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FAQ: To Help or Not to Help in the PBL Classroom

3/12/2014

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From time to time, we receive questions about Project/Problem Based Learning implementation as teachers take their first tentative steps into a project, or even as this teacher has, gone full-time PBL in all of her classes! Kudos to this bold educator!

Question:
Is there an advantage or is it appropriate in PBL for me to research and share info?  One of the students and I were talking about the Olympic flame and whether it “never goes out.”  Neither of us had the definite answer but it was a topic that I wanted answered for myself but the answer was not vital to the project.  My inclination is that I should research and share – to model enthusiasm for learning.  Or is that something I should just have encouraged her to research and keep the info to myself?

I’m not sure that I’m understanding PBL as well as I thought.


Answer:
There are many flavors to PBL, so I always default to enthusiasm and Learning. So if you feel that you need to dig in and work alongside a kid, do it! I have. A lot. Doing so role models curiosity and, as you said, enthusiasm. Tell her you don’t know and that you’re going to look stuff up, too, and you’re looking forward to hearing what she has found.

If, once you get your heads back together, she has brought info back from your independent searches, you can feel confident to share the info you found freely, comparing notes, and giving TONS of high-fives and love. Such an awesome scenario!Be sure to have her share her info before you share yours. This will give you some options in case she hasn’t brought any research back.
If she has found nothing and you’re guessing it was perhaps due to a lack of effort, then you can tell her that you’ve buried a lie or untruth in your information and she needs to find that lie or risk putting out some bad info.  Plan the lie in advance in case you might need it.Or instead of a lie, or if you think that she has put effort in and simply wasn’t able to find the right places to look, drop her some good links to look at–ones that you know have the answers. Or hand her a book with a few encouraging words.In this way, she can still have success through her own effort and you’re still  providing high-quality, student-centered learning by scaffolding and role modeling growth!


A mantra of mine comes from Dr. Sylvia Rimm:
"The surest path to high self-esteem is to be successful at something one perceived would be difficult. Each time we steal a student’s struggle, we rob them of an opportunity to build higher self-esteem. Students must experience success with difficult tasks to feel capable and competent."

The takeaway:
Kids who aren’t experienced being learners sometimes need a little extra love and support figuring out how to shift away from the role of Student (being told what-to, when-to, how-to) to the role of Learner (knowing how to suss out answers). And some kids who are great learners, but who have hit a sticking point in their work, might just need a little help getting unstuck.

Knowing how to balance it all is the (he)art of teaching.
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Q: How do I get started?

12/8/2011

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Ain't nuthin' to it but to do it! 

Ok, that's not entirely true. We suggest you read over these FAQ's, read over the rest of this website, look at the sample cards, buy some of the cards, hire us to come visit you (or come to a learning studio here), use Google search liberally, read the Edutopia articles on PBL, check out the Buck Institute website. 

Yep. That will get you started.


Honestly, the work is in the planning. Sure, you're busy as a bee once the project starts too, but the planning is what makes it happen. To get started, you need to know... 
  • your standards, 
  • your timeline for implementation, 
  • who your experts might be, 
  • what content and what skills you want your students to learn/experience, 
  • how you'll be grouping the students,
  • what the students will be producing,
  • how you will be assessing their learning,
  • which experts might be helpful as resources,
  • what you will be "hooking" the kids with in your driving questions/challenge,
  • that the parents and admin know what you're doing. Or at least know you're doing something different than traditional schooling.

Yep, that's a lot of stuff. PBL isn't for the weak of heart and they never taught us how to do this in our preservice classes.  

No kidding. Contact us for more information if you would like some help. You don't want to start off on the wrong foot. 

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Q: What's the difference between PBL and “doing projects”?

12/8/2011

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Sometimes we'll meet educators or parents who think that because their child is bringing projects home that they're doing PBL in their classes.  This may not necessarily be true. 

Projects are usually presented in the following fashion:
Students learn specific material by reading, finishing study guides, quizzes, or any number of approaches. At the culmination of their learning, they then select, or are assigned, a product or deliverable that they create to show what they learned. This deliverable could be a diorama, a speech, a newspaper, a video, or any number of wonderful things. 


Project Based Learning is different because instead of learning and then doing, the students learn by doing.

Project Based Learning work is usually presented in the following fashion:
A teacher provides a challenge or scenario for the students to "hook" into. The challenge or scenario is presented in such a way that the student feels compelled to learn more about the topic. The students then set themselves to work to meet the challenge or solve the scenario, but must learn things in order to complete the challenge/scenario. For instance, a group might be challenged to create a Viking Ship museum display. As they set about creating that display, they find that they have to learn about the Vikings in order to create an accurate display. 
Projects are learning and then doing, while Project Based Learning is learning by doing.
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Q: What’s the difference between Problem- and Project- Based Learning?

12/8/2011

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This is a wonderful question. The debate rages hotly among educators and PBL-advocates, so when you feel that my explanation doesn't suffice, please do comment and leave your own ideas as well. 

Problem Based Learning is a way of learning that stresses a real-world scenario or challenge for the learner that may or may not have a solid solution at this time. Learners are presented with a problem to solve or a challenge to meet. Often educators find this PBL more challenging to implement because the ending isn't set with right/wrong. Sometimes the Problem can be so complex that it take a lot of time to solve and it may never be completely solved. The very nature of Problem Based Learning is that they're a problem that relates to real life, asking the students to think, research, plan, and solve.


Project Based Learning often seems a little more traditional-school minded than Problem Based Learning. The project may be centered around content or standards, rather than a challenge or a question, where students demonstrate mastery of a particular knowledge base. While the Project may still be presented as a problem or a challenge, it usually it has a distinct right or wrong response.  Students can find this type of learning  to be "neater" and less ambiguous at the closing of the project.

Both types of learning still focus authentic learning, collaboration, time management, and project management skills. And some educators use the terms interchangeably. 
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Q: Can PBL occur in all content areas?

12/8/2011

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As far as we know it can. We can't think of any learning that can be done that can't be applied to real world scenarios, challenges, or simulations.

If anyone finds a traditional content area that can NOT be supported with Project/Problem Based Learning, please do comment to let us know! We'll take that challenge on! 
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Q: Is PBL always done in a group based project?

12/8/2011

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Frequently, we see Project or Problem-Based Learning implemented in a group setting, where students are learning how to collaborate and work together. But it doesn't have to be that way. 

While we feel that it is important to purposefully group students in ways that will help promote community, collaboration, and learning in our classes (an art in itself, some days), some projects lend themselves to individual work by individual students. A student in high school who is working on a career interest may find himself working alone on the project as he collaborates with other mentors beyond the school walls. At other times, perhaps a particular student in elementary or middle school would be best served working individually. 

As we look at individual student needs and at individual learning goals, teachers will make the best determination for their own learners. 
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    Frequently in workshops and conferences, we get asked questions that are great and deserve to be answered. 

    We've decided to compile some of those Frequently Asked Questions here to help those educators who'd like to learn more about PBL. 

    If you have a question we've not answered, please do contact us to ask your question. You may find the answer here soon!  

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