Chapter 2: As a performing arts teacher, one of our biggest "sells" is brain research. Many studies over the years have shown that music affects the brain in a multitude of positive ways, and playing an instrument seems to be one of the best things a person can do for their brain development. Because of this, I found this chapter to be quite fascinating. How true that we limit the neural growth of our students in order to achieve positive test scores and results. PBL seems like such a positive way to learn--building and developing brains in the natural way of learning instead of feeding information to spout back on an exam. I'm excited about learning more about this whole process.
Chapter 3: I for sure have some challenges ahead of me in my physical classroom. We are set up for orchestra, and once a week I need to find a way to comfortably work and research. I'm not sure how that will look yet, but we've done laptop day once before and the kids seem mostly comfortable spread out on the floor, at the few tables I have, and using chairs as surfaces. I may look in to getting some more tables around the edge of the classroom, or maybe some flexible soft seating.
Hi Kelsey,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate you sharing your thoughts on chapter 2 and 3 of the assigned reading from our pbl text. Hearing your connections to the concepts presented as a performing arts teacher was insightful. I am glad that the brain research focus of chapter 2 resonated with you because you know well the brain research that supports playing an instrument. Limiting our students to practicing skills that are primarily logical/mathematical and verbal/linguistic in the name of standards and test scores does not follow the natural and organic way brains develop pathways and students make progress. I am glad that you have been able to see the connections between project based learning and performing arts with brain development.
You shared your specific challenges with your physical classroom. I hadn't thought about how your classroom set up is typically in an orchestra construction with sections for each instrument and how you will need a different configuration for students when they are conducting their research. I have learned over the years that simple is best when transitioning back and forth because anything more than what students can do in a five minute time frame isn't worth the investment of time away from their learning. I agree with you that students spreading out on the floor and using chairs as surfaces is an easy adjustments. I wanted to suggest using chair cushions and/or goodwill/thrift store pillows and even carpet squares and mats as possibilities for flexible seating. In my experience once a student picks up something (mat/pillow/cushion/placemat) and puts it down it then becomes "their" space. That is all you need. For them to claim their space and then use it to learn from.
Thanks,
Dawn