Should education be about building content masters or masters of learning?
When I had this question posed to me as an educator, I answered I wanted students to be masters of learning. When I think about my answer to this question from my perspective as a father, I want my children to be able to apply their learning to multiple areas in their lives that will help them be successful in pursuit of living a fulfilling life.
I believe our focuses need to change.
The Project-Based Learning (PBL) process asks students to engage in their learning through asking questions and making decisions to how best demonstrate their learning. The standards that are needing to be taught are embedded into the questions that are being presented. The students will take control with their interests and their abilities as creative problem-solvers in the way they go about answering the questions. This is a process and not something that happens in one class period or one week. The students then have time to develop their ideas based on their learning and understanding of the questions. The work is relevant to the student and the urgency of the learning will be established when identifying the authentic audience to present this information to.
The 21st century student needs skills that are transferable from place to place.
Project opportunities will be created to build empathy, be antiracist, develop sustainable systems and connect each other to the places we are living.
Critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration and being able to communicate ideas are skills that need to be developed to handle any scenario that presents itself at any moment.
Project-Based Learning presents students and educators with the opportunity to develop relationships beyond give and take. Something beyond the power dynamic of the "traditional" classroom. Something that done with intention, can be better for all learners.
Relevancy of learning is prioritized. Students will identify what they know and do not know and spend their time where they need to to be successful.
Authentic learning experiences are when the learning happens. Throughout this student driven process when a need develops for new knowledge the student should feel empowered to get that new information. Identifying resources and developing research skills the students are the masters of their learning and need to demonstrate their new learning to have the best possible product in the end.
My goal is to create masters of learning through the understanding that learning is a process that takes time and includes many levels of thinking.
Websites For Further Reading
PBL Works
When I had this question posed to me as an educator, I answered I wanted students to be masters of learning. When I think about my answer to this question from my perspective as a father, I want my children to be able to apply their learning to multiple areas in their lives that will help them be successful in pursuit of living a fulfilling life.
I believe our focuses need to change.
The Project-Based Learning (PBL) process asks students to engage in their learning through asking questions and making decisions to how best demonstrate their learning. The standards that are needing to be taught are embedded into the questions that are being presented. The students will take control with their interests and their abilities as creative problem-solvers in the way they go about answering the questions. This is a process and not something that happens in one class period or one week. The students then have time to develop their ideas based on their learning and understanding of the questions. The work is relevant to the student and the urgency of the learning will be established when identifying the authentic audience to present this information to.
The 21st century student needs skills that are transferable from place to place.
Project opportunities will be created to build empathy, be antiracist, develop sustainable systems and connect each other to the places we are living.
Critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration and being able to communicate ideas are skills that need to be developed to handle any scenario that presents itself at any moment.
Project-Based Learning presents students and educators with the opportunity to develop relationships beyond give and take. Something beyond the power dynamic of the "traditional" classroom. Something that done with intention, can be better for all learners.
Relevancy of learning is prioritized. Students will identify what they know and do not know and spend their time where they need to to be successful.
Authentic learning experiences are when the learning happens. Throughout this student driven process when a need develops for new knowledge the student should feel empowered to get that new information. Identifying resources and developing research skills the students are the masters of their learning and need to demonstrate their new learning to have the best possible product in the end.
My goal is to create masters of learning through the understanding that learning is a process that takes time and includes many levels of thinking.
Websites For Further Reading
PBL Works