Who doesn’t
love dessert? It’s sweet, creamy, and oh so delicious; however, dessert is generally
an afterthought. We are often too full to completely enjoy it. This is not how
PBL should look in our classroom. It shouldn’t simply be a project that is “stuffed”
in at the end of a unit that consisted mainly of direct instruction. I know
that’s easier said than done, especially when the stress of limited
instructional time is weighing on us. According to Larmer and Mergendoller, a “main
course” project is one that has a driving question, requires sustained inquiry,
allows for student voice and choice, includes critique and revision, and
involves a public audience. These are all elements of PBL that make it so
meaningful for students.
I am excited
about implementing PBL in my classroom this year, but I know that it will not
be easy or perfect. This year, I plan to evaluate my units to see where PBL
will be most applicable and effective. If I am going to create a PBL unit, I
want to do it right, and that means that I may have to start with a few PBL
units this year and work my way up in the years to come. I know that my
administration will fully support my efforts in implementing PBL because that
is the direction in which our school has been moving for the past few years. Likewise,
I am sure that the rest of my 5th grade team will jump on board with what I have already
planned, and they will be eager to hear more about what I learn about PBL this
week and throughout the year.
I definitely agree that I think D6 is on board with this, and not just as evidenced by the fact that the district is hosting the cohort. I know a lot of my colleagues are doing things that are either PBL or close to it, and I know that admins in charge of curriculum have been pushing for this type of thing for a while now...it's just a matter of getting people on board with it.
ReplyDeleteAs I was reading your entry it was starting to make me hungry and then your comments lead me to think that it should be the same for the students. They are hungry for learning and desserts are nice but they are not nutritional in value. The main course sustains the diet for energy and the student learning should follow suit.
ReplyDeleteHi Brittany,
ReplyDeleteI love your voice as a writer and the way you make connections through your reading. You are right - many times when our teaching leaves projects to the end - our students are full with the sit and get content and don't have the time or capacity to really create and revise and engage in the full experience and benefit of inquiry based learning. I am excited that you see the benefit of true project based learning with sustained inquiry embedded throughout and are looking to apply one or two pbls this coming year. You are right that it is important to grow over time so that your pbl implementation is not only successful but also sustainable.