All about Learning through Projects

Throwing a child in the deep end of the swimming pool and then yelling to him ‘don’t dro……wn; is not teaching him how to swim. I have learned so many things from PBL but enjoyed three (i) that content is no more ruler and teachers are no more the sole owners of learning. In the data age, schools must willingly be able to lift skill development to a spot equivalent to content acquisition in their statements of purpose; (ii) that project-based learning (PBL) is not a home work and when effectively executed, it offers opportunities to create skills like innovativeness, problem solving, collaboration, and communication that traditional guidelines cannot offer, and (iii) that time management is key to completion of a PBL.

PBL might influence my class room instruction in that it will enable learners to explore real world problems and challenges that may inspire them to obtain a deeper knowledge of the contents in such a satisfying and enjoyable climate.

By incorporating the project work into the curriculum, teachers would have provided the best opportunities for the learners to apply the skills and knowledge appropriately. Here is how I intend to start PBL: (i) by starting with one subject; (ii) by planning now before next term begins; (iii) by limiting the use of teach-knowledgy and (iv) by drawing a line between PBL and Projects.

Ciao!

Assessment of Project Based Learning

Assessment is an identifier that supports learning and provides information to both teachers and learners to enable the latter be placed accurately in the curriculum continuum. It is just more than a test at the end of instruction to gauge learning but should occur before, during, and after instruction since it is an integral part of the learning process. In this lesson I have found that assessment is a holistic part of instruction that guides teachers to enhance learning by continually gathering information through questions, interviews, writing tasks, and other means. Hence it shouldn’t be considered as a tool to hinder learning rather to stimulate growth and high expectations in the learners. While assessing the progress of learners, ensure to plan well for the assessment (e.g for what purpose does it serve?), gather evidence (e.g how are tasks and activities selected), interpret the evidence (e.g how is the quality of the evidence determined?), and use the results appropriately (e.g how will the results be reported?).

To me, a viable assessment program utilizes different techniques to demonstrate growth and performance, and ought to be firmly correlated to ones’ goals. Projects in which learners use interactive media presentations, Web pages; artwork may be assessed uniquely other than the traditional written, typed, or even word-processed papers. Assessments strategies in this case may include performance tasks, teacher observations, personal communications etc.

Ciao!

Supporting Learning Process through Projects

Where there is content there is process and product. If education is the reconstruction of experience then projects in this process should be understood as an in-depth venture that is worth the time of the learners, their attention and attitude.

To me the project is a great eye opener to witness how learners work together to bring jumbled ideas together to culminate into sense. However, I just want to be so carefull not to rush into putting such ideas into their heads, resulting in everyone working at the same rate. This would result into the case of too much too soon! Ironically, from my own perception, the project approach drives the opportunity to the learners directly to explore and conceptualize independently than they would have done with their teacher.

By incorporating the project work into the curriculum, teachers would have provided the best opportunities for the learners to apply the skills and knowledge appropriately and thus become a useful and meaningful complement to a more typical, systematic, or direct form of instruction.

Ciao!

Gathering Resources for Teach-nology

Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new. This implies that gathering resources for learners comes with both the advantages and its other side of the coin. Hence pre-researching for learners beforehand would be a good practice for the following reasons;

1. It actively engages the learners directly into problem solving.
2. It is able to develop technology skills for the learners as they work.
3. They are able to work independently at the pace of their preference.
4. Pre-searched resources are able to provide scaffolded content and clear directions for the learners to follow.
5. Most teachers provide information for learning with web links included for further search of the learners.

However,

1. There is that fear of the ever changing internet connectivity in which some of the already provided online resources in the WebQuest may be removed, become obsolete or even url changed.
2. Resources provided may limit the learners curiosity for further search.

To work within an allocated time frame, I would advice my learners to also think outside the box and be independent thinkers since most of the problems they encounter in a WebQuest are real-world problems.

Ciao!