Reflection On Module 2

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.

Module 1 Reflection

The video stressed the importance of Project Based Learning versus conventional learning.  Project Based Learning involves more involvement in the beginning and then moves to student driven as the project progresses.  This method allows the student to explore and research using different forms of media, make real-world connections to state standards, and assess their own progress in meeting objectives.  This video totally changed how I look at state standards.  State standards are a guideline to teaching students real-life skills and not arbitrary knowledge.

In Project Based Learning, the student practices 21st learning skills by exploring and researching a topic proposed by the teacher.   The teacher begins by assessing state standards, determining objectives for project, and producing a project that the student will make their own. The student then decides what resources are appropriate and what method he or she will use to present results.  Most PBL is done collaboratively.  At this point, the teacher will observe and be available for questions but the project at this point has moved to the student.  Through self-assessment and using rubrics, the students are able to monitor their progress.  As an instructional designer, I need to relinquish control and allow the process to work.  If the project is well-designed with clear grading guidelines and appropriate deadlines, the students can monitor their own progress.

Project based learning allows the students to make real-life connections to state standards.  One of the examples in the video mentioned fractions.  In conventional learning, fractions are taught in the classroom without any real-life application.  In a PBL lesson from the video, the students are asked to experiment with fractions in baking.  As any good baker knows, a wrong fraction can produce disastrous results.  This is an excellent example of project based learning.  I know I need to allow the process to work instead of stepping in to soon.  Students learn just as much from their mistakes as they do from their successes.

One of the most important points of PBL involves self-assessment.  In the video, it mentioned Claire and a problem she encountered at work.  She was asked to research a problem and present her findings.  She was not graded at every interval.  She had to assess her own progress.  That is what students are asked to do in Project Based Learning.  Project Based Learning can involve long term investigations so the student must maintain focus to complete the assignment.  The students need to assess their own results and whether it answers the questions posed by the teacher.  The teacher should build moments in the project where the students reflect on their progress.   This is the scariest moment for a teacher.  Did the project accomplish the objectives set forth?  As I grow as a teacher, I will need to allow the students to manage their own success.  I do not need to micromanage high school students.  At some point, they will need to learn to manage their own time and projects to have success in life.  It should begin in the classroom.

After watching the video, I realized that I will need to look at state standards differently.  Accordingly, my lesson plans will change and develop over time.  I will need to look for ways to incorporate more real-life opportunities for writing into my English classroom.  I will need to look at ways we can incorporate writing in daily lives into the classroom.  Very few students will ever need to write essays on great literature in real-life but writing business ideas or proposals are probably a real possibility.  I will definitely start viewing things differently.