Project-based learning is one of the answers to Robinson’s call to revolutionize education. It has been done in gifted and talented classrooms for years, but now teachers are beginning to realize that all students can benefit from and flourish in an environment that supports their creativity rather than squash it. I remember the joy I felt in elementary school when it was my day to go to Horizons because I knew I was going to be surrounded by like-minded students that didn’t judge each other for being different, a teacher that encouraged cooperation and collaboration, and projects that would keep me engaged all day. Imagine if every day, every student felt that way about coming to school. This is possible with PBL. When Robinson discussed the fast food analogy, it reminded me of an article I read recently that described a politician likening schools with factories, spitting out “products” rather than people. As teachers, we are not factory workers because children are not objects. They are capable, thinking, and creative human beings and must be treated as such. I agree with Robinson that not all children should be headed toward an ivy-league college upon graduation of high school. We all have different strengths and weaknesses, and as teachers, we need to help unlock and develop our students’ strengths to help them find the path that is right for them. PBL is a way for all students to feel failure and success, learn how to deal with both, and find joy in that process.
I am looking forward to the challenge of implementing more PBL in my classroom. Upon analyzing some projects in class today, I realized that I already do similar things in my classroom, so I am relieved to realize I won’t necessarily be starting from scratch! However, I need to tweak some projects I have already done to make them even more student-driven and incorporate PBL in other units, especially those that typically do not interest the kids as much. My vision for my PBL classroom is one in which students are not afraid to take risks and fail, they learn from each other, they solve their own problems, and they are continuously asking new questions. I want students to come into my classroom excited and ready to learn, groan when it’s time to pack up, and to tell me that time went by too fast, because like Robinson said – when you’re doing something you enjoy, an hour can feel like 5 minutes. Although I foresee several challenges in implementing PBL more frequently, I think my biggest one will be managing students’ work and behavior. A lot of scaffolding will be necessary to prepare them to work independently, and I know it’s possible, but management is what scares me the most. However, I am up for the challenge!
I think bringing politicians into the discussion is important, because I think many of the problems facing education today are the sole result of government trying to quantify education. Organic learning is hard to assess at times; it's even harder to quantify, and our current (and past) politicians in charge of education are solely interested in education as something they can put down on paper and brag about. True learning does not necessarily lend itself to being reduced to something as simple as a standardized test score.
ReplyDeleteHi Jessica,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Austin, and Sir Ken Robinson that a linear model of education doesn't match what we know about how kids learn. I also agree that this prevalent business model is embraced by many in the general public and sadly, many politicians with power. I also want to point out that we also have many teachers who embrace this model because it is how they were taught and it is what they know how to do. Having this opportunity to be a part of pbl as a teacher and as a learner has motivated me to want to provide support for this work for my colleagues as well. I am excited that you already value this approach and have some experience with pbl in your fifth grade classroom. I look forward to working with you to grow in the areas you identified as challenges - managing student work and behavior and promoting student independence. You are up for the challenge and you will have a lot of support along the way.