Wednesday, July 28, 2010
GAME PLAN Week Five
This is week five of our GAME PLAN. As we continue to work on our plans, I am struggling to make sense of problem-based learning and how I can apply it to my content. If I am understanding it correctly, PBL is addressing complex problems and working in small groups to negotiate solutions in a collaborative manner. It also seems to me that PBL is geared mainly to math, science, or community issues. My problem is coming up with a complex problem for the students to solve. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
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Lynn
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, as it does seem that PBL is based more towards math and science. As I was thinking about a PBL activity for my classroom, I just began thinking about actual questions that students may have when going certain subjects. The question(s) can then be proposed in a problem based format, and the students ultimately have to determine an answer based on their research. For example, when discussing pyramids, one question always is, "how were pyramids built?" Since there a multiple theories on it, I turned it into a PBL activity via a webquest. Hopefully, you can take a lesson you have a "spin it" similar to this.
Hi Lynn,
ReplyDeleteIt is difficult to narrow down the "problem" that you want the students to work on but I think PBL can be applied to any content area. I don't think the "problem" has to be a huge project it can be anything you ask your students to research, learn and present a product of some type at the end. Good luck.
Lynn,
ReplyDeleteI agree with the previous post! It is difficult to narrow down a "problem" for the students to research. However, it is just that - a problem for them to research. It doesn't have to be huge or it could be so huge that even experts don't have a solution. Just something that gets their brains spinning. Something they can research and present! Good Luck!
Lynn,
ReplyDeleteI do not know very much about sign language, teaching it, or the struggles a deaf person would have in this world so I do not know of any lesson plans I could suggest that would fit your needs. However, I believe that with PBL I will have to agree with the posts of Ray, Laura and Megan in that PBL does not have to be a time consuming project the students work on for weeks at a time. You just need to find a way to relate your content to a problem your students would have. There does not have to be a right or wrong answer, the idea is that the students have to utilize resources, including each other, to find a sensible solution and then present their findings. When you break your students into groups, each group could be working on a different part of the same problem, or entirely different problems. The role of the teacher shifts from the “all knowing expert” to one of a facilitator and guide. You are still the expert but you do not “tell” the students the answer, you guide them toward discovering it themselves. I hope this helps you, good luck in the coming year.
Max Mills
Ray, Laura, Megan, and Max,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for all your input. Ray, I would enjoy working on your lesson with the pyramids!
Lynn,
ReplyDeleteI found it very difficult to get an appropriate/acceptable idea for a PBL. I feel that math is especially difficult, but I'm certain that other teachers are having just as much difficulty. I did find that after I began to think within the certain perspective that I began to sprout ideas. Perhaps it is just a good thing that we are being challenged to think this way in order to change our entire teaching perspective.