First there are some potential pitfalls in a project design:
The project could be too short
The project could not encompass the specific standards of what is to be taught this year
The project could take up too much day to day time, and not leave enough room for other subjects and specific instruction
The project could be something that cannot be completed in a year
The project could be hard to assess at the end of the year, and hard to assess from a weekly or day to day standpoint
The students could not be interested in the project
In order for project based learning to be successful you need to have a good project. All good projects share some similar characteristics, and these characteristics are:
The project is something the students are interested in
The project is something the students have to be creative in and create solutions to different problems in the project. The project teaches flexibility
The project can be assessed in multiple ways, and there is day to day assessment and yearly assessment
The project can be worked on everyday while it does not interfere with the other instruction in the classroom
I think that some of the best ideas for a good project will come from the students. As a teacher it is important to get to know each student in the classroom and learn about what those students interests are, and from those interests a good project will come.
This relates to our topic because I can now see how I could use a particular student or a group of students interest in health and exercise or sports, could lead to a project in fitness.
Hi Adam,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your statement that "the best ideas for a good project will come from the students." When the students come up with their own questions, they come up with ones that they are interested in. This makes them meaningful, and like us, when things are meaningful, interest and ambition increase greatly. This can be a challenge sometimes to align with the curriculum, but it is completely possible as long as we continue to think outside the box! :)
Nice job!
-Sabrina
I totally agree with you on the importance of getting to know your students. When we know what they are interested in, we can develop lessons that they will WANT to do. When students are engaged in a task, they learn so much more in the process and that also curbs behavior issues in the classroom.
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