It's a well known fact that students learn by doing. However, in today's 'teach to the test' atmosphere, teachers are pressed for time, resources, and most of all energy to cover all the topics necessary. Why are students learning math for the sake of math? Or reading an English book for the sake of underlining hyperbole and other figurative language? And what about science and social studies period? Why are we leaving these subjects out of our children's curriculum? Wow! I know I've asked a lot of questions, and be sure that I have no idea on the answers. But, I do know a way to get around all of this! It's called Project Based Learning! This is the real-world, cross-curricular, critical thinking stuff that makes learning fun, interesting, and lasting.
I am currently working on stealing a unit from an awesome teacher named Kelly Yonce called "Designer Babies." In the past, I would start the unit over Inheritance, Variation, and Evolution with the introduction to the cell, cell reproduction, tidbit on cancer, and progress methodically and pedagogically through mitosis, meiosis, variation, and genetics. I usually run out of time when it comes to human genetics and genetic engineering, so I skip ahead to population genetics and community ecology that segues nicely into evolution. Lots of uber-cool material to cover....teensy weensy unit space! So change it is :)
The PBL unit had an enormous amount of 'tracking' on my part (using a learning menu, is the next step in this aspect.) Upon reflection of the project outcomes, I have students that did not understand critical concepts because of the designated or delegated role they took on. The collaboration piece went exactly how I expected, both good and bad. Students put themselves in leadership roles and delegated items and kept records, but then experienced frustration when goals were not met. Some of the issues were inherent due to my expectations (obviously derived from my 'need' to control the process) that I placed on the student groups. For example, I conducted interviews with each student weekly with a checklist and probing questions. In having to get 55 students done in a 5 minute sit-down interview, while assisting and monitoring the other groups, I feel that I probably accepted shortened, lacking answers in the interest of time.
Student Examples
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I am currently working on stealing a unit from an awesome teacher named Kelly Yonce called "Designer Babies." In the past, I would start the unit over Inheritance, Variation, and Evolution with the introduction to the cell, cell reproduction, tidbit on cancer, and progress methodically and pedagogically through mitosis, meiosis, variation, and genetics. I usually run out of time when it comes to human genetics and genetic engineering, so I skip ahead to population genetics and community ecology that segues nicely into evolution. Lots of uber-cool material to cover....teensy weensy unit space! So change it is :)
The PBL unit had an enormous amount of 'tracking' on my part (using a learning menu, is the next step in this aspect.) Upon reflection of the project outcomes, I have students that did not understand critical concepts because of the designated or delegated role they took on. The collaboration piece went exactly how I expected, both good and bad. Students put themselves in leadership roles and delegated items and kept records, but then experienced frustration when goals were not met. Some of the issues were inherent due to my expectations (obviously derived from my 'need' to control the process) that I placed on the student groups. For example, I conducted interviews with each student weekly with a checklist and probing questions. In having to get 55 students done in a 5 minute sit-down interview, while assisting and monitoring the other groups, I feel that I probably accepted shortened, lacking answers in the interest of time.
Student Examples
1 2 3 4 5
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