Ashley Blackwelder Blog 2

The "main course" project characteristics, while worded slightly differently, line up really well with the PBL essential elements. Students are engaged in an extended learning experience with the "main course" project, they're working collaboratively, given the opportunities to make choices about their learning, and most importantly, they're learning in order to complete their projects--rather than completing a project in order to demonstrate something they're finished learning.

In order to make PBL a main course in my classroom, I will need to continue to search for real-life connections to the standards that all grade levels are expected to learn. I will have to be flexible, because I'll be trying to provide these opportunities to students who already have a homeroom teacher--so I'll have to be willing to give up control in a different way and understand that another teacher may carry out her plans differently than I would. And I'll have to give him/her the space to do that, because I'm basically borrowing all of the students that I get to teach.  I'll also need to focus on the teachers who are already enthusiastic about PBL, and invest my time and energy in those teachers first. I'll have to be patient and wait for the more reluctant ones to see the changes that are taking place in other classrooms around the school.

I am fortunate to have a great deal of support from my administration, as well as a fantastic and unique partnership with our reading coach. We work incredibly well together and are able to use each of our specialties to put the pieces of a PBL unit puzzle together fairly quickly and efficiently. That, combined with a principal who usually trusts us to just "go for it," no matter what crazy ideas we are pitching to him, sets us up for success in trying to grow PBL in our school. We don't get a lot of questions or push-back from school leadership, and I know that is not the case in a lot of schools. The other piece of the puzzle is getting the teachers to really buy in. We've got a lot that are on board, and we are continuing to make progress throughout the school. But there are others who need a little (or a lot) more time and evidence to trust that this is really the best for their kids. If/when questioned, I tell them about the excitement and expertise that I've seen kids demonstrate as a result of a PBL experience. Then, we make sure to show off what other teachers are accomplishing with it, even when it's not perfect (or it's a hot mess!). It's hard to argue against engagement, perseverance, and the undeniable relationships that these students develop with their teachers and each other. Even when it's a flop, it's easy to see that the benefits outweigh the risks.

Angie Siegfried - Main Course PBL vs. Dessert Projects

A “main course” PBL contains all of the essential elements. Using this type of instruction is what is best for students, and the most effective way to teach process standards and 21st-century skills. Until now, my classroom projects have been the “dessert” of the unit. I want a more in-depth learning experience for my students, and my intentions are good, but I will need my peers to hold me accountable for the process.  Seeing the amount of planning that goes into a proper PBL, I may start to falter when the voice in my head tells me, “They need more practice!” As of now, I feel accountability will be the greatest support. My administration supports PBL and recommended this course to me. He will, however, want to see the data that suggests PBL will bring the same or better results than traditional teaching. I am excited about implementing PBL and will invite my school leaders to be a part of the process. I also foresee my colleagues wanting to be a part of PBL once they witness the excitement and enthusiasm I am expecting from my students.  

Kelsey Grant Blog 2

1. The core elements of PBL directly correlate with a "main course" project.  They follow the same format for learning including critical thinking, inquiry, independent work, and a public audience. 

2. A "main course" project means that the material is learned by doing the project rather than a project done after the bulk of the learning is completed.  A student may take a driving question and using sustained inquiry over a period of time, cover multiple standards, topics, and even subjects.  The learning is incorporated in to the project itself.

3. I intend to jump start the PBL experience with a field trip and I have another one planned a few weeks in to the school year.  I'll need approval from administration for both field trips, as well as funds collected from the families of students. 
I will need to restructure my weekly schedule to allow time for PBL work in class.
I would like to have some performances for my classes, either live or via Skype, of different world music groups.  If that doesn't work out with schedule and finances, I will use my best friend, YouTube.
My students will be interviewing parents and grandparents, so I need to make sure they understand the basis of this project and how they play a part.

4. Hopefully by the time I'm asked any questions, my understanding of PBL will be strong enough that I can provide a clear explanation of the main ideas.  I can already explain why I like the structure and concept of PBL, but as I go forward, my working knowledge will expand.  I feel that my colleagues and school leadership will embrace the PBL format.  We have a supportive group that encourages collaboration and sharing of new ideas.  Although this idea isn't new, I know several teachers in my school and district that are already using PBL or would benefit from it and enjoy it.

Kathy Feigenbaum Post #2

- Both the "main course" and PBL Essential Elements go beyond projects as we've known them to projects by which students learn content as they work to complete the assignment and produce an authentic culminating event.
- In order to be sure that my class supports PBL as a main course this year, I need to ensure that students remain engaged in their work. I will work hard to prepare appropriate activities for finding the content for sustained inquiry.
- I will need support from administration, tech specialists, my classmates at Furman, as well as my students. I look forward to bouncing ideas off everyone and getting good feedback in the Cohort. And I hope that my kids will buy in to my ideas.
-I will respond to everyone who asks about PBL with enthusiasm, perhaps with an elevator pitch. It is a great adventure (#credit Alana), and I'm excited to see how it goes.

Alana McSharry- Blog 2

The "main course" project and the PBL Essential Elements are very similar. Both recognize the importance of understanding and having knowledge of content. Both promote inquiry and student voice and choice as well as students revising and reflecting on their work. One difference between the two is that the "main course" project has a requirement of critical thinking and problem solving. These requirement are hidden in the other areas of the PBL Essential Elements.

The best method to make sure that I am using Project-Based learning in my classroom is to use the PBL Essential Elements when I am planning the project. If I answer or include the Essential Elements and then look at the planning with a critical eye I should maintain the integrity of using Project-Based Learning in my classroom. Another option is to show the planner to a teacher who uses PBL so that she can give positive and constructive feedback to me.

In order to implement PBL at my school I will need the support of the administration at the school as well as in the K4 program at the district level. I will also need the support of the media specialist so she can help me find books or other media to support the projects I implement in the classroom. Throughout the process of implementing PBL I will need the support of the other teachers in this cohort and the professor.

In responding to questions about PBL I would ask the person to look at the planner. After the person looks at the planner I would invite her to visit my classroom so she could observe how I implement project-based learning. I would also share the planner with a colleague of the same grade and ask if she would like to join me in the adventure.

Tina Sanders Blog Post 1

Viva The Revolution! By Tina Sanders

I absolutely loved the TED talk by Ken Robinson! He is bold enough to say what he means and means what he says. To have the platform he has is a huge responsibility and he does an outstanding job making his purpose known. One reason I chose to enroll in this program was because I recognized that education was headed down a dark path. Our school has been an IB school for 18 years and through that I was able to carve out units that the students loved learning about. This made for energetic, enthusiastic learners. Now, unfortunately, our school will no longer be IB so I wanted to find another program that would allow me to engage my learners in ways beyond the textbook and stale unit plans. When, I heard about this add on certificate, I was ecstatic! I knew that my prayers had been answered and that this was where my heart was.

In the early childhood classroom, it is one of my main jobs to get students excited about learning. Ted has given me fuel for my fire to motivate me to search for ways of motivating my students to want to learn. I don’t want to teach subjects in isolation when integration is key to whole child learning. I am concerned about learning the differences between IB and PBL and not confusing the two. Change is inevitable and change has come. Now, I need to get up and get moving my students toward a future of cooperative learning for a successful future. I am also a bit worried about how to create units within the given strict time-tables that Greenville has chosen to set forth for us this year. I would love some help from the group looking at ways to make it work while staying in line with my grade level team as much as possible without blocking the flow of PBL.

Kathy Feigenbaum's Blog Post 1

I enjoyed the TED talk by Ken Robinson, with his British accent and humor. I do wonder about his perspective of the American education system, as it seems pretty different from that in the UK. He mentioned at one point that perhaps not all students need to go to university, or at least not right away. “Gap” years are more prominent and acceptable in England. They also need to be decisive with regard to educational tracks earlier than we do in the U.S. Linearity in England seems more obvious in that way. I suppose both systems need revolutions, which may be Robinson’s message. He says that communities depend on a diversity of talent.

I believe that our work in developing PBL for our students supports Robinson’s ideas. We will be creating conditions under which our students will flourish in their educational development. PBL will help us personalize their experiences and let them develop their own solutions.

Personally, I liked the reference he made about standardized education being to the mind as fast food is to the body. No one would want our kids to be eating fast food every day! I am very lucky to be teaching a subject that is not directly affected by standardization, and I am free to personalize my teaching for my students. I look forward to learning how to implement PBL to enhance my classes, although I worry about the amount of time it will take me to prepare adequately for successful experiences.

Angie Siegfried's Blog Post 1

Education needs to be revolutionized. I agree with Robinson’s statement, “Reform is no use anymore because that is simply improving a broken model.” Our education system is broken when the main focus is on “passing” a standardized test. Because we are spending so much of our time testing and focusing on test taking strategies, students are not engaging with the curriculum in order to develop a deep understanding, critical thinking, or problem solving skills. The focus on testing has killed creativity and curiosity in students – school and learning are no longer fun or enjoyable. 

My teaching practice will have to change. I currently teach in small group rotations, or stations, but I still have the majority of the control in the classroom.  It is so important to give students control, voice and choice, so that he or she will have ownership over his or her learning. My vision of a PBL classroom is students working in organized chaos. I see students effectively utilizing 21^st century skills to complete their task. I will continue to use data to drive my instruction and differentiate and deliver instruction in small groups.  

There are several challenges I feel I will face with implementing PBL. I struggle with creativity. I am not sure how to develop a guiding question or problem that is broad enough to encompass an entire project.  I am also nervous about giving up all control when state testing is a dark looming cloud. I know it will also take time to teach the process to students to have a successful PBL experience.  I am excited and hopeful, but also nervous and scared

Ken Robinson's speech was motivating and definitely impacts the PBL vision for public education.  I love how he spoke about the fact that our education is linear, but everyone should not be expected to follow the same track.  I also agree with the fact that children should be allowed to be creative and be encouraged to follow their passion; no matter how other people feel about it.  The PBL approach definitely fits into his idea of revolutionizing education because it is all about creativity, student choice, and allowing the children to use critical thinking and problem solving. 

For me personally, this challenge means that I need to dig deeper with the projects I do with my students and not merely touch on the surface of a topic.  I will continue to foster creativity and allow my classroom to be more student led rather than teacher led.  My greatest challenges in implementing PBL this year will be making sure that our driving questions are challenging, and stepping back to only facilitate while allowing the students to make discoveries (and mistakes) and not just "give" them the information.

Ashley Blackwelder Blog Post 1

The first thing that struck me was Ken Robinson's comment that so many people go through life thinking that they're not good at anything. It made me really sad, because we can all see that every day, in very young children at our schools. His comments on linearity and conformity make so much sense, and we touched on some of these ideas in our discussions today; we're doing a great disservice to our students by expecting them to all follow the same track to "success," and by pointing out at a very early age who is "ahead" and who is "behind." His challenge to move "from an industrial model to an agricultural model" makes so much sense, and I love the idea of "creating the conditions for people to flourish." This is what we're trying to do with PBL: provide them with opportunities and experiences that will empower them, and ignite a passion that makes them excited to learn. And when he pointed out all the resources and vast knowledge in his audience, that could be combined with great teaching to revolutionize education for our students, all I could think was, YES! Let's do it!

Our work in PBL is a step in the right direction towards this revolution.  It's a struggle, for sure, because as Robinson points out, the system itself fights against this approach. We all have a variety of challenges/barriers to overcome, no matter what our school situations are...because at some point, someone much higher up has determined how we will measure success in our classrooms, with no knowledge of the unique individuals that are actually learning in there.

What this means for me is that I can't control what's happening on all levels of the education system. Yes, I can speak out and share what I'm doing...but I have a real opportunity to impact the little people that come into my room each day, as well as the other teachers with whom I work. My vision for a PBL classroom continues to be an environment that is exciting, empowering, and challenging for all of the students that I see each day. I don't want any kid to leave my room feeling like they're not good at anything...or not interested in anything. I want to create opportunities for them to care about what's happening in the world, to recognize what they do well, and to have the confidence to share and explore their ideas. I will probably mention my rising kindergartener a lot (sorry!), but these days, I think of her when I think of how I want my classroom to operate.  Right now, she is excited about EVERYTHING. She wants to MAKE things, she wants to do things that help people, and she has zero hesitation about sharing her opinions about any topic under the sun. This is not because I'm being a STEM teacher at home; it's because she's 5, and so far, school has been a safe and encouraging place where she plays and makes discoveries all day long. I want to make sure that that doesn't change in any way. I also want to make sure that anyone else's precious baby that leaves my classroom feels that way as well.

Kelsey Grant Blog 1

Education has been on a path towards standardized learning for many years, and while intentions were well-meaning, the product and outcome has been detrimental to our student population.  As teachers, we know that the best things for our students aren't necessarily taught through lecture and note-taking.  By revolutionizing education, we are going back to the very principles of learning and development: inquiry, creativity, stamina, and a love for learning.  PBL represents the very best of that revolution by embracing the qualities and knowledge today's employers are looking for in a potential employee. 

For me, this challenge means leaving my comfort zone.  I am very content with the collection of content I have created for the past 13 years.  I knew my orchestra method book like the back of my hand--which told me something needed to change if I'm going to continue to be the best educator I can be.  While I will remain focused on my curriculum and standards, I am adopting a new method book as well as new methods of teaching.  My greatest challenge will be stepping up my planning game.  I will need more time before lessons to pull together ideas, I will need to evaluate my long term plans for the month, semester, and year, and I will need to rethink how I structure my concert  rehearsal time in conjunction with PBL.

Rachael Le Mee Post #1

First of all, I ADORE Ken Robinson. He speaks so boldly and bravely about education, and I love that he is not calling for reform in public education, but an actual revolution. We have been teaching the same way for far too long, and we are asking students to learn and embrace skill sets that are no longer valid for today's world. His idea of moving away from an industrial model and towards a personalized "agricultural" model is beyond powerful, and I think it is essential for educators to take the risk to do this so that our children can grow and learn in ways that are meaningful to them. I never want to tread on a child's dreams, and I think PBL makes many dreams more accessible for the diverse children that have them.

I am up for Ken's challenge, and I know many other educators that are as well. I have no doubt that a PBL environment dovetails in nicely with his ideas about transforming the education system. With PBL we can ensure that what our children are learning is authentic, and that it will benefit them in the classroom, the real-world work force, college, and in their everyday lives. Their learning will fit their unique needs and push them to reach higher and further than they thought possible.

In my ideal PBL classroom, students would work collaboratively every single day, be praised for thinking outside the box, be engaged in their own learning, and be told to trust their instincts more often. I would encourage divergent thinking and help students to see that the "soft skills" they are learning as just as important as the content they are mastering.

My biggest challenge in implementing PBL is knowing when to pull back, when to push harder, and how to find the best way to utilize my time for sustained inquiry.

Alana McSharry- Blog 1

To revolutionize the education system we need to encourage students' creativity which will enhance their learning experience. As students use their creativity it will cause them to be open-minded about the choices they will decide in the future. In Greenville County sometimes it is difficult to incorporate creativity in lessons because the district has specific expectations of what needs to be taught to students.

Personally the challenge for me is to reconsider the teaching methods of the past and to embrace the idea of project based learning in the future. It is hard to change. In the PBL classroom the students look at books, videos, pictures and other items to gather information. The students work together to decide how to proceed on the path of learning. The students present their learning to each other and to a wider audience. Behind the scene the teacher plans the project, gathers the resources and materials needed by students and facilitates the learning throughout the project. Students will still need direct instruction in different areas of learning. Sometimes that is the best way for students to learn and to teach a skill. My greatest challenge will be to learn how to gather the materials my students will need to use as resources.