#6: PBL Unit--Orchestra

I did a short workshop with the orchestra teachers about how to use PBL in the orchestra classroom.  I presented the two units that I have completed and demonstrated how easily it can be used to cover the non-performance standards.  We brainstormed about ways to may shareable units for the district orchestra curriculum and came up with some really fun ideas that incorporate improvisation, composition, history, theory, and performance.  I look forward to implementing more of these throughout our district starting next school year.

#5 What I Knew Then/What I Know Now

I knew that...
I wanted to do this PBL with my 6th graders.
the structure and time frame would be modified from last time.
composition would be involved to cover one of our state standards.
there would be a performance component as well.
I would be pairing with the Social Studies teachers for background information.
I could use this as a bridge to music theory.

I know now that...
condensing my PBL time frame in to a more compact period made continuity so much easier.
students need WAAAAAY more assistance with composition than I realized.
getting them to be creative and work on their own is challenging.
they really enjoyed the background knowledge.
it gave them a more real investment in to their social studies unit.
I can set high expectations for them and they will rise to meet them.

Tieraney G. Rice Post #7: What I Used To Think.....But Now I Know.

Wow!  I really can't believe that this cohort experience is coming to an end.  I have thoroughly enjoyed working with this great group of educators.  This experience was very beneficial for me as a professional, and is one I'll always remember.

WHAT I USED TO THINK........
After learning about the various phases of PBL last summer when the cohort started, I thought "maybe the PBL approach would be a little much for preschoolers to handle."  I thought, "maybe my little people are not ready to handle working collaboratively or even making decisions about their learning."  Because of these thoughts, I approached the project in the fall with a lot of nervousness!  But, to my surprise, I was very wrong!

NOW I KNOW........
Not only were my little people ready, but they exceeded my expectations with their questions and discoveries throughout the fall and spring projects!  Now I know they can totally do it!  Now I know that unlike older students, little people need a little more teacher direction throughout a project.  Preschool teachers have to work hard to allow as much student-led instruction as possible, but keep in mind that the students will still need some teacher direction.  Now I know that I'm ready to go full force with PBL next school year!

#4 Monarch Visit

Monarch Elementary is the quintessential example of what can be achieved with both full support of the administration and parents.  I have never been through a school with more parental involvement.  The projects were amazing, the hallways were filled with artwork, and every time you turned a corner, you saw another parent volunteer.  The arctic display was most impressive.  It had interactive qualities and adorable animals created by kindergarten classes.  This school is an excellent example of the PBL curriculum in practice over a long period of time.  It showed longevity and the teachers all seemed comfortable with the process.  I can see how much work goes in to creating this type of environment, and the students really seem to thrive. 

Tieraney G. Rice Post #6: PBL Workshop

I had the pleasure of presenting my PBL project "Shapes Are Everywhere" to one of the program directors with Greenville County First Steps.  Greenville First Steps is an organization that partners to promote school readiness initiatives by enhancing the work that local preschools are already doing in the community.  Their mission is to help get children ready for school.  I wanted to present my project and talk about the benefits of PBL to this organization to raise awareness about the approach and to demonstrate how it is effective as early as preschool.  First, I explained what PBL is and I gave an overview of what takes place for the students and teachers during the different phases of the approach.  I talked about the project I implemented in the fall. Then, I talked about and showed my shapes project.  I had all of our documentation from the project displayed on the wall starting with the driving question all the way to pictures showing the final presentation we had for the families and members of the community.  She was very impressed by the inquiry based activities the students were engaged in throughout the project.
Prior to my presentation, the program director had not heard of PBL.  So, that made me that much more excited to share the information.  She was enlightened and eager to go back and share what she learned with her colleagues.  I certainly enjoyed sharing the information with her, and my hope is that she will share it with other preschools she visits.  I'm also hoping that I will be able to share my projects and the PBL approach by doing workshops at other preschools.    

#3: JL Mann visit

I enjoyed seeing PBL in action at a high school.  The classes I observed were all very different, but the thing they had in common was a sense of ease.  The students knew what they needed to do, the expectations were clearly outlined, and the teacher acted as a facilitator.  We saw a project that involved science and comic strips/graphic novels.  We saw Spanish videos explaining dress code.  We saw the very beginnings of a new project in Language Arts, and the completed version of an etiquette book.  The students I spoke with seemed genuinely interested in what they were doing.  My favorite thing to see in PBL learning styles is the interaction and problem solving.  It's much more conducive to real-life situations.

Kathy's Blog 6

Kathy Feigenbaum

Blog #6

What I thought I knew about PBL but now I know:

Less than a year ago^h I received a forwarded email through my principal with a PBL flyer from Furman. I looked at it. I didn’t know anything about PBL. I asked some of the teachers at my lunch table what they knew about it. Nothing.In my defense, I look back at the email and there is no explanation as to what PBL even stands for! I started to investigate. I had a sense of projects, which, as we learned later are called “desserts.” That is the way I had been using projects in my classes. I decided to go to the June 8 PBL Convocation at Furman. I was intrigued enough that day to enroll in the 2018-19 PBL Consortium, and I’m so glad I did! My concerns at first were about how I might be able to make this method work whilst pushing students to speak in Spanish.

Now I know that it IS hard to incorporate PBL in a foreign language class. It IS difficult to work and communicate about something authentically in the language when students have no knowledge of the language. Yet I can imagine that there are hurdles in any subject and at every level.

I know what it takes to create a true PBL, both instructionally and motivationally. (I know the parts that make up one, as well as the effort involved.) I believe that the group we had in our cohort, with Dawn as our leader was incredibly helpful and supportive. One of my concerns is managing all of this without the support of other teachers. I am hopeful that the PBL pitch I gave to our faculty might bring some colleagues on board! Teaching itself really is a PBL by nature, and therefore collaboration should be a requirement.

Many thanks to you all for helping me through this challenging and rewarding experience.