This past year I've become convinced of the merits of project-based learning (PBL) but, if I'm honest, it makes me really uncomfortable. Spending 3 or 4 weeks on a project that covers all the objectives I need my students to learn is a bit daunting. What if I have a student who just doesn't do it? What if after 2 weeks I realize the project is a flop? What if... what if...what if? There comes a point to where I'm just going to have to actually do it.
In reality, it's probably not that much different from teaching the Core Plus Math Project CPMP) all those years ago or using rich problems and situations to teach a concept (those are about 2 or 3 days). There is a difference though. Inquiry from a situation still has quite a bit of built-in scaffolding and classroom conversations to formalize the content; I still have control. Maybe that's the reason project-based learning is so scary to me--I have to let go and trust the students to stay on task and learn what they need to learn.
This summer, several of us from #MichEd are trying to develop PBL lessons together at MichEdMath.weebly.com. We'll see how it goes.
In reality, it's probably not that much different from teaching the Core Plus Math Project CPMP) all those years ago or using rich problems and situations to teach a concept (those are about 2 or 3 days). There is a difference though. Inquiry from a situation still has quite a bit of built-in scaffolding and classroom conversations to formalize the content; I still have control. Maybe that's the reason project-based learning is so scary to me--I have to let go and trust the students to stay on task and learn what they need to learn.
This summer, several of us from #MichEd are trying to develop PBL lessons together at MichEdMath.weebly.com. We'll see how it goes.
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