting kids on board might be a process. Getting colleagues on board is a process. Creating a school where PBL is the norm is a process. PBL itself is a process. It's ALL ABOUT THE PROCESS!!!!

I remember Dr. Terry telling us in August that we were on the high mountain top, and that we were about to enter the valley of darkness, and that he wanted us to be prepared and know that we'd come out of the valley again eventually. That was so true for me, but instead of a mountain and a valley, it actually felt more like a particularly wild loop-a-dee-doop roller coaster with TONS of peaks and valleys along the way... and a couple of moments where I actually felt physically nauseous from the stress of it all! :0

But now, the roller coaster is pulling back into the station, and I'm ready to go for another ride. It's never going to be the easy way, and there will always be loops and moments when the bottom falls out unexpectedly. But it's the best way for us to reach our students, to authentically engage them in their own educational journey, and to turn out human beings who are capable beyond measure. Human beings that will change our world for the better if we only let them!

Rachael Le Mee, Post #5: Impromptu PBL Workshop?!?! :)

Confession time: I somehow had COMPLETELY forgotten about leading a PBL workshop. Until Dawn emailed us on April 9th. Frantic, and in full panic mode, I emailed her back asking if I could reach out to the teachers new to my school this year that weren't PBL-trained and see if they had any interest in learning more about PBL from someone "fresh off the boat." She approved the idea, and I led my mini-workshop for four "New to Fisher" sixth grade teachers yesterday. 

While it wasn't a huge turnout, I was thankful to see that 25% of the new teachers (we had 16 last year) were curious about what this PBL magic was that I had been talking about. (And I'm not going to lie, I also think that the teachers that came were all 6th grade teachers because they felt a teensy bit obligated because we're 6th grade colleagues together and wanted to be supportive... but, hey, I'll take it!) :) 

For my workshop, I actually pulled together a variety of things from our cohort and also utilized a Google Slides I'd made for the first PBL course I had taken online in the Spring of 2018. 

Here's the Google Slides mentioned above that I started off the workshop with, because it's more "foundational" stuff like the philosophy of PBL, the elements of PBL, etc.

Then, I passed out copies of my unit outlines (Pieces of Me, Journal Prototype, and What's Going On?), and we informally talked through my big takeaways of what I've learned this year as I implemented PBL. The trials and tribulations (anti-groupwork vibe, time constraints and sex ed jacking up my whole first semester, finding ways to get an authentic audience without having my own space...) and the contagious pure joy that I've seen on students' faces as their families or peers funnel through the door into my various classroom spaces to learn about what students have created and learned. I shared about how, using what I gleaned from last semester, I decided that the best way to do PBL for me was by beginning with individual projects, then moving to partner projects, and easing into group projects. (Note: This is certainly not gospel and may not be true with other content areas, but worked great for character education and for my students this semester!) I shared pictures of student work samples, and shared a couple of the group contract videos Dawn had recorded during my observation to show what the beginning stages often look like.... The thing I stressed most of all was to just. get. started. I encouraged them to pick one unit for next year, and begin with the end in mind. What did they want students to know, and how could they get there in an authentic way? I gave them a copy of the eight design elements, and shared this link from Buck Institute with them so they could see tons of great PBL project ideas.  

I truly hope that these four left inspired, and that they will give PBL a shot next year! :) 

Rachael Le Mee, Post #4: Monarch and Drayton Mills Visits

What a MAGICAL day it was visiting Monarch and Drayton Mills and getting to enjoy lunch with you guys!

Here are my takeaways from the day....

Monarch: It DOES exist!!! A place where PBL is the norm, students are driven by engagement, learning is meaningful, and teachers are all teaching with the same mission despite the differing content in every grade level. What I think I enjoyed most about this day was getting to hear from the teachers first about the good, the bad, and the ugly of "true life PBL" then see it in action as we walked around the building. I loved how in every class we entered, students were working on completely different things, but were equally engaged because their learning held so much purpose for them. Their learning was always building towards something, and the engaging work they were doing was part of a process, not a culminating activity. I also noted, and particularly enjoyed, that the furnishings in the school were developmentally appropriate and easy to move for a variety of collaboration experiences in each classroom. One of my biggest takeaways was from my discussion with the principal: I realized that, if a school really wants to be PBL and do it well, the teachers need time for professional development, and it needs to be consistent across the school. And the leader has to MAKE time for that to happen and allocate resources for that to happen. How much easier would it have been to have inherited all these "excessed" teachers and just let them teach how they'd always been teaching? But, by making a commitment to PBL as a school, everyone benefits and teachers and students alike are both growing!

Drayton Mills: What I really learned at Drayton Mills more than anything is that becoming a PBL school is a long, slow process. You can slap the letters on the wall and on the website, announcing it to the world, but the actuality is that it takes time to develop PBL greatness. It's crazy to see the beginning phase at Drayton and well-oiled machine phase at Monarch, and it was incredibly beneficial to see them in the same day! What I really loved was that so many teachers at Drayton were able to have the attitude and acceptance that this process was going to be slow, but they trusted that they were all going to get there eventually. (This is something that is particularly hard for me, as I want to have the skills down, like, YESTERDAY.) Something that I think will be incredibly impactful about Drayton is the foresight that went into their building design. It is truly designed to be a place of innovation, imagination, and creativity where students and faculty have spaces to come together collaboratively.

Tons of great takeaways from this experience, and so thankful to have been able to be a part of it!

Rachael Le Mee, Post #3: PBL Implementation Observation

I was lucky enough to have my coaching cycle back up to my "What's Going On?" Social Action PBL observation directly (March 19th and 20th, respectively), so I got the benefit of immediate feedback on whether or not what we had talked about together in the coaching cycle made a difference. And, MY GOODNESS! Did it ever!

We began Day Two of our PBL unit on a very different foot than we'd left off on Day One. We spent a quality chunk of time talking about what were our fears in relation to group projects in the two classes I'd be doing the project with. From those fears, we were able to come up with a list of what kinds of things we would want to specifically include in our group contracts so that we could avoid reliving group project nightmares. The students were sooooooo open to this, and seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief as they heard their peers sharing some of their very own concerns. Some of the main ones were having someone in the group be a "steam roller" who paved over everyone else's ideas or working with people who were so checked out that one or two people carried the whole weight of the project.

With this all out in the open, students were able to meet up with their groups and have very different (and much more productive) conversations than we'd had the day before. As they began creating their group contracts, they were engaged, excited, and confident about their ability to make an impact on a problem in our community. They began creating their to-do lists, and most of them jumped right into the research phase.

One big problem we encountered during my observation was that, as students researched and got excited about making an impact, they started jumping the gun on what they were going to do and trying to start making a plan of action. (Example: one group learning about homelessness decided they were going to get tents for every homeless person.... which may not be what is most needed for someone facing homelessness. A group studying homelessness in another class said they were going to build 1 square meter houses! Both ideas were super thoughtful, but a little out of their league.....) We gathered as a group, and I gave them some examples of what happens when you jump the gun...namely that we become more of a hindrance than a help.

Our block wrapped up with students checking over their to-do lists and promising to get thinking about their Plans of Action before our next class.

All in all, it was a powerful second day of our unit, and I felt like my classes had come leaps and bounds in a short matter of time. It's amazing how far some thoughtful reflection on my part (with help from Dawn) can go to ensure that they all felt empowered and understood in their groups.

Rachael Le Mee, Post #2: Coaching Cycle

When I met up with Dawn at Starbucks to take part in my coaching cycle, I walked in feeling deflated. I had introduced my PBL unit to two of my three groups the day before, and one of my best groups had fallen FLAT ON IT'S FACE when it came time to get started. They were hostile and frustrated and not engaged with their peers. What was going on?!?! They'd done an individual PBL (the Pieces of Me one I'd written for first semester) and a partner PBL (journal for teens prototyping) and been just fine. Meanwhile, I was having another group that was so "off-kilter" that there was no way I was willing to try another PBL with them having seen them struggle mightily with the partner PBL from the previous unit. Whatever the reasons for the struggles, I was feeling like a total PBL failure!

It was the perfect time to meet up with Dawn, and she helped me re-examine what was going on. We began by talking about students' behavior (how they fell apart) and some students' adamant refusals to work with others and what might be going on, as well as coming up with some options to work around that, such as the possibility of having students work alone and complete individual work contracts. Dawn and I also talked about my one class that "just couldn't handle PBL," and she reminded me not all of our students are ready for the same things at the same time, and it's OKAY to differentiate and offer different project options or less options or go with a completely different option because that is what it looks like if we're really meeting the needs of our students.

Once we had all those huge concerns covered, we moved into the meat of our coaching cycle, which focused on how to help students create meaningful group contracts that would help them build trust with one another. We came up with a sort of outline that I could provide to students via Google Classroom that they could then fill in and personalize for their groups' needs. Through our conversation, I started to visualize the contract outline in three parts: 1) the group agreements/promises to each other 2)the "To-Do List" that would be consistently updated throughout the project at the beginning and end of each work block, and 3) a Plan of Action to help guide the groups' service projects. I'm attaching a link here for y'all to see what I ended up creating, and a student sample to see how it turned out!

My blank outline
Student Sample Contract

Overall, the coaching cycle was a HUGE help to me, and helped us reach lift off (after crashing and burning early on) with what would become a really special PBL! :)

Tina Sanders - Anderson Mill PBL Workshop Post

Anderson Mill PBL Workshop Presentation

By: Tina Sanders

Overview: I explained my project step by step from the simple to more complex, educating the teachers on my process.

1. Explanation of PBL proposal.

2. 1^st Steps = Student Engagement Piece: How did I get the students excited about what they would learn? (Bullfrog Video)

3. Progression of PBL = I chronicled the highlights of the unit from beginning to end.

            A. Engagement Piece (Mentioned Above)

            B. Extension

·      Research - One video per day that taught students about the animal of the day.   (Each day, the students wrote a simple book listing at least 2 facts about it.)

·      Directed Drawings - Arthubforkids.com Students drew the animal (These drawings were created in the book mentioned above.)

·      Food Chain Introduction – Throughout the unit research, we discovered what each animal ate.

·      3D Animal Creations – Families worked to create a three dimensional representation of their chosen animal. (Those who did not bring one in, were assisted in creation by a teacher – Ex. Alligator)

·      Dioramas – Families worked to create these highlighting their animal’s place in the pond along with the animal’s food.

·      Food Chain Extensions -                                     Homework: Students discussed with their parents their animal’s place in the food chain. Then share with the class.

Game: Students acted out a living food chain.

Link: Students completed the page demonstrating where their animal fits on the food chain.

·      Choice/Voice: – Students were given their 1^st choice in the beginning of the unit when they were allowed to pick an animal they were interested in learning about. At the end, they were able to choose – which product they wanted to share with students, teachers and parents and which piece of technology they wanted to use to share it on. (Paper/Pencil Creation, Video, Chatterpix, Seesaw, etc.) Student Choice/Voice were highlighted throughout this unit.

4. Documentation Sharing – I brought student product samples

                        (3D animals, books, Dioramas, etc.)

                        Pictures and Videos of unit were shown by Dawn.

5. Question and Answer Period – I was excited to see that they

                        were willing to picture themselves teaching a PBL

                        next year. I am also glad that they connected the

                        fact that if I could do this with 26 students, they

                        could definitely do it with 18-20 students.

Reflection: I actually feel like I learned as much from this process as I hope the Anderson Mill teachers learned from me. I am encouraged to know that there are schools who are on board with such inquiry methods and that hopefully, mine will one day go back in that general direction.  Reflecting through my unit once again, gave me even more insight into ways to further improve this unit for next year. I enjoyed being a voice for change. Thank you Dawn for allowing me this opportunity to reach others in such a meaningful way.

Tina Sanders What I Used To Think But Now I Know Blog Post

I used to think PBL was just about the culminating products. Now I Know that PBL is about the sustained inquiry at the beginning, during and at the end of the PBL itself. I learned that it is not about a stellar beginning and a few stellar moments along the way, but it is the authentic inquiry that drives the learning.  Students are engaged throughout the entire process. For example, for my “Magnet Mania” PBL, I wanted to begin with an amateur magician because I thought that was the only way to get my students engaged in the learning. When all I really needed to do was let them loose with the magnets so they could explore what attracts or repels. The looks on their faces told the story. They loved pulling things toward them using the more powerful magnets. It didn’t take a “Magic Show” to get them interested. Now, I do believe that Mrs. Magnet was effective and got them excited about what was coming next.

In the “Puttering Around the Pond” unit I felt I was much more effective throughout the whole unit. I found 25 short animal videos that allowed students to see the animals in their natural habitat with an element of the food chain/life cycle included. Using the mini-videos for research purposes each day really got them engaged and kept them engaged. After the first week of consistent research practice, students came in every day after asking which animal we were learning about today. I also used a drawing website called art-hub for kids to help students draw the animal in a simple, relaxed format. The man works with his kids to draw in an easy, step by step manner. When students need me to, I just paused the video until they caught up with the class. There were drawings for almost every animal I tried to find at the pond. This made it where students felt comfortable drawing because he made it so simple. Between the research videos and the drawings, I am not sure which one made the difference. But, the student’s books came to life.

I Used To Think That only upper grade students could really implement all aspects of the PBL Now I Know That, students of all ages can learn using the PBL model. My students were more engaged than I have ever seen them before. It is all due to the way I approached PBL. Yes, it is great when your entire school has buy in. But, in the age of standardized testing, student “unaccountability” and pressures on the classroom teachers to do-it-all, that is a pipe dream I am afraid. Everyone has their own idea of the perfect way to teach. None of that matters as long as authentic learning is taking place. In my opinion, the perfect way to facilitate that learning is PBL. I am excited to see where this journey takes me next year. Thank you Dawn for making this journey possible for me.

Tina Sanders PBL Revision Blog Post

Puttering Around The Pond Revisions: I am going to attempt to have live animals in the classrooms during this unit. I did this before with a similar IB unit and the kids loved it! The difference is that my previous assistant was really into caring for animals. So, she had several that she could bring in to get the kids excited about the pond. She had a newt, a chameleon, some fish, etc. I am going to begin much earlier so that I can hopefully have these already set up prior to the beginning of the unit. I will send out an email to the staff at my school to see if anyone has any caged pets that they wouldn’t mind our class borrowing for a few weeks. A former student helper was going to find some newts in a local creek, but due to the weather, he was unable to catch any. I will also go to a local pet show to see if I can find any baby turtles or chicks to observe. I really think this is part of what was lacking this year.  That will give the kids some “eyes-on/hands-on” experiences. I also want to try to hatch chicks again. We were not successful last year, but I would like to try again. I felt that I had too much riding on it to try it again this year.

Overall, this unit was a huge success. I just think with these additions, it will be even more successful.

Tina Sanders Drayton Mills PBL Reflection

Drayton Mills: My first thought was: “Oh my goodness, this place is incredible!” I just thought that Monarch was impressive. I loved the entryway with the little theater area where special events could be held. But, I was even more impressed with what I saw in the classrooms. Students sometimes disagreed but you could tell there were protocols in place to deal with that eventuality. Students were given roles to play in the groups. The hubs were amazing! You can tell that this school was built with inquiry learning in mind. The classrooms were smaller than my K5 room, but the hubs had lots of storage space for joint sharing of materials so it could be worth the trade- off.   The maker space was incredible. You could tell that monies were invested into allowing the students to have creativity in their learning.  This literally had me drooling and wishing I could work in a school like this. I loved having the opportunity to see it in use. The students were actively engaged in creating representations of their learning. I would love to work at a school where the administration was behind PBL.  As you know, our school was an IB school before our administrator came. Everyone bought into IB. We were a well-oiled machine. Students were eager to engage in inquiry lessons. Then, things began to change. District allocations to support trainings disappeared and the new administrator put money into upper level staff positions and took money from individual classroom allocations. Staff turnover became a problem. Then came the expense of training all of the new hires on IB. Eventually, the cost became prohibitive and new hires didn’t understand IB so when it came time to vote on whether to remain an IB school, the majority (which were new hires) voted to pull out of IB. I would like to invest in a maker space in my classroom. I am trying to think of materials to include there besides craft materials (which I have in my art center). Anyone have thoughts on this??

Tina Sanders Monarch PBL Visit Reflection

Monarch: My first impression of Monarch, was: “Now, this is what it looks like when there is buy in from administration, and faculty.” It was good to receive an overview of their program prior to observations so we knew what we were looking for. I was impressed that students were able to verbalize what they were learning and their excitement for the PBL learning process. The greeters were extremely knowledgeable about the process and were able to express reflections on the various PBLs they had been a part of. In their minds, there were teachers who enveloped PBL more effectively while others taught it but not at the same level. I appreciated the candor because it allowed me the grace to realize that as I am learning, my PBL experiences will get better as I grow. I don’t even think the child knew how what she was saying would affect me.  The Artic room was absolutely amazing! It gave me many ideas to implement next year on ways to involve my students even more in the building of the pond.

Tina Sanders Coaching Cycle Post

 Coaching Cycle: We worked on the S’more Newsletter. Unfortunately, our coaching cycle was interrupted on multiple occasions due to my being in charge of the school’s Talent Show. I would like to sit with you again so that I can take notes on this technology. Thank you Dawn for setting this up and downloading the pictures and videos. I literally couldn’t have done it without you! I think my parents would really like it. My thoughts were to have at least one of these per month where I focus on one group of kids. That way by the end of the year, every child has been highlighted using this format at least once per year. Do you think that would work/be a reasonable goal for my first year? 

Ashley Blackwelder, Blog Post 6: Final Reflections

Ashley Blackwelder, Blog Post 5: Monarch Elementary

I really enjoyed our visit to Monarch! I loved how they organized their PBL visit event, and it was nice to start the day talking to our young hosts. It was impressive to see what this school has accomplished, and also very validating to see that we are doing some similar things in our own school. I loved the handout we got explaining their PBL approach (something we could EASILY whip up and start distributing here!), and my wheels, of course, started spinning on how we could host a similar event to showcase what's happening at FES...and offer support to other teachers/schools who are wanting to try it.
As we have grown in our STEM/PBL approach at FES, I've been much more willing (read: insistent) to put some effort into letting people know what's happening at our school. I'm all for keeping it real and avoiding the whole dog-and-pony show, but I also become more and more convinced each year that we are doing things that a) are not typical and b) others would actually be interested to know more about. So I really liked their 2-day setup of sharing each grade level's projects. It was a short enough visit to not take much time out of the kids' day, but they had definitely put in the effort to make that particular showcase shine. What was also great was that they weren't trying to be perfect. I think that idea of "we've figured out how to do it RIGHT" is so intimidating to teachers, and a big reason why so many are still intimidated by things like STEM and PBL. They're afraid of getting it "wrong." I felt like the teachers and principal at Monarch showed that their PBL approach is always in progress; they are constantly learning and growing, just like the students do. It was exciting, but also very real--and I liked that.
As always, I did find a couple of ideas that I would like to build on and attempt with teachers at our school. It was an exciting and encouraging visit, and well worth the drive over to Greenville!

Ashley Blackwelder, Blog Post 4: PBL Workshop

For my PBL workshop, I had the opportunity to present with our literacy coach and ESOL teacher at this year's SCIRA conference in February. We were very excited for this chance to spotlight some of the great student-driven, STEM, and PBL instruction taking place at our school. As a whole, our teachers do a fantastic job of integrating literacy with content to create inquiry-based experiences; we're strong in STEM and taking some great steps in designing/implementing full PBL units. Our teachers are also amazing when it comes to meeting the very diverse needs of our students. Mrs. Harris, our ESOL teacher, has made huge gains by bringing inquiry, student choice, and project-based experiences to her English language learners.

Our presentation was a showcase of some of our standout projects from each grade level. We shared an overview of how STEM and literacy are woven together in all classrooms--including ESOL--and then set up a gallery of videos from each grade level, explaining their particular projects.
It was exciting to have the chance to basically brag on our school for a state-wide audience, and their responses were very encouraging and validating. One teacher approached us afterward and said our session was "one of the most informative ones" she'd attended at the conference. It was a nice reminder that we are doing some great things at our school, and it's worth sharing with others. We had a couple of others reach out to us, and one school from our audience actually visited us at FES a few weeks later.

Presentation link: 2019 SCIRA Presentation

Ashley Blackwelder, Blog Post 3: Coaching Cycle

Confession: Our coaching cycle was scheduled for what turned into an extremely busy day, and something that I had written down in my plans but forgot about until almost the last minute. When I flipped to that day's page in my planner, my first thought was, "Oh man...that's TODAY?!" And while I always look forward to talking and reflecting with Dawn, it felt like it would be one more thing to check off the list on a day when I was already drowning in to-dos. We were planning to work on assessment, but I did not feel like I was prepared to be all that productive when Dawn showed up.

But as usual, our time together ended up being productive, inspiring, and motivating (I now have a much longer list of to-dos to begin working on for the upcoming year!). After discussing my reflections of our first PBL trip, we discussed some ideas for how this could translate into the work I could do with our teachers next year. I am eager to bring a stronger emphasis on PBL, coaching cycles, and an emphasis on personalized learning into my work with students and teachers. This is the time of year when I finally start to come up for air, as teachers are generally in test-prep mode and don't demand much of my time again until later on in May. So it's when my wheels start spinning about what we could attempt and accomplish in the next school year. Dawn and I worked out some rough plans that could bring about some really big and exciting changes, and it was SO worth taking that time out of my day to bounce my ideas off of her, and get some great feedback and encouragement as well.

I've taken a lot of great classes with Dawn, but this course--and the creativity, encouragement, and excitement that have gone along with it--has been my favorite by far. My coaching cycle with Dawn helped to set an example for me of the kind of supportive, validating coach that I want to be for our teachers at FES--and our students, as I work with them on PBL experiences.This was such a valuable experience for me, and I am excited to see what comes of our brainstorming and planning session in the next year!

Tina Sanders: Puttering Around the Pond PBL Reflection

Puttering About The Pond Journal

Week 1: We began this unit with a question: How do you know something is living? We took a walk outside to observe the nature around us. As we walked, I asked students to notice what they saw. One student noticed a bird flying overhead. Another saw a leaf of a tree move. Another noticed a limb on the ground. One last students saw several rocks lying around. I asked the question again, “How do you know something is living.” There were the typical responses: “The bird is living because it moves.” “The limb is still so it is not living.”

As we walked around I began to sing this Living/Non-Living Song: It is living, It is living, I know why! I know why! It breathes and grows and changes, It breathes and grows and changes, It’s alive! It’s alive!

It’s not living, It’s not living, I know why! I know why! It stays the same forever, It stays the same forever, It can’t change! It can’t change!

Once we sang the song, students began to realize what it takes for something to be considered living. We went inside and I used the Secret of the Pond video to further ignite student’s interest to learn about the pond ecosystem.
The students worked in pairs to draw 3 things that are living and 3 things that are not living.

Reflection: I have always wanted to visit a pond at the beginning of this unit. However, I am limited to when I can take the field trip because we can only take so many trips and at the time of year Greenville County makes us teach this unit, not many animals are out yet. The other aspects of the introduction worked out.

Week 2:  Plant Introduction – What Do Plants Need To Survive?

What Happens When Plants Don’t Get What They Need? We had 4 plants. Each one was used to demonstrate what happens when a plant doesn’t get what it needs. One Plant was given everything. A second Plant was given everything except water. A third Plant was placed in a closet filing cabinet so that it could not get any light. Finally, the last Plant was placed in a Zip-Lock bag (no air).  Plants were observed throughout this unit for changes. The last week of the unit, we will look at them one final time and note our observations. 

We sang the following song to teach students about plant needs.                                                                                                                

Watch them Grow By: Vera Corbett to the tune of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”                                                                                  

Plants need soil, water and sun. We can watch them grow, it’s fun!                                                                                                          

First, we will plant a seed. Make sure it has the soil it needs                                                                                                                   

Then we sprinkle water on top. Count to 10, then you stop.                                                                                                                   

 Place it somewhere not too hot. If you do, you’ll need another spot.                                                                                                         

Plants need soil, water and sun. We can watch them grow, it’s fun!

Week 3:  Curriculum Groups This week, students picked which animal they wanted to learn more about. There were 40 animals for them to choose from, so every student was able to pick an animal they were interested in. I facilitated the discussion about the 3 areas of the pond animals could exist in while my assistant allowed students to look at pictures of the pond animals and choose their favorite. This week, we began systematic research of animals in their natural habitats. We watched 2-3 minute videos each day that taught about the animals students chose to learn about. For the next 25 days, we researched in this manner. This allowed all students to get more involved in the learning process even if their parents could not/would not help them. It also allowed other students to learn about all of the animals. Students were eager each day to learn which of their animals we would learn about that day. Also, we drew the animal of the day using a Youtube site arthubforkids.com  This artist teaches students to draw the animal with step by step directions. Students used the drawings to help them as they wrote the book of the day. Students wrote 2-6 facts about the animal and then read it to their teacher.

Week 4: Students will begin work on their 3D Animal Project. They will draw, research, and create a 3-D model of the animal. We continued to watch 2-3 minute videos each day that taught about the animals students chose to learn about. For the next 25 days, we researched in this manner. We also used arthub for kids to continue their learning growth. As projects come in, students will teach the class about their animal. We read non-fiction books about life at the pond. Students and teachers began building the pond habitat. Students painted rocks, grass, plants, etc. Then they placed their animal in the correct level of the habitat.

Week 5: Diorama Project Work Students will review what they have learned about their chosen animal. They will create a Diorama that shows what they know about the animal’s dietary and environmental needs. Final Project Work - Students complete work on their final project. They had the choice and voice of which of their projects to present to the class. They can use any of the following:  Video, Chatterpix, Draw & Tell, Poster, Puppet Show, Diorama, or a choice of their own to share what they learned.

Week 6: Food Chains Project Work: Students discussed with their parents what their animal eats and what eats their animal. Then come to school and tell about their animal’s place in the food chain. Food Chain Game: Students acted out a living food chain by pretending to be one of the characters in the chain. Food Chain Link: Students completed the page showing where their animal fits on the food chain. We sang a song to help students remember how the food chain works:

Food Chain Song:                                                                                                                                                                                               

I’ve been working in the food chain all the live long day.                                                                                                                                 

In the middle of the food chain, I’ve got no time to play.                                                                                                                             

Can’t you see the green plants growing, that’ energy okay.                                                                                                                       

Consumer eats up the producer. Predator eats prey.                                                                                                                                   

 Who’s for lunch today? Who’s for lunch today?                                                                                                                                               

 Eat or be eaten, that’s the only way.

Week 7: Habitat Share Out: We had 7 classrooms who studied 7 different habitats. We rotated students around over a period of 7 days where they learned about the 7 habitats. They completed 1 page a day in a book where students wrote some facts about each of the ecosystems including temperature, plants and animals that thrive there and a fun fact. The teacher stayed in their habitat to teach about the facts. The teacher assistant traveled with the class. New students came in and viewed the created habitat and the student’s projects.  Then they were better able to absorb the new knowledge they were given.

Ashley Blackwelder Blog Post 2: PBL Reflection

My PBL unit was actually completed in March, and I was really happy with how it turned out for our 4th grade students. While I was a little worried that nothing could top our PBL experience from the fall, I also knew that there was no need to expect that--every experience is going to be different, and I don't have to design every PBL unit with the goal of a public book release and newspaper coverage in mind. There were a lot of successes to celebrate with my science/music/math PBL unit this spring, and it gave me a lot to think about for future units and projects.

1. For this unit, I targeted the areas of ongoing assessment, scheduling, and modifications for our self-contained special education class for improvement. One of the biggest challenges of my fall unit was ensuring that the project would keep moving forward, even when I was not able to be in the classroom with the students. It turned out, that didn't really happen, so it gave me a lot to think about and discuss with my cooperating teachers when I started planning this spring unit. I explained to the teachers that I wanted to be respectful of their time, and didn't want to "leave them hanging" with random days throughout the week that I wasn't available for instruction. So, we started off with a set block of time for a full 3 weeks that I would be working with these classes. We still had to make adjustments here and there, but having a start and end date set made things run much more smoothly for everyone involved. Assessments were an area I really wanted to focus on in this unit as well, because I know that for some teachers to really buy in, I've got to show them that this is "real work" that we can take "real grades" for each week--really each day, if we wanted to. So, I made sure to plan out all of the formative and summative assessments before we even started teaching the unit, including all standards addressed, and provided the teachers with them ahead of time. They were encouraged to use at their discretion--but everything they needed to validate the time we spent or have something to send home to parents was there and ready to go. Finally, I really wanted to include our special ed students, who are not always included in PBL experiences like this. I felt that the music aspect would be really fun and non-threatening for struggling students, and I talked a lot with their teacher in advance about what 4th grade standards were going to be addressed, what she needed her students to get out of each session, and how I could make sure that they were included in the same way as everyone else.
2. For our 4th grade students, this type of learning experience and project was very different from what they have become accustomed to in the classroom, and I knew that the management would be a challenge. From the start, I was clear about the excitement I had about this project--but also about the high expectations that I had for them. As far as content was concerned, they surprised me; they mastered the science standards very quickly, and ended up needing much more time to focus on the mathematical side of composing music. We spent a lot more time working with fractions--but in a real and purposeful way, which was exciting!--than science, but it was what they needed in order to be successful...and HOPEFULLY, that confidence in math will carry over now that the unit is finished!
3. Honestly, behavior ended up being our biggest obstacle. The students had some very good, productive conversations in a small- and large-group setting as they were composing their pieces. I was encouraged, and at times surprised, by this. However, we faced a new challenge once we started practicing in the auditorium with everyone. I had to have several conversations with the group about the time they had spent on this, and the fact that we simply would not get on stage to embarrass ourselves in front of an audience. The other, unspoken obstacle was the fact that we had set a deadline and I could tell that the classroom teachers were frustrated with their students and ready to move on. With a little bit of flexibility added into the schedule, and a LOT of encouragement of positive performer/audience member behavior, we were able to pull it together and present our work as professionals.
4. and 5. Once we got through the initial practice and planning with rhythms, most of our work time was focused on groups practicing, reflecting on what they liked/what needed work, and sharing their work in progress with the whole group to receive feedback. Looking back, I could have incorporated more journaling/quick writing as a form of daily reflection; this may have even helped with the behavior issues we dealt with towards the end. I think several of our students could have learned something from reflecting more consistently on their individual contributions (or lack thereof) to the group. But for the most part, I was pleased with how much feedback and reflection time I was able to provide for the students. The fun part of the project was that we were working as scientists, mathematicians, and artists--and as artists, we needed that time to think critically about the works we were creating. I think we were able to make that happen.

Our special ed students did a fantastic job with this project, and it was great to see them get excited about working on a special project like this--which only a select few 4th grade classes were invited to be a part of. We also managed to choose the perfect audience: the other 4th grade classes, who were curious about what this group had been working on, and our 4K and kindergarten students. The younger kids were amazed by what the 4th graders put together--and it was just the validation that our 4th graders needed to take themselves and their work seriously.

Overall, I felt like this second PBL unit was a success, and actually an experience that I needed after the huge celebration of our fall one. While that final, public product is important, it doesn't need to become more important than the experience the kids have while they're learning. I think our 4th graders had a great experience in using math and science for a real purpose, they enjoyed it, and in the end, their performance was exactly what they needed it to be. As teachers, we don't have to put any crazy pressure on ourselves or our students to make PBL this incredible, news-worthy production. It's great when that happens, but it's not the ultimate goal. There are a million different ways to give students memorable PBL experiences, and I feel like this one was vastly different, but just as successful, as my fall one. It wasn't perfect--and it never will be--but it was a great and fun way to show our students and teachers that we could enjoy learning, challenge ourselves, and create something that other people would love to see.