Setting time aside for reflection is a very important piece
of a PBL project. Students need to be given
time to reflect back on where they were at the beginning of the project and
where they ended up. They need the
chance to look at themselves as learners and think about what they learned,
their growth, and even what they want to learn in future projects. With good questions, you can have meaningful
conversations with your students and help them gain some deeper insight into
themselves as learners. You can help
them see how they improve in specific skills and also in specific content
areas. I think that reflecting on your
learning journey should also include celebrating. It is important for them to look at their
positive experiences, see how they have gained confidence, look at the moments
that surprised them, and even better see what their strengths are.
Students should also be encouraged to elaborate with their
reflecting and look to the future. They
should think about what they want to learn, where they want to head next, and
how they want to get there. Helping them
elaborate will help them think big and they may even come up with a project
that is greater than one you could come up with. Reflection is good for anyone,
and is an especially important part of a 21st Century project.
Schools where students work on PBL projects have a chance to
share something great with their school and their community. They become a part of a tradition of
excellence that can be passed down. The
community around them offers support and becomes genuinely interested in what
they are doing. As the students become
more aware of this, they are encouraged to work even harder to serve that
community and being role models for younger students. When a class becomes project-oriented and
shares their work, everyone is inspired and wants to keep the tradition
going.
I believe whole-heartedly in celebrating my students and
their work! I think it is really
important for them to “show-off” what they have accomplished. I think it is a great idea to hold a student
expo where students not only display their project, but also talk about
it. Students deserve the opportunity to
feel pride in their work and the chance to share it. Celebrating with them is a wonderful way for
you to learn what your students remember and what they value.
When reading this chapter, I was reminded that it is
important to have a strong beginning and a strong end to my project. I need to think more thoroughly about how to
wrap things up at the end and have an appropriate celebration of sorts.
I agree that students should celebrate their work. I like your idea of having a student expo. I think it's one thing to show their work to their parents but to have them be able to share with the public and the community to people they don't know. Also i liked how you said that reflection will help see what student strengths are. In this basic reflection of the project can be a great assessment of the students.
ReplyDeleteThe part of your reflection that stuck out most to me was where you talked about having a strong beginning and a strong end to your project. I end of the project is just as important as the beginning, or any other part. The teacher should celebrate that the project is completed, and more importantly the effort that the students put forth throughout the entire lesson. By having a strong beginning and end, it makes it easier for the teacher as well as the students to see how far they have coming. A large part of project based learning is to track students progress and see how their learning has evolved from the start of the project. By celebrating the learning that has taken place within a project, the students will realize that there was a purpose for all of their hard work.
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