Chapter 3 was an inspiring chapter to read. Shanna, Jodie, David and Jamien were all very different students but the common thread of having a supportive home environment was evident. All students were encouraged to find their play and passion. Sometimes I think that today's student does not know the true meaning of passion. Many are so caught up in texting, social media, video games and many have to take on far more serious roles in their family than any "child" ever should have to. Due to all these distractions, many do not know what true passion and play is. We don't have recess at my current school, but I always take my kids out for five minutes on the way back from lunch. I remember the first day I did that, my students looked at me and asked what they were supposed to do during that time. When I responded "play, be social, talk to eachother" it took them a few times outside to figure it out. We now have a young man who brings a football and many of the boys have a football toss competition and they love to see who throws it the farthest that day. It is nice for me to see them actually having fun and relaxing. I've also noticed that I have fewer disciplinary issues in that dreaded lunch block and that they continue to stay more focused after lunch instead of going into the comatose state that I've had in class before. :)
This whole chapter really focused on the "why" of PBL for me. I didn't necessarily need the why because I drank the kool aid a long time ago. I truly believe in the value of this model and the benefits that it brings to our students. However, to hear Shanna say "I'm not just impacting the digital world, I'm impacting the real world: how to design buildings and factories that are sustainable, efficient, with less waste and huge cost savings " really showed the why. Such an important part of this model is for the students to solve a real life problem and then present it to a larger audience. It gives them the "why" which is so needed and so often does not happen in education. In a educational world where standardized tests drive absolutely everything from placement in classes to where and if a student will go to college, it is nice for them to see the bigger picture.
Shanna was extremely fortunate that she had such supportive people around her. I loved how her parents never told her that she couldn't make a living with her art. I can't tell you how many times I have a had a parent say to me "My child doesn't need chorus, they aren't going make their living singing." It breaks my heart! My own family, who was incredibly supportive of me and being an arts student growing up told me "No, you can't have piano lessons. You already have five other types of lessons that you are taking and you aren't going to play the piano for a living." They swear to this day that I subconsciously became a music teacher just because of that comment. :) The arts can lead to openings that student's never dreamed of. I was so happy to see the authors focus on a student that had chosen Art as their path and what it then led to.
Jodie's experiences were also quite interesting. To read that she at first didn't want to go to a Magnet High School, she instead wanted to go to the public high school that her friends were going to was unique. The other students that we have read about in the book so far have been very self motivated. It was nice to see that a student didn't always have that dream of going to the best school in the district, she was just as happy to remain at her high school with her friends. Her father handled it very matter of fact by saying "If you don't like it, you can always go back." No force, no fight, no drama. The ball was in Jodie's court and she soon learned she loved designing projects and Science which eventually led her to MIT. I loved her comment on pg. 162 when discussing the philosophy of D Lab "Too often students don't get meaningful feedback on their work." I know this is something that I have struggled with as a teacher. When I see a student has worked really hard on a project or on a musical piece that they have prepared, I know its very personal for them. I have in the past had a hard time giving meaningful feedback for fear that I would crush them. It was refreshing to hear that students really crave that feedback from us.
David was also very interesting to read about because he did not seem to be the typical high achievement student that was grade driven. This was a fact that I think his father is still trying to accept. It was refreshing to see that he thought "There needs to be more classes that matter to the world-courses that will translate into businesses, into social action" pg. 184. He wanted to take classes that he wanted to take, to learn skills that he wanted to learn instead of silly classes that don't matter. I think we all can identify with that as I know throughout my educational career, I have definitely wondered how the class I was in at that time was going to help me become a better educator. So often in education, we become a machine culture and expect students to do the same things they have always done simply because it worked. I know that during my high school career I would very often get out of my science classes and was able to go to the band room during that period. The band room was my reality. I knew that was going to help me succeed, whereas I wasn't sure how chemistry was going to benefit later. Though I realize that we all need certain classes to get a holistic education, I also greatly feel that education needs to be more of an "ala carte" approach in order to truly benefit students.
Jamien reminded me of so many students that I have taught. I loved the fact that he fell in love with a pair of shoes and that was what his driving force became about. Jamien was encouraged by his mother to follow that passion. Many parents may have said "Stop focusing so much on shoes" but his mother saw that this was truly his passion and encouraged him to follow it so that it became his career. It made me sad that at the University Level he wasn't encouraged to follow that passion and that he felt that at times his professors wanted him to fail. What an awful feeling that must be for a student to have! That one section has made me think of interactions that I have with students as I don't ever want one to feel that I want them to purposely fail! That is the polar opposite of what we do as educators.
I appreciate how you related the chapter to your students. I also agree, as an educator, it is almost against our nature to watch our students fail. As a parent, it is even harder to watch your child fail. I keep reminding myself that fail stands for "first attempt in learning." It doesn't make the process any less painful for my students, children, or myself; but my goal is more long-term. I want them to be persistent, well-spoken, and inquisitive. This chapter really did an excellent job of answering the question of why PBL should be a part of our curriculum. I believe reading the success stories about these students confirms the skills students acquire as they progress with PBL.
ReplyDeleteLiza - you have provided a very thorough account of each case study in chapter 3. I appreciate that you have worked to pull out those significant "ah ha's" or take aways that you can apply to your daily interactions with students. I also appreciate that you were willing to share your own story...one that defied the "logical" to pursue your passion. This is a great message for you as you communicate to students who may face the same challenges. I also appreciate that you take your students outside for a few minutes each day. I can understand why they were so uncomfortable with themselves on those first days...unfortunately, unstructured time is not the norm. I am grateful that your administration supports you in this effort.
ReplyDeleteYou have made a lot of great points. One I want to specific mention is the one regarding feedback. Feedback is so very important. It is to us, as adults, and it is to our students. This feedback must be personal, timely, and specific. I also believe it is important for us to remember to praise the process and not the outcome. If we remember to praise the process, we can work to promote a growth mindset among our students. Praising the product will produce more of a fixed mindset...one that says, 1) I do not need this because I'm smart enough or 2) I'll never be able to do this so why try. If it important that we help out students continue to push further, even if they typically experience success. Providing timely, personal, and specific feedback communicates value and care to our students. This is an area we all can work to improve upon.
Wow! What a thorough analysis of the entire chapter! You are very insightful as to how this chapter impacts you and your teaching! I was very excited to hear how you take your students out to recess for a few minutes each day! Play is so important for all of us because it helps us release stress and renew our energy! From your writing, you seem to care a great deal about what you do!
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