Project Based Learning

This week, I read three inspiring articles about schools that incorporate project based learning (PBL).

"More Fun Than a Barrel of . . . Worms?!" - Diane Curtis, Edutopia
http://www.edutopia.org/more-fun-barrel-worms

Geometry Students Angle into Architecture Through Project Learning" - Sara Armstrong, Edutopia
http://www.edutopia.org/geometry-real-world-students-architects

"March of the Monarchs: Students Follow the Butterflies' Migration"
- Diane Curtis, Edutopiahttp://www.edutopia.org/march-monarchs

In Newsome Park Elementary School in Virginia, students explored the topic of cystic fibrosis (among other projects that were mentioned). In Mountlake Terrace High School near Seattle, groups of geometry students designed plans for a new high school. In Rockledge Elementary School, the class investigated the path of monarchs. Listing these projects in this way makes them sound very simple. However, they are anything but simple!

As is inherent to PBL, in each of the examples, the students did not learn information in a void, but rather, they immersed themselves in projects that evolved from real-life issues that connect them to their school, as a whole, and the community. The students at Newsome Park had a classmate with cystic fibrosis and wanted to learn more about what was happening to their peer. At Mountlake Terrace HS, students met with, and were critiqued by, local architects. In Rockledge Elementary, the class was able to go outside and spot the monarchs on their path through their state.

These projects were designed so that the students were incorporating a lot of content into their work. “Math, writing, reading and other subjects are interwoven into classroom projects and applied just as they would be in the real world. Use of spreadsheets, Microsoft PowerPoint presentations, computer slide shows, drawing and word-processing programs and digital cameras and scanners become second nature to the students” (Curtis, 2001).

Teachers must spend significant time thinking through the dynamics of the projects such as what the expectations are for the project and group work, timing, length, group size and any extra costs. In some cases, they must arrange to have community members assist. Teachers play an initial role of helping the students to become interested in the project. They must be flexible. As indicated by Patty Vreeland, educator, teachers have a responsibility to incorporate the standards and know them very well.  Vreeland also notes that teachers using PBL must work harder than traditional teachers who have a set lesson plan each day (Curtis, 2001). Alternately, when students are working on projects, they are going to be at different phases and also are susceptible to questions arising that could take them in a new direction at any moment.

In PBL, though the teachers are working hard, the students are working even harder as they are the ones doing the creating instead of the teacher being the center of the class. In the articles, among dozens of other things, students are making drawing and scale models of the future high school, recording temperatures leading up to the arrival of the butterflies and compiling information about cystic fibrosis. The busy students are in charge of their education! They are active and engaged. Equally important, as mentioned by teacher Eeva Reeder, is the process of reflection (Armstrong 2002).

The hands-on work required by PBL creates true learning and understand. With traditional learning, repetition of information is important to shift data from short term to long term memory. But by creating meaningful activities through PBL, the information makes such a big impact that true learning occurs as things naturally shift to long term memory.

Arguably the best part of project based learning is that students are interested, invested and engaged while in the classroom (and out of the classroom)! In the video about designs for the future high schools, one student was so excited to present his group’s design to the architect that he was inspired to work his best. So many students do not have the intrinsic motivation that in necessary for traditional learning, where learning for learning’s sake can be meaningless to some. With PBL, however, children aren’t learning for learning’s sake, but rather they are learning because they (and possibly their school, community or world as a whole) can benefit from their final product.

This blog post is not about me or my feelings, but I can’t help but comment that this kind of learning is the learning I long for my students to experience.      

References

Armstrong, S. (2002, February 11). Geometry Students Angle into Architecture Through Project Learning. Retrieved May 9, 2015, from http://www.edutopia.org/geometry-real-world-students-architects

Curtis, D. (2001, October 1). More Fun Than a Barrel of . . . Worms?! Retrieved May 9, 2015, from http://www.edutopia.org/more-fun-barrel-worms

Curtis, D. (2002, June 6). March of the Monarchs: Students Follow the Butterflies' Migration. Retrieved May 9, 2015, from http://www.edutopia.org/march-monarchs