Alana McSharry- Blog 5- Monarch Elementary and Drayton Mills Elementary

Monarch Elementary
During the visit to Monarch Elementary I observed PBL in a classroom from each grade level. In the fifth grade class the students worked on deciding the best stock to buy. They graphed the stocks for a couple of days. The students were engaged in their work and understood their assignments. The teacher walked around the classroom and talked with students to check on their progress. I was impressed with the focus of the students on their work. In another classroom the students were creating a perfect school building. Each group of students had to design a section of the school building. The design of one group included windows that opened to the outside. When I questioned the student about the importance of windows that open she expressed her concern about having an alternative way to leave the classroom in an emergency. This conversation impressed and intrigued me. The students took this project seriously. In every classroom that I entered the students were working either in small groups or independently with the teacher walking around and engaging with students.

Fort Mill Elementary
During the visit to Drayton Mills Elementary I observed more of the structure and design of a school that implements PBL. Each grade level has an open area for the students to gather and work together on projects. This area had tables and chairs that was appropriate for the age of the child. The school has a classroom that students can use to build or create an object. The teachers can schedule this classroom when their students are creating a bigger or more complicated project. It was interesting to visit a school that was designed for the implementation of PBL.