This module has helped me to think about Project Based Learning in a different way. The PBL method would mean a close look at standards and developing a project based on those standards. I would then create an essential statement that would be a theme for the entire year's curriculum, each unit would have unit questions relating to the subject matter in curriculum, and then content questions would be drawn from the state standards. Overall, Project Based Learning would enable the student to see the worth in the curriculum.
When reviewing the state standards in eleventh grade English, I would need to look at projects that would connect standards with real-life application. Some of the projects could be short-term; others could require an entire semester. When looking at state standards, I could look for projects that cover several standards at once. One project for an eleventh grade English class could be Creating a Novel. For the first nine weeks, the students would study the characteristics of a great novel. The next nine weeks the students could brainstorm ideas for novel and develop a plot line for the novel. In this same nine week period, the students would then divide into groups and write one chapter of the novel. The third nine weeks, they would edit each other's work. The last nine weeks would be devoted to publishing their novel and creating smooth transitions from one chapter to the next. Through this group exercise, we would be able to address many 21st century skills.
An excellent essential question for the above project would be "What makes a great novel?". This project would definitely answer those questions. The unit questions would involve "What are the components to a great novel?" and "What do readers appreciate in a great novel?". During the above project, the questions would be addressed at each nine week period so that the students can process the necessary elements of a novel. Content questions would address the essential terms related to a novel such as characters, setting, theme, plot, and genre. This module has helped me to see how all the parts of a Project Based Learning project come together.
The formative assessment of the project would cover the entire year. The students would have a timeline in which they would be required to submit their projects for a grade as well as taking a test on terms related to a novel. At each step of the process, their project would be looked at and graded according to the given rubric. Before the project began, the teacher would have determined what the objectives were according to the state standards and established tests and rubrics to match those standards. The module was very detailed on exactly how assessment should be done in Project Based Learning.
