Last week I started a class about Project Based Learning. I had actually never heard that term before, but had an idea since I've been around teaching for awhile now. The first week was really difficult. I felt so stressed out at the end of every day that I thought I was going to explode by Friday. Throughout the week and over the weekend I tried to evaluate why the class was so stressful for me so that I could handle it better. This is a two week, three hour a day course, so there isn't much time for decompressing between classes. I think the stressful part of the class for me has been twofold - not having a good outline of what I am expected to learn, and navigating interpersonal relationships when I am also dealing with a lot of interpersonal relationship issues at home every evening as well.
I find that I need time to organize information in my mind and I need to get a general outline of what I am expected to do so that I can work efficiently. I do well with having work modeled or having examples so I can get a good idea of the big picture. I don't do well when I have to work blind because it doesn't have any real meaning for me.
What I have realized is that I need to make sure I give my students lots of modeling before I expect them to do a project.
Wearables and beyond
-
I can't remember the first time I heard the word computer. I do remember
my grandfather, who read Popular Science, my dad read Popular Mechanics, I
loved ...
These are great things to realize about what your own learning needs are. What have you come to realize about the process of place-based/project-based learning experiences for students? Modeling is fine but what if they choose something you can't model for them? If your experiences are truly student-centered always giving an example is going to lock down what they can produce (to a certain extent).
ReplyDelete