#6: PBL Unit--Orchestra

I did a short workshop with the orchestra teachers about how to use PBL in the orchestra classroom.  I presented the two units that I have completed and demonstrated how easily it can be used to cover the non-performance standards.  We brainstormed about ways to may shareable units for the district orchestra curriculum and came up with some really fun ideas that incorporate improvisation, composition, history, theory, and performance.  I look forward to implementing more of these throughout our district starting next school year.

#5 What I Knew Then/What I Know Now

I knew that...
I wanted to do this PBL with my 6th graders.
the structure and time frame would be modified from last time.
composition would be involved to cover one of our state standards.
there would be a performance component as well.
I would be pairing with the Social Studies teachers for background information.
I could use this as a bridge to music theory.

I know now that...
condensing my PBL time frame in to a more compact period made continuity so much easier.
students need WAAAAAY more assistance with composition than I realized.
getting them to be creative and work on their own is challenging.
they really enjoyed the background knowledge.
it gave them a more real investment in to their social studies unit.
I can set high expectations for them and they will rise to meet them.

Tieraney G. Rice Post #7: What I Used To Think.....But Now I Know.

Wow!  I really can't believe that this cohort experience is coming to an end.  I have thoroughly enjoyed working with this great group of educators.  This experience was very beneficial for me as a professional, and is one I'll always remember.

WHAT I USED TO THINK........
After learning about the various phases of PBL last summer when the cohort started, I thought "maybe the PBL approach would be a little much for preschoolers to handle."  I thought, "maybe my little people are not ready to handle working collaboratively or even making decisions about their learning."  Because of these thoughts, I approached the project in the fall with a lot of nervousness!  But, to my surprise, I was very wrong!

NOW I KNOW........
Not only were my little people ready, but they exceeded my expectations with their questions and discoveries throughout the fall and spring projects!  Now I know they can totally do it!  Now I know that unlike older students, little people need a little more teacher direction throughout a project.  Preschool teachers have to work hard to allow as much student-led instruction as possible, but keep in mind that the students will still need some teacher direction.  Now I know that I'm ready to go full force with PBL next school year!

#4 Monarch Visit

Monarch Elementary is the quintessential example of what can be achieved with both full support of the administration and parents.  I have never been through a school with more parental involvement.  The projects were amazing, the hallways were filled with artwork, and every time you turned a corner, you saw another parent volunteer.  The arctic display was most impressive.  It had interactive qualities and adorable animals created by kindergarten classes.  This school is an excellent example of the PBL curriculum in practice over a long period of time.  It showed longevity and the teachers all seemed comfortable with the process.  I can see how much work goes in to creating this type of environment, and the students really seem to thrive. 

Tieraney G. Rice Post #6: PBL Workshop

I had the pleasure of presenting my PBL project "Shapes Are Everywhere" to one of the program directors with Greenville County First Steps.  Greenville First Steps is an organization that partners to promote school readiness initiatives by enhancing the work that local preschools are already doing in the community.  Their mission is to help get children ready for school.  I wanted to present my project and talk about the benefits of PBL to this organization to raise awareness about the approach and to demonstrate how it is effective as early as preschool.  First, I explained what PBL is and I gave an overview of what takes place for the students and teachers during the different phases of the approach.  I talked about the project I implemented in the fall. Then, I talked about and showed my shapes project.  I had all of our documentation from the project displayed on the wall starting with the driving question all the way to pictures showing the final presentation we had for the families and members of the community.  She was very impressed by the inquiry based activities the students were engaged in throughout the project.
Prior to my presentation, the program director had not heard of PBL.  So, that made me that much more excited to share the information.  She was enlightened and eager to go back and share what she learned with her colleagues.  I certainly enjoyed sharing the information with her, and my hope is that she will share it with other preschools she visits.  I'm also hoping that I will be able to share my projects and the PBL approach by doing workshops at other preschools.    

#3: JL Mann visit

I enjoyed seeing PBL in action at a high school.  The classes I observed were all very different, but the thing they had in common was a sense of ease.  The students knew what they needed to do, the expectations were clearly outlined, and the teacher acted as a facilitator.  We saw a project that involved science and comic strips/graphic novels.  We saw Spanish videos explaining dress code.  We saw the very beginnings of a new project in Language Arts, and the completed version of an etiquette book.  The students I spoke with seemed genuinely interested in what they were doing.  My favorite thing to see in PBL learning styles is the interaction and problem solving.  It's much more conducive to real-life situations.

Kathy's Blog 6

Kathy Feigenbaum

Blog #6

What I thought I knew about PBL but now I know:

Less than a year ago^h I received a forwarded email through my principal with a PBL flyer from Furman. I looked at it. I didn’t know anything about PBL. I asked some of the teachers at my lunch table what they knew about it. Nothing.In my defense, I look back at the email and there is no explanation as to what PBL even stands for! I started to investigate. I had a sense of projects, which, as we learned later are called “desserts.” That is the way I had been using projects in my classes. I decided to go to the June 8 PBL Convocation at Furman. I was intrigued enough that day to enroll in the 2018-19 PBL Consortium, and I’m so glad I did! My concerns at first were about how I might be able to make this method work whilst pushing students to speak in Spanish.

Now I know that it IS hard to incorporate PBL in a foreign language class. It IS difficult to work and communicate about something authentically in the language when students have no knowledge of the language. Yet I can imagine that there are hurdles in any subject and at every level.

I know what it takes to create a true PBL, both instructionally and motivationally. (I know the parts that make up one, as well as the effort involved.) I believe that the group we had in our cohort, with Dawn as our leader was incredibly helpful and supportive. One of my concerns is managing all of this without the support of other teachers. I am hopeful that the PBL pitch I gave to our faculty might bring some colleagues on board! Teaching itself really is a PBL by nature, and therefore collaboration should be a requirement.

Many thanks to you all for helping me through this challenging and rewarding experience.

Tieraney G. Rice Post #5: Revisions made to my PBL plan

My PBL project was called "Shapes Are Everywhere."  I was much more comfortable implementing this project after having the experience of implementing a project in the fall.  When we started the project, my plan was to focus only on 2D shapes and their attributes throughout the project.  However, I quickly discovered through observations and various activities that I could also introduce and focus on the names and attributes of some 3D shapes.  I came to this decision because the students quickly demonstrated that they were very good at identifying 2D shapes and could explain their attributes.  So, adding the exploration and discussion of 3D shapes added a challenge to the project.

Tieraney G. Rice Post #4: Visit to Monarch Elementary

     Our visit to Monarch Elementary was amazing!  All schools have a hand-full of teachers who use "outside of the box" teaching approaches.  However, to be in a school where the ENTIRE STAFF uses the same approach was very refreshing.  If I were to apply to teach in a district, this is the type of environment I believe I would love and thrive in.  I'm so glad we had the opportunity to hear from a teacher from each grade level and the music teacher about the projects they've done or are in the process of doing with their students.  After hearing from the staff members about the projects, it was great to have a chance to walk the halls and visit classrooms where the PBL approach was in action.  The students were engaged and willing to talk about and answer questions about what they were doing.  I was truly inspired by this visit!    

Tieraney G. Rice Blog Post #3: Visit to JL Mann High School

     The visit to JL Mann High School was very enlightening for me.  Being that I teach preschool and my own children have not yet reached high school yet (until next school year), I have not known or been in tune with anything pertaining to the high schools.  In fact, I had not set foot in a high school since my 10 year high school reunion (which was a long time ago) until this day.  First of all, I didn't realize that JL Mann had a separate building that houses the PBL classes.  The students have the option of PBL classes or regular traditional classes which I think is awesome to have those choices.
The way the PBL building is designed is amazing!  I really like how you can look into the classrooms as you walk by,  and I like the common sitting areas outside the classrooms. I enjoyed watching two teachers co-teach a math class.  I was impressed by how they worked together and facilitated while the students worked collaboratively.  Being able to talk with the students in three classes about current and past projects was also a treat!  What a wonderful learning environment! Although it has been very challenging over the years to create this environment, it is evident that the staff at JL Mann is committed to working hard everyday to effectively implement the PBL approach.    

Kathy's Blog Post 5

Kathy Feigenbaum

Blog #5

PBL Workshop/Brochure

For the PBLworkshop, I ended up creating a brochure about my PBL experience to share with other teachers at my school. We are crunched for time with meetings about testing, so I didn’t want to add to the overall stress level. I sent out an email with a link to the Power Point launch I used for my recent PBL about fashion. Since the teachers had helped by posing for pictures for the presentation, I wanted them to get a look at that. I also put a copy of my brochure in their mailboxes and encouraged them to ask questions. A science teacher indicated that she really likes the idea but has concerns about meeting all the standard. Another Spanish teacher says she wants to talk in-depth this summer about plans for next year. Another 6^th grade teacher said, “ Thank you for sharing your ideas from the PBL workshop.  I like the ideas you presented about making the project personal so it is more meaningful for students.  Also, I agree with your ideas about learning how to properly collaborate in middle school benefits students in later years.  PBL is a great way to get students excited about taking ownership of their learning.

Thank you for sharing,”

 Then several teachers said, “I liked your brochure!” (Thanks.)

I’m glad to get a little publicity out there, since this time last year no one I spoke with knew what PBL is! I was considering the convocation at Furman (last June) before deciding to participate in this consortium. I am glad I did! And hopefully I’ll inspire other teachers at my school.

Kathy's Blog Post 4

Kathy Feigenbaum

Blog #4 April 30, 2019

Wow! What a School!

Our Field Trip day to visit other schools was a great experience. I wasn’t far from my own school when we visited Monarch, yet I had now idea about the program there! I even have several 6^th graders in my class who were there at Monarch last year. It was so exciting to see how well organized the program is there, and how well the teachers and staff seem to coordinate PBL! I thought, “wow! It would be cool to work here.”

Then we had a delightful lunch together at Uncle Berto’s. So nice!

After a bit of a car ride we arrived at a maze of a school parking lot. Finally having parked, I walked in. It was so impressive! So much thought was put into the set-up. It’s so well equipped for PBL. The hubs are so nice, and the window walls make classes very open. I spoke with a Spanish teacher there, and we shared some ideas. I thought, “wow! What a school!” In a few years it might be great to work there. 😉 I mazed my way back out of the parking lot (following Dawn – lol) and thought about the schools.

There are take-aways from both schools. Some hacks and ideas and connections I can use. Maybe I can get some colleagues to buy in to PBL. But I sure wouldn’t trade places with anyone.

Alana McSharry- Blog 7- "What I Use to Think But Now I Know"

"What I Use to Think"
*Students decide what they will learn during project based learning units.
*PBL units do not include standards.
*PBL units are not planned units.
*PBL units are unorganized and unstructured.
*PBL units are about the products during and at the end of the units.
*PBL units are long and drawn out.


"But Now I Know"
*The teacher decides what to teach students.
*The standards drive the students' learning when teaching a project based learning unit.
*Before teaching a project based learning unit the teacher needs to plan it.
*Planning is important because it causes the unit to be successful.
*Organization is key to a successful project based learning unit.
*The process students move through is more important than the products at the end of the unit.
*The process includes sustained inquiry into a certain subject or idea.
*Students have choices but those choices are within the boundaries given to them by the teacher.
*The project based learning units need to be relevant and authentic so students will solve a problem while they are learning.
*Assessment is an important component to project based learning units.
*Assessment can drive the learning and teaching.
*Students have a final product to present their learning.
*Students reflect on their work throughout the project.
*Students present the information from a unit to a public audience.
*Students need the opportunity to work independently and to create authentic work even when they are four-years old.

During the three courses I learned many helpful concepts and ideas to create a better learning environment in my classroom. I would like to work on creating PBL units for the other units that I teach in K4. I enjoyed the challenge of these classes this school year.

Alana McSharry- Blog 6- Workshop for K4 Teachers in Spartanburg

At the end of the fall class Dawn asked me to present Exercise, Eat, Sleep and Be Healthy to a group of K4 teachers at a school in Spartanburg. It was the first time that I would present a workshop to other teachers and I was nervous about the whole experience. I gathered all of my students' products, my books and my computer and drove to Spartanburg with a sense of nervousness and excitement. The principal of the school walked me to the library where there were about eight to ten teachers waiting on me. The principal was kind and informative about her K4 program as we walked to the library. Dawn introduced me to the teachers and I began the workshop. I presented the project using the PowerPoint I created during the fall class. Throughout the presentation I talked about my students and how they moved through the project. I passed out some of the books I read to the students to help them learn about healthy habits. I also gave the teachers the opportunity to read the students' healthy habit books. I passed out three examples of the books which demonstrated the different levels of the students in my class. At the end of the workshop I showed the videos created by the students. One video was about staying clean and the other video was about how exercise is fun. I think the teachers enjoyed the workshop and found it helpful. I offered the teachers the planner for the project and also gave them the opportunity to ask questions about the project. I enjoyed the whole experience and it was a confidence builder for me. I appreciated Dawn giving me the opportunity to share Exercise, Eat, Sleep and Be Happy to a group of colleagues.

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.

Alana McSharry- Blog 4- Coaching Cycle

During our coaching cycle Dawn and I talked on the phone about the current project and the project I did during the fall class. While talking about the implementation of this project I brought up the topic of students doing work independently. Dawn encouraged me to let students do their work by themselves as much as possible. The students have their own level of independence and it is my responsibility to meet them at that level and to help them when they need it. These ideas created an environment that helped my students complete their artistic representation of their weather projects. I watched my students working and waited until they indicated that they needed my help. This action on my part improved my students' independence and confidence. I learned to value the power of observation and the power of student independence. I appreciated Dawn's encouragement and helpful advice because it improved the implementation of the project.

Alana McSharry- Blog 3- Observation of Spring PBL

I chose for Dawn to observe a lesson that involved the students observing a rain making activity.

Here is the lesson.
Standards: 1. LDC-2o: Participate in a group discussion making comments and asking questions related to the topic. 2. LDC-13f: Represent thoughts and ideas in drawings and by writing letters or letter-like forms. 3. CD-10o: Notice and describe weather conditions, position of the sun and moon at different times and seasonal changes. 4. CD-11n: Represent what they learn during scientific exploration through drawing, modeling, building, movement and other methods.
Procedures: 1. Review the idea of rainy days with students. 2. Explain to students that they will participate in an experiment that will show how rain falls from a cloud. 3. Show students a cup with water in it. 4. Add shaving cream to the top of the cup. 5. Show students how to use the eye dropper to get water and drop it on the shaving cream. 6. Explain to students that they will do the experiment, discuss it and draw a picture of it. 7. Send students to their tables. 8. Place a cup with water and shaving cream on the table, a small cup with blue water and eye droppers. 9. Have students begin to drop the blue water onto the shaving cream. 10. Have students observe what is happening to the blue water and the water in the cup. 11. Have students discuss with each other what is happening and how it is similar to rain falling from the clouds. 12. Give students paper and have them draw a picture of what is happening in the cup. 13. Have students write about what is happening in the cup. 14. Have students bring their papers back to large group and share it with a friend.
Assessment: Students participate in discussions. Students draw about their observations.

During the lesson the students actively participated in the activity. The students talked about how the blue water moved through the shaving cream into the water in the cup. They talked about how it looked similar to rain. The students took turns sharing the eye dropper and worked well together.

After the observation the students drew and colored a picture of what happened to the blue water when it was dropped on the shaving cream. Then the students dictated a sentence that matched their picture. All of the students' pictures had detail and related to their observations. All of the students dictated sentences that explained the activity or rain in a correct manner.

In large group three or four students presented their picture to the other students. The students spoke clearly and did a great job explaining their work. The students were engaged and involved throughout the lesson.

In my opinion the lesson went well. It was organized and well delivered. I think there is little I could do to improve the lesson.

Alana McSharry- Blog 2- Implementation of Spring PBL

During the first week of the project I read books about different types weather to the students. Many of the books had interesting pictures and information for the students to learn about weather. The students began a list of weather words. As they presented the weather words I added the words to the list with a picture next to it. On the first day of the project we graphed the weather and continued with the graph throughout the whole project. The students also went home with a calendar so they could track the weather at home with their parents. During the first week I filled a container up with water, dyed the water, drew a line, wrote the date and placed the container on top of the refrigerator. The idea is for the students to observe how water evaporates over time and how this evaporation is part of the water cycle. In art class the students started an art project that related to rainy weather. The students splatter painted blue on their paper to represent the rain. Each week the students worked on the project until they completed it.

During the second week of the project the students watched videos about different types of weather. The videos explained tornadoes and hurricanes in a way that allowed students to understand those types of weather. The students continued to graph the weather every day at school and at home. The students observed the container with the water and realized that the water had evaporated into the air. The students continued to work on their art project during art class. The students drew and colored a person holding an umbrella. 

During the third week of the project the students began to use the information about weather to participate in different activities. One activity was to observe the water cycle. Each table of students had a cup of water, a cup of blue water and eye droppers. My assistant and I went to each table of students and placed shaving cream on top of the water. The students took turns dropping the blue water onto the shaving cream and watching how the blue water soaks through the shaving cream and into the water. The students related the action of the blue water and shaving cream to the water cycle and how rain forms in clouds and falls down to the Earth. After the observation the students drew and colored a picture of what happened to the water. Then the students dictated a sentence to the teachers. The students worked with "snow" and made a snowman and decorated it. Another activity the students observed how a tornado swirls around in a funnel. The students had a cup of water with glitter in it. They took a pencil and stirred the water. After stirring for a few minutes the students removed the pencil and noticed how the water spun like a tornado. The students participated in other activities during the week. They continued to observe the container and how the water continued to evaporate throughout the weeks. During art class the students created a snowy day. They started by drawing and coloring grass, a tree and a snowman.

During the fourth week of the project the students worked on their artistic representation of their chosen weather. First the students chose the weather that they wanted to create artistically. Then the students worked with an adult on their artistic representation. The students chose the materials to create the weather. The students used paint, paper, shaving cream, glue and other materials. They enjoyed the creative process and had pride in their work. At the end of the fourth week we finished graphing the weather. We asked and answered questions about the graph. During art class the students finished the snowy day by painting over their picture with blue paint.

During the fifth week of the project the students worked on writing about the weather that they created artistically. The students worked with an adult to write about their chosen weather. The students had to write at least one sentence. The students talked with the teacher about their chosen weather. The teachers helped the students sound out words during their writing. If the students had questions about their chosen weather the teachers had the students look at a book to refresh their memory about the weather.

At the end of the project the students had the opportunity to share their weather work with their parents during a student-led conference after school and with a first grade class during the day. The parents enjoyed looking at their child's work. The students talked about their project with confidence and pride. The students were excited to present their work to their first grade friends.

Tieraney G. Rice Blog Post #2: Coaching Cycle

For our coaching cycle, I decided that I wanted Dawn to help me with implementing the use of technology into my project.  Other than making some videos, I didn't really use technology with my project I implemented in the Fall.  I took a technology class a couple of summer's ago and learned about all kinds of cool apps that can be used with children.  While I left the course with a tool belt full of wonderful ideas and ways to use technology with my kids, I never used any of it!  I had good intentions!  So, I decided one of the ways I wanted to improve my Spring project was to use technology in a meaningful way.  "Blabberize" was one of the sites in my toolbox that I had never tried, & boy was I in for a surprise.  Our coaching cycle consisted of Dawn helping me set up my blabbering account.  Once I had an account, she walked me through how to use it.  Because of this guidance, I was able to use this fun site with my students as a way of showing what they learned during this project.  They were super excited to see what they had done!

Tieraney G. Rice Blog Post #1: Implementation Observation

Tieraney G. Rice
Blog Post #1:  PBL Implementation Observation

Whenever we have a visitor in my school, the students are always excited and eager to welcome the person or people.  So, it was no different when Dawn walked in!  All of a sudden, they all became a little bit more talkative than usual.  Dawn got a chance to see how we begin our day with a whole group time which consists of welcoming everyone to school, setting up the calendar, and singing some songs.  I had introduced the "All About Shapes" PBL project the week before.  So, this particular week we were learning a song about shapes, and identifying/exploring 2-D shapes.  After learning the song, we split the students into two groups.  One group stayed with me and worked in small groups.  One group made shapes using popsicle sticks, one group used manipulatives of various shapes to create pictures, and the other group used foam shapes to match to puzzles to make pictures.  There were many conversations and discoveries in each group as the students experimented with their objects.  The other group was with my assistant.  She had a cube with a picture and the name of the shape on each side.  As the students sat in a circle, she rolled the cube and asked students to tell her the name of the shape pictured on the side the cube landed on.  These activities the students were engaged in during this observation were very beneficial and necessary at the beginning of the project because a major "Need To Know" for the project was the name of 2-D shapes.  Once the students could identify 2-D shapes, we moved on to 3-D shapes.
Dawn's advice and feedback during this observation was very helpful!