For this second blog post, I thought I would reflect on our trip to JL Mann. Overall, it was a helpful professional development day, and I came away with some validation, things to try, and ways I can improve upon my own PBL units.
First, I realized I really liked high school, which was not an outcome I was expecting. As an elementary school teacher, I always thought of high schoolers as more "adult," but they are still really kids, haha. It was fun to talk to them and see the cool things they could do since they are older and more independent. It made me want to teach high school English when I saw the projects they were doing in their classes.
The school offered validation to what we have been learning and trying in our classes this year. It was great to see so many things we have tried to implement being expertly utilized in these high school classrooms, and it confirmed that PBL should really be a way of thinking, not just something to try every once in a while. It was also nice to see that even though these teachers are experts in PBL, they are still working on kinks in their program as well, such as how to best teach AP classes. There is always room for growth, no matter what level you are on!
There were several things I realized I could include and/or adapt to my fifth grade classroom from JL Mann. For instance, I think we all liked their group contracts, and I will certainly modify theirs and use it in the future. It was nice, too, that all the classes that we saw pretty much used the same contract, so the students were very familiar with it and knew how to use it effectively (or try to) in every class. They didn't have to learn a new contract form in each class they went to. This led me to think about how I could talk to my teaching partner in fifth grade about using the same contract anytime we did group work in either of our classes, even for a short term project. Sometimes my students struggle to work together when they are in their other class, and this might help them stay on track if it was something used in both classes.
I also really liked the way each class had their project outline and driving questions on the front bulletin board. This semester, I tried to be more purposeful about displaying our PBL unit artifacts in the classroom so that anyone could walk in and know exactly what we were doing. Their boards were even more direct, and I have considered making one of my boards a permanent "PBL" board to explain clearly what we are doing.
Finally, I LOVED the idea of team teaching courses that integrate beautifully together, such as English and social studies. One intimidating aspect of PBL is keeping up with all the individual and/or group projects and providing enough time to work with each group while keeping others on task. With two teachers in the classroom, this is more feasible, and the kids get more help overall. It would also alleviate some of the stress of planning units if you had a teacher to brainstorm with. I would certainly be open to this in the future.
Even though I saw some wonderful things at JL Mann, I came away with some questions as well. I asked one group of students if they ever felt overwhelmed with the number of projects they had to keep up with, and they said that sometimes they did. I can imagine it would be difficult to keep up with many projects at one time, working with different people in each class with different work contracts, etc. I also wonder about preparing them for college classes. I know they try to phase them back into regular classes their senior year, but will they be ready to sit in lectures and take notes in college? Most courses are still run this way, and it would be good to practice those skills ahead of time.
Overall, it was a very informative trip, and I'm grateful we were able to see PBL in action!
I could not have agreed more with your you assessment. Sometimes when things are tough and we are not understanding, we just need some validation that what we are doing is not only a very good way for students to learn, but it works too! The idea behind team teaching for PBL use is beneficial to both the student and teacher. I have never liked team teaching for high school (its a middle school concept) - meaning the same kids stay together all day. However, for collaboration in PBL units it is a great idea.
ReplyDeleteThe schedule also through me for a loop. They were on a tranditional class schedule of 7 periods a day. That would be a lot of projects to keep track of. However, at DFC with only four classes a day, I do not forsee this being as much of an issue.
I totally agree with what you said about team teaching. When planning, I find myself wanting to more sometimes but the thought of managing it all by myself is scary.
ReplyDeleteYou make an interesting point at the end of your assessment. We want our students to be critical thinkers who are able to work and collaborate with others. We want them to take charge of their learning and be able to accomplish tasks independently. We want them to be ready for the real world, and PBL can help with this. However, most college classes will be far different from what they are used to. Will they be prepared for success in college?
ReplyDeleteHi Jessica,
ReplyDeleteLike you I enjoy working with highschool students as well. I've learned that no matter what age students are, they are still students just in different sized packages. I am glad that the pbl J.L. Mann visit was helpful and seeing the pbl contracts as a component that is consistently implemented across teachers and grade levels was something you thought you could implement with your team in fifth grade. You also shared how you liked their pbl project boards. I did too and found that a visual in the room can be helpful for students and adults to refer to during the unit. Like you, I would love to team teach ELA/Social Studies like the two teachers did at Mann and have the opportunity to work together to support student growth. I agree with you that the pbl model where every unit in every subject is a pbl may be difficult to implement and I know that there are benefits to utilizing other engaging structures as well such as student led book clubs and/or independent inquiry projects. I know pbl is effective and beneficial to students but I also want to provide teachers with options as well. Sincerely, Dawn