Project Based learning is taking an essential question and exploring that question. After reading More Fun Than a Barrel of Worms by Diane Curtis, Geometry Students Angle into Architecture through Project Learning by Sara Armstrong and March of the Monarchs” Students Follow the Butterflies’ Migration I saw a commonality they shared and that is incorporating real world situations into the classroom. I called these projects rigor.
Two years ago my principal wanted her students to have rigor in the classrooms. As she began to explain and I did not understand the concept that she wanted us to have in our lessons and neither did most of the teachers. Later, she further gave us an article that caused me to have a light bulb moment. I read that many corporations were not impressed on how well young adults could articulate their opinion neither were they enthuse about their reading nor writing skills. They needed young adults to be able to use their critical thinking skills, be creative and solve problems. As I began to further my research I read that rigor is active, deep and engaging. Nancy Lundsgaard (2004) states, “its active either through conversation or hands-on or minds-on activity; meaning there is questioning and discovery going on. It is deep, rather than broad, project based. The learners are digging into a topic or project and lastly it is engaging, either on his or her own or with the help of a teacher, each learner had made a real connection with the material to be learned”. All three articles showed rigor.
The role of the teacher was to facilitate. He or she would walk around and ask questions to either entice the imagination or to help them focus on the topic and avoid being detoured. The teacher also scaffolds by bringing in professionals to further answer any questions they may need answers from. The teacher who participates in this activity engages his or her students to make the connection with the material learned.
The role of the students is to be critical thinkers. In the articles and on video I saw students engaged by doing hands on and minds on activities. For example, in More Fun than a Barrel of Worms article the students were touching and smelling the worms. They would do field trips and lab work. Students had to examine dead worms. This project led them to be investigators. I saw how real life world experiences came into play. Students learned that scientist do this when they want to explore the ecosystem.
As educators we are driven to making sure our students pass the state exam. We know that many are learning how to be good test takers but in reality many students are not prepared for real world experiences. As I mentioned earlier, businesses want young adults to be creative and inventive. They want to know that the person they hired can come up with an idea that will bring more profit to their corporation. Project base learning increases students’ awareness of collaboration and business ethnics. It is allowing them to experience and see how the business community operates and the most profitable experience they receive is when they apply their knowledge to what they have learned from the classroom to the business world.
Works Cited
Armstrong, S. (2001). Geometry Students Angle into Architecture Through Project Learning. Edutopia , 1.
Curtis, D. (2002). March of the Monarchs: Students Follow the Butterflies Migration. Edutopia , 1.
Curtis, D. (2001). More Fun Than a Barrel of Worms? Edutopia , 1.
Lundsgaard, N. (2004, April). FOCUS. Retrieved April 16, 2011, from Small School Project: http://www.smallschoolsproject.org/PDFS/apr04_focus.pdf
