Blog Post #9 What Can Teachers and Students Teach Us About Project Based Learning?

After reading the seven essentials for Project Based Learning, Ms. McIntyre taught me that if the student sees the project as something that means something to them, yet also educational, it will be a good project for them. I also learned that if you, the teacher, presents the project to the class in an interesting and engaging way the class will be more excited to begin this project. For example, discussions, videos, guest speaker...anything but passing out the assignment on paper and making them read it. The driving question is key to getting the students engaged. Without this they will be uninterested, and perhaps even misunderstand the project. Allowing students to have a voice gives them more determination to succeed at this project and make it more personal and engaging for them. Giving the students a choice and voice lets them have more power and freedom, while still following the teachers guidelines for the project. Ms. McIntyre lets her class work collaboratively and do their work with her guidance and following her rubric. Doing this allows the students to use whichever technology and present their project how they please, but by following the specific guidance of the teachers rules helps keep the students focused on the main point. Ms. McIntyre provides the class with a list of driving question they came up with. Allowing the students to research and explore the answers to the driving question they themselves came up with makes it more personal and meaningful for the students. It is not so much an online research project, they can explore and discover the answers in any which way they prefer. By allowing her students to have check points, where she keeps track of the groups work and makes sure they are going in the right direction, this keeps them on task and more determination to make their project as good as they can get it. At the end of their project they get the opportunity to present their findings to the community in an exhibition. I believe Ms. McIntyre is doing teaching right, she helps the students along the way, gives them guidelines and rubrics, but also lets them work independently and makes in interesting and meaningful to them. I think if all teachers could work the way she does all students would be more excited for projects.
After watching the video "Project-Based Learning for Teachers" I found out that the students are taught collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and career and life skills. Project Based Learning is and easy way for students to answer the driving question and share it with others publicly or simply just in the classroom. This video taught me that with PBL students are able to take charge of their learning. They take the driving question and run with it. They investigate, explore and discover. Tony Vincent's workshop is very similar to Ms. McIntyre's, it is very much so student choice and student voice.
I also read the article on Project Based Learning and Physical Education. With using PBL in Physical Education the high school class is required to make a project in which they explain the best exercise program for the middle school children. This assignment required the high school students to research evidence in which proved the best exercise routine they found fitting for the middle school students. The high school students were challenged to find what kept middle school children engaged, what would draw their attention, and also be educational. Giving students voice and choice allows them to create their own personalized project and choose how they would like for it to be presented. These high school students, like Ms. McIntyre's class, would incorporate collaboration and presentation. For the feedback other students tested out different projects. A lot of physical activity was required for this project. At the end of this project the groups and individuals were required to present their projects in whichever way they chose. I enjoyed this article, I believe that if students are required to use PBL in PE it is beneficial in two ways. They are learning new or different exercises, while also getting to actively test out their projects and get some physical work in.
After watching the video and reading about Richards and Thomas solve the watery ketchup problem I quickly found out they are apart of the Project Lead the Way Program at their high school. Their teacher always begins by making the driving question to be "It really bugs me when.." to make students engaged and choose the topic that they care to change. The students had to do much research to get past all the pattens on ketchup bottles. The students found 60 different ways they could resolve this problem that do not already have a patten on it. They then narrowed it down to five, and finally picked one and called it the Mushroom Cap. They explained that it is similar to the way a toilet works. I really like how the teacher starts out by saying "It really bugs me when.." and letting the students go from there. By using that phrase it allows the students to think of things that personally gets under their skin and think of numerous ways it can be stopped. I think it is a great idea to give the students that much choice and voice. It allows them to be themselves and potentially solved real world problems.
After watching/reading all these sites on PBL I have learned many useful tips. I enjoyed Ms. McIntyre's the best, she pointed out numerous important things. Overall, I learned about student choice and voice, I strongly believe that is the best way to keep students engaged and involved in their projects. By allowing the students to choose something that means alot to them it is more likely that they will succeed.