RSA#2
Project Based Learning
Online Sources
This week’s main topic was project
learning. What is project learning? Project learning is basically students
working together to solve problems that are given by the teacher. I read an article that states, “Project-based
learning is based on the idea that students learn best by tackling and solve
real life problems (Dauphin, 2013) .” During this
process students are working together to complete a task. These students are actively
engaged throughout their journey. Collaboration is a major key point in
project-based learning. The article also mentioned how students should be
working in pairs or groups. While the students are working together, the
teacher acts as the facilitator and guides the students. The main idea of this
article was that the knowledge that students are getting from the projects,
will actually stick with them, being that they are doing them.
I also watched a video clip explain
what project learning is. There was a statement in the video that really stuck
out to me. “School can be more interesting
and effective, by focusing on something that really matters (BIE, 2011) .” Some of the key
things that the video mentioned about problem-based learning were: critical thinking,
collaboration, and communication. In the video clip, the teacher posed a
question, not just any question, it was a question that was relevant to what
was happening in the classroom. Next, the class then split into groups, just
like the first article suggested. Then, the students had time to research. Lastly,
they got a chance to present their information.
Additional
Information
One of the peer reviewed articles
that I chose to look into was about the students’ perspectives of project-based
learning. This article suggested that there are two components of PBL: a
driving question or problem and the production of one or more artifacts as
representations of learning (Grant, 2011) . In this article 5
five students were observed and then interviewed. They were asked different questions about the
project that the students created. The findings were, 5 things influenced the learner’s
project and learning process. 1)Internal influences 2)external influences
3)beliefs about projects 4)tools for technology –rich environments 5)learning
outcomes and products. The students were really engaged during this
activity.
I also read another peer reviewed
article. This article focused more on the advantages of project learning. The
article mentions that one advantage of PBL is that the teacher can facilitate
instead lecture. Another advantage is critical thinking is promoted. And the
last yet important advantage promotes peer to peer active learning. This
article was basically choosing PBL over traditional student teaching. “PBL
encompasses active learning with particular relevance to learning objects (as
opposed to traditional passive spoon-feeding rote based learning… (Downing,
2013) ”
Application
in the classroom
First I would like to say that I
really enjoyed all the articles that I read, and the video that I watched. All
of my sources supported PBL. The sources gave different reasons of why it
supported PBL. But the most important reason across the board, was that
students are actually learning, because they are the ones doing it.
In my classroom, we have been
learning about communities. I would propose the question, how are so ways that
you could be a good citizen and keep the community clean. I would only be there to facilitate and guide
the students through. I would pick the groups for the students. I will give the
students 3-4 days to research and create their final project. And the last day,
we will present our findings as a class.
BIE (Director). (2011). Project Based
Learning:Explained [Motion Picture].
Dauphin, S. (2013). 12 Timeless Project Based
Resources. Retrieved from TeachThought:
http://www.teachthought.com/learning/project-based-learning/13-timeless-project-based-learning-resources/
Downing, K. (2013). Using Project Based Learning to
Faciliate Student Learning.
Grant, M. (2011). Learning, Beliefs, and Products:Students'
Perspectives with Project -based Learning. Interdisciplinary Journal of
Problem-Based Learnig, p. 5(2).
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