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"Once teachers make the
shift to PBL, then students get to spend more of their time developing the
skills they will need for the future.” (Boss, 2012)
I am very intrigued with
Project Based Learning, which is why I was drawn to this article. I have
experimented a little bit with PBL through the implementation of STEM in my
classroom; however PBL is so much more. The article points out how PBL prepares
our students for the future, which I believe it very important. In the
workforce, our students will need to know how to solve problems that don’t
necessarily have an answer. PBL forces students to think critically about a
situation or problem and solve it in their own way. In addition, students may
have to present their projects, thus fostering public speaking skills. In my STEM
projects, students also must work effectively in a team – another important
life skill. This article has inspired me to keep learning about and exploring
project based learning in my classroom to promote the skills my students will
need in their future.
Project based learning is a great strategy to use in the classroom to promote higher-order thinking skills. As you mention, we need to prepare our students to be successful in the real-world problem solving and thinking critically. Students often don't see a connection between what they are learning and how they will ever use it. I think problem-based learning is a way for students to see the relevance of their learning and a way for the teacher to assess their abilities.
ReplyDeleteI thought this was a great article as well! It gave me some ideas, especially surrounding critical thinking. Prior to getting online tonight, I was grading some "pre test" essays my students had written regarding The Crucible. One girl complained that this was the "dumbest thing ever" because how in the world could she answer a question prior to reading the play? (Mind you, the question did not ask specifics about the play; the question asked what role social mindset plays in determining a person's guilt or innocence!) Perhaps with more project based learning, my students would be better able to think through critically such questions :)
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