By: Sheri | In: PBL |
Four years ago I went to a 2-day PBL Academy workshop at TCEA and immediately saw the connection of using the PBL strategy to give students opportunities to integrate technology in their studies. After being immersed in PBL for the last four days at IMSA I understand even greater potential for students. PBL transforms students into active, self-directed learners solving real problems in the real world; communicating and exchanging ideas; using appropriate technology to access information, process ideas, and communicate results; collaborating and working as members of a team; and making connections of important information and ideas within learning areas–sounds like 21st century learning skills to me!
Even the PBL experts at IMSA will tell you that PBL does not and should not occur every day, week or even month in the curriculum, but it is a strategy that should be incorporated into every teacher’s toolkit. Teachers will learn to recognize a good problem scenerio (often discovered in current events) when it presents itself and he/she will hold onto the problem until the appropriate time in the curriculum’s scope and sequence to present it to the learners.
Can PBL and high stakes testing co-exist? I think so. I know districts will not abandon coverage of TAKS objectives, but if we can throw in a PBL unit several times a year to engage students in those 21st century learning skills, then now we are talking balance of coverage and depth in the curriculum.
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