A few weeks ago, I blogged about the final presentation of
our 1920s unit. Dawn’s first observation of my PBL instruction was during
project work time for that unit. She was able to see each group work on
research and product creation. Check my last blog post if you’re interested in
learning a little more background information about this project and the final
presentation that the entire 5th grade created!
While Dawn was in the room, she was able to talk to each
group of students to find out more about the projects they were creating. For
the most part, students were able to explain their research and the purpose of
their projects. The majority of students were on task during the presentation,
though there were some groups that needed some redirection and guidance. One
struggle I tend to have with PBL instruction is keeping up with all of the
various projects that are being worked on around the room. With 25 students, it
can be difficult to monitor what they are doing at all times. I also have
trouble with pacing. It seems that some groups progress much more quickly than
others. Luckily, my students really enjoyed their topics of study for this unit,
and they practically begged to work on their projects every day – the benefits
of PBL!
One thing Dawn mentioned in her notes was that there was not
much evidence of this PBL unit in the classroom aside from the projects
students were working on. This was mostly due to the fact that the majority of
instruction took place before Christmas when we studied the 1920s. Evidence of
our entry event and student wonderings was removed or covered due to the fact
that we moved on in our SS instruction. I currently have evidence of our
Ecosystems PBL on our classroom walls, but much of that display was inspired by
our trip to J.L. Mann – which occurred after the majority of the implementation
of our 1920s unit. Displaying project evidence is something I am working on. I
think it is beneficial for students to be able to reference the driving question,
problem statement, rubrics, need-to-knows, and resources as they work on their
projects. I am definitely working on making that a focal point in my classroom.
J.L. Mann also showed me the benefits of having a centralized PBL bulletin board. I'm already thinking next year of having a bulletin board that houses all the materials and information for the current PBL. This location would never change.
ReplyDeleteI've seen in other schools I've visited how this project board can benefit students and alert visitors as to what is taking place within the classroom.
Hi Brittany,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed so much the opportunity to observe your students' 1920s pbl unit of study in progress. It was clear that students' enjoyed the choice and ownership they were given and were able to effectively engage in the sustained inquiry through their embedded research into their project design and presentation.
I definitely understand given the time frame of the unit why their wasn't physical evidence of pbl implementation in the room. I like Mann's idea of a pbl board or focus wall and that may be something to consider in the future- having a clear visible space in the room for ongoing pbl unit work. Marie Darstein created one in her eighth grade classroom that has been effective.
Sincerely,
Dawn