Project Based Learning Idea Search
To say that the amount of material available regarding PBL is overwhelming would be an understatement. Individuals have put an unbelievable amount of work into developing their projects and thankfully have been willing to share them. I was able to find many projects that interested me and would fit into the curriculum that the various grade levels currently teach at my school.
There were many project based learning sites and projects that I found that contained similar ideas to what I plan on developing in my PBL. I've listed some of my favorites here with a brief description of what their content. Eco-Friendly Landscaping Project is a high school level project in which students teamed up with a company called WestEd in order to help them create environmentally friendly landscaping. PBL Learning Science Lesson Plans is on the HubPages site and is a great site that has a variety of PBL science projects, neatly organized by the branches of science. Schoolyard Habitat Project is an example of a project that I was able to locate on the HubPages site and is the PBL that I am going to use as a guide for my PBL. A Home for Everyone is a PBL in which the students explore living things in their local environment. Ideas from each of the above projects will assist me in developing my own project.
PBL would fit perfectly into my teaching style as I am a very visual and hands-on learner and teacher. I'm hoping that as the Tech Integrator I can inspire other teachers to share in my excitement and co-develop and teach some PBL projects. With all the curricular demands placed on classroom teachers, anything "extra" is very often avoided, understandably. My goal will be to target a couple of teachers who I know are comfortable trying new ideas and begin there. I really liked the article, "Why PBL Hasn't Gone Mainstream (And What We Can Do About It)" which highlights four ideas to help bring PBL into mainstream education. (2) These ideas include:
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Nottingham School's nature and cross country trail used to have all of the flora clearly marked so that walkers could explore and learn about the various native plants along the way. Over the years, the signs have disappeared. In NH, 3rd graders study the town's history and plant science and 4th grade studies state history. As either a combined 3-4 project or a 3rd grade project (I haven't figured out exactly how that will work yet.), the students will work to beautify the trail, identify the plants, and recreate the plant species labels along the trail. My initial thought is that the 3rd grade will do the initial identifying and marking and the 4th grade, in conjunction with their art curriculum, create the trail markers and the maps. This project would involve integrating science, mapping, technology, engineering and art.
PBL would fit perfectly into my teaching style as I am a very visual and hands-on learner and teacher. I'm hoping that as the Tech Integrator I can inspire other teachers to share in my excitement and co-develop and teach some PBL projects. With all the curricular demands placed on classroom teachers, anything "extra" is very often avoided, understandably. My goal will be to target a couple of teachers who I know are comfortable trying new ideas and begin there. I really liked the article, "Why PBL Hasn't Gone Mainstream (And What We Can Do About It)" which highlights four ideas to help bring PBL into mainstream education. (2) These ideas include:
- More efficient ways to introduce PBLs.
- Establishing PBL communities for idea sharing.
- Schools "creating that environment, providing a roadmap, and nurturing the PBL experience" (2)
- The adoption of 21st century tools in teaching.
Beginning Ideas For My PBL - Backyard Nature
(1)
Work cited:
2. (2016). Why Project Based Learning Hasn't Gone Mainstream (And ... - EdSurge. Retrieved May 16, 2016, from https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-04-23-why-project-based-learning-hasn-t-gone-mainstream-and-what-we-can-do-about-it.
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