Sarah Garner, Chapter 2

Chapter 2 blog post

                On the first day of school I had my students fill out a get to know me sheet. A student then proceeded to tell me, “You are probably not going to read these.” I told that student that I was going to read each one. Like most teachers, I really did intend to read every single get to know me sheet. However, it kept falling to the end of each “to do” list and I eventually forgot all about them. Through the activity deep data at a glance that we did in class, I realized how little I knew about my students. At that moment, it felt like I was being hit in the stomach with a stack of bricks. Without knowing information about my students, I am unable to make connections in my project to student interests. I am unable to discuss with them the things they like or dislike. It is important to know how each student feels they learn best, and learn the areas they feel they struggle in. With this information, you are able to place them in groups that focus on their strengths and are able to get help with their weaknesses. After class I decided to go through each get to know me sheet and document what the students like, what they do not like, their strengths, and weaknesses. I realized that many of my students like to draw. Therefore, I am going to allow my students to draw their floor plan out on a poster board. I also learned that many students struggled with fractions (I mean, who did not struggle with fractions in 9^th grade). Because of this, I will now give mini lessons throughout the course on fractions. This will allow my students to practice and become more comfortable working with fractions.

Kristi Winslow Post #1 - Course 2

Chapter 2

                Knowing “who” you teach allows for the opportunity of differentiation among PBL experiences.  Knowing student ability levels, interests, backgrounds, and demographics helps to present students with opportunities that will not just serve them in school, but also in life.  I can plan projects that will be meaningful and relatable to their lives. 

Chapter 3

                The wish list I have for my classroom is to see a space that is functional, for lots of movement and opportunity.  It would have sounds of a variety of student voices with excitement, interest, and individual ideas and input.  There would be a class full of students collaborating on a specific idea.  The students would be engaged in what they are studying, designing, and creating for a certain experience.  The classroom will be filled with student designs, show casing evidence of the progress that is completed.  

Savannah Griffith Blog Post #5

Savannah Griffith

What I Use To Think but Now I Know

            When I first found out I was going to be taking the PBL class I was so nervous. I had never learned about PBL or really even knew what it stood for. I begged my principal to choose someone else but now I am so glad he did not. I knew PBL was problem based learning but I had no idea what it entailed. I thought the students would be learning a skill, etc. and then had to test their knowledge by presenting them with a problem. I could not see how I could use PBL in an art class. What problem could I present them with? I thought about all the standards I have to meet, all the skills I have to teach and all the different levels of learners I have to reach. I quickly found out it was very different than I thought.

            During the first day of the PBL class I learned so very much. I never imagined how much the students would be involved with the planning of the unit. It was amazing to me the amount of student choice that was given. From the project idea, audience and the final product. The students are involved from day one and that in itself is so wonderful! I learned so much about how students talents are hidden and many times students do not even know the talents they possess. I learned that PBL gives students the chance to shine. PBL allows students to show off their talents in a creative, academic way.

            Throughout the week, I also learned that PBL incorporates so many different subject areas. I did not realize that art could flourish while focusing so much energy on social studies. I am now excited to implement a science PBL unit, math, ELA, and more! I now know that PBL can be so much more than just a problem. So many of my colleagues presented such real world problems this week that inspired me. From budget plans to bee projects, these students are being faced with a very different type of learning that is so exciting!  

            I cannot wait for my students to walk through the classroom in August and start right out with PBL! I hope the students will be as excited and passionate about it as I am! I truly believe this will be a wonderful experience for the students and teachers of Fairforest Middle School! I am so glad I am able to be a part of it!

Mary Kennedy-Easley Blog post #5

What I Used to Think/But Now I Know

            There’s so much to be said about learning through experience!!  Before taking part in this professional development class, I thought that I had already started the process of PBL in my classroom.  It wasn’t until I actually experienced the process of working through the learning experience that I realized that is the true core of teaching the PBL model. 

            I used to think that the simple act of giving the project and the students’ successful completion of a project as successful PBL instruction.  I now know that there are aspects of PBL that I completely overlooked.  One of the more important parts that I was overlooking was the process of critique and revision.  It allows students to collaborate and share ideas to improve upon work throughout the development process.  The importance of this aspect is that it legitimizes the act of learning through mistakes or learning through the thought processes of solving problems.  It’s ridiculous to think that students will just produce great project products without looking at drafts through the lenses of someone else who may know or see something that the producer would have never seen. 

            Through my own experiences in this class I have come to the conclusion that there are some great techniques to get students comfortable and find great ideas through the critique and revision process.  If a bunch of really intelligent teachers can find avenues of growth by simply opening themselves up to peer ideas, I know I can use these same techniques with students to find ways to improve upon work without the fear of hurting feelings.  There was not one moment that I felt uneasy or hurt by the critique process that we took part in during our learning experiences.  It taught me that if the environment and structure of the exercise are presented correctly, it create immense growth and produce a sense of ease by simply knowing growth is essential for the new obtainment of knowledge. I was genuinely surprised at how “comfortable” I was with opening myself up for critique.  I can’t wait to see the looks on students faces as they become surprised by how much they can grow as well.

Sarah Kate Chatel- Blog #5

Project Based Learning

Sarah Kate Chatel

  Project Based learning is an approach to teaching that engages and challenges students beyond any other approach to teaching. I used to think the Project Based Learning was not anything that I could implement for my students, who struggle as learners already. I had a perception that it was something for science teachers to utilize with their experiments. I had difficulty seeing how I could use this model within my own room. I see now that this should be a primary approach to teaching within my classroom. I teach a resource math class where I focus on math foundational skills, often times my students are exposed to the skills I teach multiple times throughout their educational careers, yet they still have not reached mastery. I can see that by implementing the PBL model I can hopefully have students make deeper connections within these foundational skills in a way that they will never forget. I hope that I can make these skills as real world as possible, so that students see the importance of learning and the impact it will have in the real world, not just on a worksheet. I can see the importance of Project Based Learning (PBL) and how effective it is with teaching real world life skills. I believe that my students can be extremely successful within the real world as long as they have foundational academic skills and real world skills that are instructed and utilized, within the PBL approach. I am so excited to see my students enhance their self-awareness and their ability to collaborate and work with others in a way that impacts the world in a positive way.

            I have loved learning the Project Based Learning approach through living it. I, like my students, remember through experiencing much more than just reading or listening. My favorite part about this class is going through a variety of protocols, because it has expanded my way of thinking on how I can assess and monitor understanding of my students in a different way than just an exit ticket or a quiz. I enjoyed this past week spent learning about project based learning and I am looking forward to implementing this approach within my own classroom. 

Sarah Golightly Blog Post 5

“What I Used to Think/But Now I Know”—Sarah Golightly

            Special speakers, interviews, skits, etc. are here to stay in public education!  Project based learning will bring enthusiasm to any classroom that implements it!  It’s so different, but the children will respond in a positive way.

            I used to think that students needed to stay quiet the majority of the class time, take notes, view a film, take a test and growth would occur.  Now I realize that a unit of study can spark creativity and draw children to dig deeper about a variety of topics.  PBLs will broaden a child’s knowledge because the content is not limited to a 300-page textbook.  Experts will share twenty to thirty years of experience on a topic.  That information will not be as memorable if it comes from McDougal-Littell or Houghton Mifflin.

            A PBL will guide a student to meet world-class knowledge and skills and life/career characteristics.  Excellent work ethic, perseverance, integrity, creativity, critical thinking, etc. will make a graduate’s future limitless.  The projects will stretch a student’s imagination and he/she will realize learning can’t be restricted to a building or a room. 

             Students will have to take ownership of their work.  A variety of assignments/activities will be used that will be so unusual in the typical classroom that students will have no choice but to be successful.  Using the silent debate protocol, an anticipatory guide, the two-minute assessment grid, the critical friends protocol, etc. will prompt a reluctant student to participate, receive positive assistance and thus, improve his/her grade.  Due to collaboration and teamwork, no one is left alone and floundering with a massive unit due. 

            I have never thought about a project having real world impact.  Having that element is what affected my project the most.  I know this will add excitement to the assignments the students are given.  Hopefully, creating a Kahoot game that will be used by their teachers this year, formulating a brochure for a relative about a chronic illness, and learning about nutrition will whet their enthusiasm for the next assignment in project-based learning.

Clark H. Maxwell Blog #5

Blog Post #5

What I Used To Think/But Now I Know

                When I was first asked to take the PBL class there was no doubt that I was concerned.  My area is physical education.  My main concern right off the bat was losing activity time.  Many of our kids only get physical activity at school, so anything that would take away from that had me worried.  In addition, I do not do very well with change.  Change can be scary, whereas the status quo is safe.  My experience in PE as a student and as a teacher has always been an old school way of thinking, “what the coach says you do the best you can and keep practicing until you get it right”.  I mean he/she is the coach, they know what they are talking about because this is what they do.  Now I know that this may be archaic, but it is how I am.  Therefore, I had difficulty at times this week trying to figure out how I can do PBL and still have activity time.  Luckily, we had a great instructor who listened to my concerns and put my mind at ease.

                Looking at the “Profile of the SC Graduate” and the “Essential Elements of PBL”, it is obvious that they go hand in hand.  There are a few key elements of each that stick out to me that are essential for students moving forward after high school.  Being able to use critical thinking and problem solving skills are two core elements in my opinion.  In the real world you have to do that every day.  PBL caters and develops those skills on a smaller scale, but is something that applicable later in their education career or life.  Sustained inquiry and knowing how to learn are the other two things that jump out at me.  If the project captures and peaks the interest of the student, they will want to dive deeper into the subject material own their own.  I know I do that on a weekly basis on various areas of interests.  Knowing how to learn, I feel, is an extension of this.  Maybe the student needs to see it visually before they can make connections. On the other hand, they might need to use google for research, or get some on the job training before the material sinks in.  Either way, students learn how they learn best and as a result go deeper and learn more.  These four concepts should allow our students to be the very best they can be in education, in their jobs, and in society.

                This week of class was really a PBL within a PBL.  We started with a problem, our own PBL unit.  Then we collaborated with others on different aspects of our units.  Bouncing ideas off each other and picking out the pieces that would work best for our subject and us.  We had to communicate as well.  What we were thinking, feeling, what we liked, and what we wondered as we processed through critical friends.  Some of us had to get creative to make things work because of some challenges our subjects present.  Then we revised things until we had our final product.  Which was our own PBL unit to do in the fall.

                The one thing this class has taught me was that PBL and PE can coexist.  Are there going to be challenges, yes.  The main challenge for me is balancing physical activity time with PBL time.  I think the best way for me to implement PBL in PE is to keep the projects simple and short.  I believe that making the projects PE related, it would keep the students motivated to do it.  This way it will not feel like they are just in another academic class with work to do.  Overall, this class has opened my mind to many possibilities within PE.