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.
Yes! Being that I teach preschool, I too don't have to be concerned with standardized testing. Because of this, I do feel more free in my teaching and more comfortable with trying other approaches. I've taught 1st and 2nd grades before and have had to be concerned about test scores and it brought about a lot anxiety. The PBL approach is definitely a step in the right direction to revolutionizing education.
ReplyDeleteI also wondered what Ken's experience is with the American education system. If everyone does not attend college then how will we provide people with the skills to earn enough money to support themselves with a livable wage? I agree with the idea that PBL will take longer to prepare.
ReplyDeleteKathy, you brought up some great points regarding Robinson's Ted Talk and I agree with you that educational revolution is needed in both countries. Personalization is a component of project based learning through the elements of choice and authenticity. I agree with Robinson that our societies do depend on diversity of talent and appreciate the ways that a pbl approach can help foster students' individual strengths and interests while also helping the class collectively make progress on the essential content and understanding of the project. Like you, I found the analogy between standardized education and fast food compelling and true and am thankful that knowing the time commitment involved in preparing a pbl experience for your students up front still does not deter you from wanting to provide a pbl approach to learning for your students. I am excited to see what you create and how your students respond.
ReplyDeleteSincerely,
Dawn