What issues are specific
|
1. Changing Classroom CultureEveryone needs to buy-in to make project based learning a reality, but it doesn't have to happen all at once.
Teachers need to prepare to loosen control over their students. The classes can become a bit chaotic when the students take the reins, and teachers have to find a new balance in their classrooms. This won't be the same for everyone. In my case, if my kids are on task and they are not disrupting other learners in the school, I am fine with them talking, dancing, moving, listening to music and working without me. Food for Thought: Students need to learn to collaborate and self-manage. I teach in a country where authoritarian styles of parenting are the norm. My students come into every school year after a summer of doing as they are told, so it is an absolute culture shock for them when I (gasp) put the responsibility of learning in their hands. Some kids will take every opportunity to slack off, leaving other kids the burden of the work. It is on the teacher to determine how to attack learner attitudes and set up safe, supportive systems to help kids through the transition of being passive learners to active architects of their own learning. Authentically empowering learners means scaffolding the decentralization of power away from the teacher.
2. Creating that driving question
3. Finding the TimeMany educators recognize the value of student-centered learning, but feel the pinch when considering replicating those learning environments with limited instructional time and resources. Time is a treasured commodity, and many teachers have gotten used to slicing their classes piece by piece into warm-ups, activities, instructional time, etc.
Devoting large chunks of class time to student-led project time can feel like a waste, especially during the set-up of the project. I used to stress-watch my students walk around the classroom chatting to one another, when I had explicitly told them that this was their dedicated project time. I marveled at how long it took them to do what I thought was a simple task. They were flexing their newfound freedom, and I was freaking out. What resolved this issue was to spend a dedicated amount of time reviewing classroom agreements and daily goals for each of the students. I set up checkpoints to break up large blocks of work time. Miraculously, this seemed to make a difference. Slowly, my students grew into their new roles as the determiners of their own learning. They couldn't wait for their project time. They got faster, more efficient. My time was freed up to address individual needs. Project time ended up meaning freedom for me as well. 4. Taking the LeapSetting up and planning for Project Based Learning can be a large gamble, especially for teachers learning as they go, and the prospect of failure or low return on their investment is a commonly cited deterrent for many people.
Seeing the move towards Project Based Learning as a longterm process, not a changeover, can help release the pressure on teachers. Outlining a developmental plan with milestones can clarify realistic adoption goals. Providing administrative and colleague support can make all of the difference between ultimate success or failure. |