PBL activities are a great motivation
for students to reach beyond their classroom, even their school. Students are able to use digital tools to
connect both to an authentic audience and with experts out in the field. When students engage in real-world projects
that connect them with others, they approach their work differently than they
would just doing a report for their teacher.
They are more apt to take their audience into consideration, knowing
that their work will be read, watched, listened to, and commented on. Beyond connecting with an audience, students
are able to connect with an expert. They
can take their questions to the source and benefit greatly from another’s
experience. The connection benefits the
expert too, which is great! Also,
students can connect with other learners.
They can work on global projects, projects with other classes in their
school, or even with an older student that can take on the role of mentor. It is our job as teachers to keep a list of
experts and foster such relationships.
Teachers can tap into their students’ parents, prior classes, and even
members of their school community. We
should not be afraid to ask for help!
The EAST Initiative Model is a wonderful
example of students putting technology to work for them as they solve problems
and make improvements to their communities.
They use “sophisticated” tools to solve community problems that are of
interest to them. Over two hundred
students are involved in the Initiative and come from several states, ranging
in age from second grade to post-secondary.
The initiative started with a teacher who wanted to engage students who
were not typically successful in a traditional school setting. It was realized that what he had in place
could be replicated and implemented in other schools too. The model was formalized and remains built on
four essential ideas: students need to
be responsible for their own learning, students should be engaged in solving
real community issues, students must have access to relevant technologies that mirror
what professionals use, and students will work collaboratively to accomplish
more than what they could do individually.
In order for the Initiative to broaden its scope, training is critical. When teachers join, they become facilitators
and must learn to let their students take the lead. On-going professional development is offered
at training facilities and is given by experienced educators. Teachers are given the opportunity to bring
their questions, discuss what is going on in their classrooms, be supported and
interact with peers. EAST Initiative
Model participants are able to share their projects at an annual
conference. Teachers and partners of the
Initiative can see firsthand what the students accomplish.
Letting students take the lead on their
projects can be a scary thing. I think
teachers worry about what direction their students might head, how to maintain classroom
management, and how to assess along the way.
Though letting them lead might be scary, I can’t think of a better way
to get students engaged. If they want to
follow an idea that reflects something they are passionate about, the
advantages are great! When students take
the lead they are taking ownership of their learning, they are more likely to
push themselves, and are likely to get more involved. They experience learning in a more real-world
way that will encourage them to be life-long learners. When a
teacher has a classroom of engaged learners, behavioral issues are fewer,
discussions are stronger, collaboration is more automatic, and students are simply
happier to be there. I think it is a
win-win!
In this chapter, I was reminded about
the importance of having a list of resources to tap in to. Being able to readily connect my students
with experts will benefit them greatly.
I think parents are willing to help and would welcome a request from a
teacher. I was also reminded that it is
okay to let my students take the lead.
That is scary at times, but I see more clearly how beneficial that would
be. We need to trust our students and
believe that they are capable of great things.
We can provide the framework and offer the support, they can take the
lead. I would have loved to have had
more opportunities for that when I was in school!
I really liked where you talked about how the chapter related to your own project. I agree with you that by being able to connect with experts, the students can benefit from their knowledge and ask questions directly. I would also hope that like you mentioned, parents would want to become involved as well and reach out to their friends and family in the community to help with the project as well. The more people that are involved in a project, the more knowledge there is to be applied to the project. I definitely agree that as teachers, we need to trust our students, as hard as that may be at times. If teachers give students responsibility for a project, students will trust that the teacher believes in them. This kind of support is exactly what the students need when working on a project within the classroom.
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