As I read the article "Navigating the Intricacies of PBL..." I found myself saying "YES" I agree, PBL is the way to go. I moved to a school that is PBL, I believe that students can learn better through PBL, this class is going to help me!
But I am struggling, so I kept reading trying to figure out where I can improve. Then I read, differentiation is both an art and a science. OH NO!!!! I am not good at art or science. (Maybe I can blame my struggles on this! Not really but a thought.)
I am trying to figure out where I go and how to get there. I know that I need to re consider how I do my groups. I did create them prior to any sort of testing so that wasn't my focus, although I have normally started with MAP results but this never stayed throughout the year.
So where do I go? I can honestly say that I am feeling overwhelmed this year. I changed schools and even though I stayed in the same grade level my standards have changed so I'm trying to navigate through those and through trying to come up with projects. I honestly do feel that my lack of creativity is a hindrance here. So, anyone with ideas on projects for 7th grade math or Algebra would be welcome.
How do you create a math project when you have always focused on the rules as a student? There has to be a way I can take a baby step to gain the confidence in me to do this. There must be a project already out there that I can pull to start and then start to improve on but how do I find it/them? I can't give up on myself before I start or I cannot do this with the kids who will also want to give up before they start. So here I am trying to figure out how to improve what I do to help my students. This is why I chose to teach, to make a difference in a child's life.
If you're looking for ideas--check out the Buck Institute: http://bie.org I don't know if that link works, but it's got tons of resources and there is a way to look up past projects that have been uploaded into their system. When we were looking for a project to do this summer, we combined a few ideas that were "grade level appropriate" and created our own that went along with our standards. You can create a free account and access a lot of neat articles.
ReplyDeleteJust remember--it's not going to happen overnight! You were right in that it takes baby steps. I've been at Monarch for 3 years and I still question everything I'm doing some days. It's not a matter of "doing" but of "being" and surrounding yourself with like-minded people, reading the literature on PBL, gaining insight from those who can also share their fails will help so much more in the long run!
Sara Beth -
ReplyDeleteThank you for your authenticity and transparency. I encourage you to start small and try not to overwhelm yourself. As a middle school math teacher, I sought to implement differentiated grouping through 4 simple groups: small group with the teacher, try it out or concept extension group, technology group, and project group. My groups were not super sophisticated but as I grew in my understanding and as my students understood my expectations we were able to do more.
In middle school math, a PBL may look more like Problem Based Learning. Since Problem Based Learning is also an approach to inquiry, this is definitely accepted as well. Give the students a problem that is a little difficult for them to solve at first glance. Have them observe or notice what they see within the problem. See if they can come up with possible considerations for how to solve the problem. What do they already know, what things do they not know. This is a perfect opportunity to bring in self reflection as they think on their thinking. As you spend time with the concepts, continue to present the problem to them. Encourage them to extend or further their existing understanding of how to solve the problem. This process will not only teach soft skills such as critical thinking and perseverance, it will also encourage and motivate your students to track and observe the progress of their own learning.
Thanks for your feedback, I think the biggest problem will be getting them to self reflect. I always have a hard time mandating the length of a reflection but have noticed with my current project that students want to give very little. I like the limit of at least a paragraph that you gave us today and will try to do that with my classes.
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