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| Do you recall project work that ended like this? |
This week, Steve Loser, assistant principal at Fishers High School writes about PBL and addresses why attempts at Project-Based Learning have led to some negative experiences for students and teachers. The follow-up entry will give resources for making PBL an outstanding learning experience for both the students and teachers.
From Steve: The Essential Nature and Dangers of Project Work
The Essential
The
need to shift classroom instruction to be more project-based is not just some
educational fad. The ubiquity of information due to technology and the need for
students to practice, develop, and master "21st Century" or "soft
skills” like critical thinking, collaboration, communication, creativity, and
empathy require us as educators to craft marketable experiences where students
apply and use knowledge and skills not just for their own purposes, but to
solve actual problems and challenges in their communities.
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| Connections to PBL are everywhere in the HSE21 Best-Practice Model. |
This
results in high levels of student learning, development of transferable
employability skills, and connections with the community that not only develops
talent in a local workforce but retains it.
The Dangers
The
problem with Project-Based Learning (PBL) is really the word "Project.”
Some teachers, students, and parents often bring a great deal of traumatic
baggage to project work in the classroom from their own experiences. Ask any
individual what they think about "projects" in the context of
education, they will likely recount being put into groups and taking days or
weeks to create something with their peers.
 |
| Ever get this look when you ask a student, "So what did you learn?" |
Depending
on their engagement with the project, they will then either describe doing all
the work for the group or simply, "it was pretty easy,” most likely
because someone else did all the work. Too often, due to our competitive
culture, we collaborate poorly. Tie a grade to that collaboration and you get
some of the most dysfunctional classroom conditions ever, often with high
engagement, but very little learning and students with a wide variety of
knowledge and skills at the end.
In
fact, the most dangerous but telling follow up question you can ask in these
experiences is "What did you learn?" All you get is an IDK or a blank
stare.
Ouch! We can't afford to give and investment of weeks of instructional time for a fun,
feel-good, "fluffy" experience with little to no learning.
Rigor Over Relevance
This
is not written to be critical of teachers or projects. The first step of moving toward PBL is likely acknowledging your own project baggage, shifting your entire concept of the word project, and committing to pushing your professional practice beyond the project through reflective implementation.
As educators
we always plan instruction with the best of intentions. However, we must be
cautious to plan for rigor over relevance. Relevance will engage students.
Rigorous skill targets that leverage that engagement will ensure high-level
learning.
If PBL
is NOT a Project, what is it?
We know--and maybe experienced--what PBL isn't. Above is a foreshadow of what is to come in Part 2. I hope to follow up with great ways to implement Project-Based Learning well and to share opportunities for you to learn more about this instructional practice that is essential to helping our students learn the knowledge and skills needed in today's world.
Respond to Steve at sloser@hse.k12.in.us
Have a great week HSE. It will be a short one, and we hope it is filled with learning, for you and for your students.
Your HSE Teaching and Learning Team
- Jan Combs, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning
- Stephanie Loane, Director of Elementary Education
- Tom Bell, Director of Special Education
- Jeff Harrison, Director of Educational Technology
- Phil Lederach, Director of Secondary Education
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