PBL instruction and assessment

In discussing the class project with our small groups in class last Thursday provided a few insights into narrowing down my efforts.  Each of us shared our thoughts on what instruction we might provide all of us with the intention of what instruction to provide.  As I think about assessing what I want the students to learn it occurs to me that part of a PBL assignment is that the teacher can't necessarily pinpoint everything that the student will learn.  General categories, such as content, use of certain technology, and interactive components can be had, but the great gift of a PBL assignment is that the student who really gets into his or her assignment can take the project where they want to and many respects this will be the toughest one to assess in a meaningful and fair manner.

Provided that their are time constraints on what my students can accomplish in class and technology restraints on what they can accomplish out of class, I find myself trying to find a way to insert a PBL assignment into just one of my classes, and more than likely, one of the advanced classes.  I say this, not because it is good practice, but a lingering reality.  We discuss these issues and read research declaring PBL's exceptional tools for all students, but the underlying reality is one of coordinating the project with the classroom realities of modified lessons and unmotivated students.  What happens when the "driving question" that is supposed to motivate the students into action doesn't motivate them into action?  

I hope I don't sound too cynical regarding PBL instruction, but more or less timid to use what I think is probably a great learning method.

PBL instruction

     The PBL articles provide a good basis for teachers to get their own project based learning pedagogy off the ground.  The McGrath article provides examples from a variety of k-12 classrooms for instructors to gain insights into the possibilities that pbl instruction can offer.  Simple projects in some cases (the cola carrier example comes to mind) but effective in promoting student thinking, discussion, and collaboration regarding real world issues that also promote standard based instruction.
     I have utilized some pbl based instruction in my own classroom, but perhaps not as regularly or as formally as is recommended.  I agree with some of the discussion I have read regarding pbl assignments, that students need to be presented with the full guidelines and rubric prior to setting off on solving the problem at hand.  This front end preparation can help avoid much of the difficulties that can otherwise be encountered in collaborative work.
     Getting creative in producing a quality PBL is probably the biggest challenge most of us face.  Creative, not only in producing a quality topic, but also in creating guidelines that are easy to understand while allowing students the freedom they need to explore the topic in a meaningful and interactive manner.  The examples were helpful in that they let you know the project doesn't have to be too complicated.  It caused me to look for more examples on line (http://www.mrsoshouse.com/pbl/pblin.html).

“Too often we give children answers to remember rather than problems to solve.” Roger Lewin

LoTi- cool tools - and such

We were able to explore several tools during Thursday's class.  As always, a wide variety of resources was introduced to the class.  I enjoyed learning about QR barcodes.  I have, of course, seen these around but was not aware of their potency.  I downloaded a QR scanner to my smart phone to play around with it a little.  It was thought provoking to see the many uses applied to QR codes in the classroom.  It is fun to consider the implications a development such as this might have.

To provide some measurement of technology implementation in the classroom, we underwent a LoTi survey to determine the level at which we do so.  My personal score was a 4, however, I realize that this may be more reflective of my best efforts to implement technology rather than the day to day availability.  Having discussed the scores in groups, I feel confident in saying that many of us in education, especially in the upper grades, find our limited time to be a major challenge.  Having a regimented plan when utilizing technology is essential to getting the most from these resources.

I am working on getting my project up and going, but only have a vague idea at this point what I might be doing.  Some of the examples I have looked are well done and I hope to provide a project that will be useful to myself as well as other educators.

Project Ideas/LoTi

I have been looking for project ideas at a very slow rate up to now.  I am leaning toward a webinar type of interaction, but mainly because I feel like it would be the easiest type of module to impose through a webpage.  I have come across a great web resource in http://www.econedlink.org/ .  It seems to have an activity for most every stands, accessible and without monetary cost.

I am not too concerned about providing a video on the webpage, so I hope I am interpreting the assignment correctly.  My idea would be to put an instructional video related to the topic somehow.

Here is a sample webinar from the econedlink site:  http://www.econedlink.org/lessons/index.php?lid=1011&type=educator

Overview of lesson:  This lesson examines the May 6, 2011, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, announcement of employment data and the unemployment rate for the month of April, 2011. This lesson introduces the basic concepts of the BLS employment and unemployment data. The meaning and importance of the data are discussed. Assessment exercises are included for reinforcing knowledge of the concepts.

KEY CONCEPTS

Business Cycles, Labor Force, Labor Market, Macroeconomic Indicators, Unemployment, Unemployment Rate

STUDENTS WILL

• Review the most recently reported U.S. employment and unemployment data.
• Determine the changes in U.S. employment and unemployment from the past month and year.
• Determine the factors that have influenced the change in the U.S. unemployment rate.
• Explain the implications of the employment and unemployment data for individuals, population groups, and the U.S. economy.