One of the things I'm most excited about this school year is a change I'm making to my humanities class. I have been very traditional in my approach to this class the past two years I've taught it: students have completed a vocabulary assignment; I went through a slide show presentation, and students took notes. At the end of each chapter students would take a test, and then they would participate in some kind of creative project.
That ends this year. I will still be going through the chapter via slideshow presentation, and students will still complete the test, but the learning and discovery will be student-centered this year! I'm implementing a new instructional method called Project-Based Learning, or PBL. Sounds like a sandwich, huh?
The plan is for students to keep notes about the topics or ideas that they find interesting in each chapter. Students will then team up with peers of like-interest, and they will do research to learn even more about this topic. After completing their research, students will create a product to demonstrate their learning. This product could be a paper, slideshow presentation, oral presentation, piece of artwork or architecture, or anything at all that relates to their topic. The possibilities are endless.
I will be there to guide students through their research, help them set goals and due dates, and require accountability throughout the process. I just can't wait to see what these kids can do!
If you'd like to learn more about PBL, please visit the links below:
Project-Based Learning for the 21st Century
What is PBL?
More About PBL
