My PBL Failure: 4 Tips for Planning Successful PBL I went into my second PBL unit with the intention of making it something that my students would find more interesting than our first project. Not that our first was uninteresting, but this time I wanted to focus on a topic that would really drive their interest. Our first project, filmmaking, had kept them interested. The subject of their films, recycling, hadn't been the driving force for them. The Project There were multiple "fails" with this project, but the biggest was interest. When I introduced the guiding question, "Who Am I, Really? I made three big mistakes that impacted the success of my project: I failed to consult my district calendar, and the project was broken up by vacation and testing.I didn't give myself sufficient planning and collaboration time, which affected the thoroughness of my plans and reflection.I didn't consult my students when choosing a topic and guiding question. Ultimately, I decided to scrap the project. Planning Your PBL 1. 2. 3. 4. Putting It All Together
Most Cited Teaching and Teacher Education Articles Teacher self-efficacy and teacher burnout: A study of relations Volume 26, Issue 4, May 2010, Pages 1059-1069Einar M. Skaalvik | Sidsel Skaalvik The purpose of this study was partly to test the factor structure of a recently developed Norwegian scale for measuring teacher self-efficacy and partly to explore relations between teachers' perception of the school context, teacher self-efficacy, collective teacher efficacy, teacher burnout, teacher job satisfaction, and teachers' beliefs that factors external to teaching puts limitations to what they can accomplish. Participants were 2249 Norwegian teachers in elementary school and middle school. The data were analyzed by means of structural equation modelling using the AMOS 7 program. Pre-service and beginning teachers' professional identity and its relation to dropping out of the profession Volume 26, Issue 8, November 2010, Pages 1530-1543Ji Y. A dialogical approach to conceptualizing teacher identity
Giving immediate correction to ESL students’ spoken errors In my last post, I wrote that I normally focus on errors which are: common to several learners; orrepeated (by one or more students); andeither involve language our students should already be familiar with; orare at a level just beyond that of our students (to help them expand their range of vocabulary or enhance their grammatical competence a little). Over the next few posts, I’ll go into a little more detail about when might be a good idea to correct students’ mistakes, and look at some different ways of correcting them. Hopefully, these notes will be of some use to less experienced teachers or those who have yet to get a CELTA or equivalent qualification. When might we shy away from correcting student errors? I’ve listed some possible answers below. Obviously the last two reasons seem more like excuses. When might it be good not to accompany a correction with an explanation of why the original sentence is ungrammatical or unnatural-sounding? Some problems with the above structure are:
A Project-Based Learning Spectrum: 25 Questions To Guide Your PBL Planning A Project-Based Learning Spectrum: 25 Questions To Guide Your PBL Planning by Terry Heick I’ve been talking with a friend recently about project-based learning, which is leading to a TeachThought Project-Based Learning framework hopefully sometime next week. (Or whenever I finally get this TeachThought podcast off the ground–maybe Tuesday? Ish?) In the meantime–and in pursuit–I’ve been thinking of the kinds of questions I consider when planning a project–or planning a unit when students plan a project on their own. I’ve more or less organized them into a kind of spectrum, from the simplest questions to consider, to the most complex. What role is the learner assuming? A Project-Based Learning Spectrum: 25 Questions To Guide Your PBL Planning; image attribution wikimedia commons (the spectrum to the right)
Piaget's Stages From Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching and Technology Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development Kay C. Wood, Harlan Smith, Daurice Grossniklaus Department of Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology, University of Georgia Introduction From his observation of children, Piaget understood that children were creating ideas. Constructionists believe that knowledge is constructed and learning occurs when children create products or artifacts. In studying the cognitive development of children and adolescents, Piaget identified four major stages: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational. Stages of Cognitive Development The first stage, sensorimotor, begins at birth and lasts until 18 months-2 years of age. The preoperational stage usually occurs during the period between toddlerhood (18-24months) and early childhood (7 years). Caption: This animation demonstrates one of the Piagetian classic experiments known as the "Three Mountain Problem."
Exploring the Advantages of Using Rubrics “I don’t believe in giving students rubrics,” a faculty member told me recently. “They’re another example of something that waters down education.” I was telling him about a study I’d just read that documented some significant improvement in student papers when students used a detailed rubric to guide their preparation of the research paper. I wasn’t very articulate in my response to him and decided I’d use this post to explore some of the issues involved in sharing rubrics and grading criteria with students. “I don’t understand what you want on this assignment.” It’s one of those comments teachers don’t like to hear from students, and rubrics, checklists, or the grading criteria offer constructive ways to respond. The objection to sharing rubrics is not groundless. (a descriptive term used by the study’s author) a research report. Not knowing how the work will be assessed definitely adds challenge to an assignment. We continue to keep students out of the assessment process.
edutopia Times of flux should signal the A-OK for some experimentation in schools. My own school, for instance, is encouraging more PBL. In my room, we've got my advocacy unit on superheroes. Meanwhile, a fundraiser is launching in a sixth-grade room, a seventh-grade science class is doing a national parks tie-in to the upcoming Rose Bowl Parade theme, and a living museum is underway in some history teachers' rooms. The other big PBL experiment is one that will hopefully create a universal academic experience for many students. As a result, I now have approximately 500 students from every subject area ready to begin moving through this unit. Individualized Pacing through a PBL Unit How do I individualize each student's learning process and pacing? I began thinking, therefore, about how gamification could potentially solve this challenge. I did my research and settled on a company called Rezzly (previously known as 3DGameLabs). How to Prep for a Gamified PBL Unit 1. 2. 3. 4.
How to Give Students Meaningful Feedback Resources >> Browse Articles >> Assessment, Grading & Evaluations Featured Author: Nina Smith Nina Smith is a pedagogical consultant who helps teachers to thrive in their profession. She is also an educator, teacher trainer and a mother of four. Nina has taught preschoolers as well as elementary age students, teenagers and adults, enjoying each experience. Originally Nina comes from Finland, where she studied educational psychology and also earned her M.Ed from the University of Jyvaskyla. Being a teacher means that you are wearing many hats at the same time. Being a teacher means wearing many hats at the same time. The very first thing in feedback is to have a clear focus where to target it and also an understanding about the desired outcome. Targeting the feedback to help students achieve the learning objective of the day is a god place to start. • Choose neutral words that are not loaded with value or judgment • Only focus on the product ! Related Reads:
edutopia When looking at how engaged students are in playing games, it makes sense to capture some of the ideas that game designers use to engage the player. This idea of applying gaming mechanics to non-game situations is known as gamification. What defines a game is having a goal or objective. Providing a Playful Context In addition to adding to the fun of the activity, having a story can provide context for student learning. To get started, try including a paragraph with each assignment that tells a little story. Expand this idea to creating a theme or story for an entire unit. In a PE class, adapt the story from popular video games to give your students tasks that they must complete. Reimagining the Objective Get students involved in the story. Many math games are really just playsheets where the content is the same as what would be found on a worksheet, but fun graphics and a story take place around the math problem. The Role-Playing Student
How to Design Projects Around Common Core Standards Call me bass-ackwards, but I don't design projects around the Common Core Standards. I design projects based on what I believe are engaging topics that encourage my curriculum. Having said that, I don't neglect them either. In fact, by the end of my design process, I would say that I've become rather intimate with the series of standards I'm trying to hit. I should back up and say that I teach using project-based learning, and PBL is very different from just assigning projects. In fact, designing and developing a project-based learning outcome is its own process, and while I don't tend to invite the standards to the party first off, they do end up being the guest of honor. Now, I have a two-prong approach to designing PBL units or even developing the Performance Based Assessments for my own district. I prefer, however, a different way to design. Do What You Want First I prefer to enjoy what I'm doing. I knew I wanted my students to write origin stories as their narratives. Share the Burden
Service Learning: Growing Action From the Roots of Passion In 2007, my co-teacher and I noticed that students felt increasingly like the world was "happening to them," as if they had no ability to affect positive change. This, coupled with the question "When am I going to use this?" led to the inspiration which has become the Fifth-Grade Environmental Project. Our goal was to create an educational model in which students' passions are the driving force, empowering them as global citizens. While we have limited time to cover required curriculum, we are committed to finding ways of embedding curriculum in "real-life" applications within the project. While the project's topic changes each year, the roots (or required elements) are the same, and the work evolves based on student passions, allowing each individual to find and contribute his or her gift to the whole, and reaffirming our belief that together we are smarter. Ignite the Passion Community Partners Key to making this a meaningful experience is finding and engaging with community partners.
Practical Ideas on Alternative Assessment for ESL Students Before a unit of study, teachers can have students fill in the K and W columns by asking them what they know about the topic and what they would like to know by the end of the unit. This helps to keep students focused and interested during the unit and gives them a sense of accomplishment when they fill in the L column following the unit and realize that they have learned something. Back to the Table of Contents Oral Performances Or Presentations Performance-based assessments include interviews, oral reports, role plays, describing, explaining, summarizing, retelling, paraphrasing stories or text material, and so on. Oral assessments should be conducted on an ongoing basis to monitor comprehension and thinking skills. When conducting interviews in English with students in the early stages of language development to determine English proficiency and content knowledge, teachers are advised to use visual cues as much as possible and allow for a minimal amount of English in the responses.
edutopia What does the effective implementation of project-based learning (PBL) look like within a school or across an entire system? There's no one right answer, according to superintendents and school leaders who have started down this path. Some leaders want to see wall-to-wall PBL, with students learning mainly through projects in every subject. Others set a more realistic goal, hoping to see students taking part in projects at least a few times during the school year. Whether the goal is for projects to happen occasionally or every day, in one building or across an entire school system, lasting results require thoughtful leadership. "Why PBL?" Before launching a major PBL initiative, school leaders need to consider a variety of factors, ranging from staff readiness for change to parent support for student-centered learning. Leaders can expand this conversation by asking: What would a successful implementation of PBL accomplish for students, teachers, and the broader community? Be Strategic