*Project-based+Learning

What is it?

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 * ** Project-based learning ** is considered an alternative to paper-based, rote memorization, teacher-led classrooms. Proponents of project-based learning cite numerous benefits to the implementation of these strategies in the classroom including a greater depth of understanding of concepts, broader knowledge base, improved communication and interpersonal/social skills, enhanced leadership skills, increased creativity, and improved writing skills.
 * "Project-based learning is a comprehensive perspective focused on teaching by engaging students in investigation. Within this framework, students pursue solutions to nontrivial problems by asking and refining questions, debating ideas, making predictions, designing plans and/or experiments, collecting and analyzing data, drawing conclusions, communicating their ideas and findings to others, asking new questions, and creating artifacts."

Principles


 * John Dewey initially promoted the idea of "learning by doing." In // My Pedagogical Creed // (1897) Dewey enumerated his beliefs regarding education: "The teacher is not in the school to impose certain ideas or to form certain habits in the child, but is there as a member of the community to select the influences which shall affect the child and to assist him in properly responding to these.......I believe, therefore, in the so-called expressive or constructive activities as the centre of correlation."
 * " PBL integrates knowing and doing. Students learn knowledge and elements of the core curriculum, but also apply what they know to solve authentic problems and produce results that matter. PBL students take advantage of digital tools to produce high quality, collaborative products. PBL refocuses education on the student, not the curriculum--a shift mandated by the global world, which rewards intangible assets such as drive, passion, creativity, empathy, and resiliency. These cannot be taught out of a textbook, but must be activated through experience."
 * Project-based learning has been associated with the "situated learning" perspective of James G. Greeno (2006) and on the constructivist theories of Jean Piaget.

Teaching Ideas

Examine the students' learning styles before giving projects that will suit for them. Needs and likes to visualize things; learns through images; enjoys art and drawing; reads maps, charts and diagrams well; fascinated with machines and inventions; plays with Legos; likes mazes and puzzles. **Examples of motivating tasks to you include/but are not confined to the following:** Using board games and memory devices to create visual patterns. Visual elements in reading. Visualization of story and scenes at intervals, Writing via colored pens, computers, drawing, with multimedia tools. || **LANGUAGE-ORIENTED LEARNER** Thinks in words, verbalizes concepts; spins tales and jokes; spells words accurately and easily. Can be a good reader or prefer the spoken word more; has excellent memory for names, dates and trivia; likes word games; enjoys using tape recorders and often musically talented. **Examples of motivating tasks to you include/but are not confined to the following:** Creation of own word problems, stories, presenting aloud, putting together taped sessions for later playback, creating songs and poetry || Processes knowledge through physical sensations; highly active, not able to sit still long; communicates with body language and gestures. Shows you rather than tells you; needs to touch and feel world; good at mimicking others; likes scary amusement rides; naturally athletic and enjoys sports. **Examples of motivating tasks to you include/but are not confined to the following:** Any task involving physical action such as nature walks, gathering data, hands-on activities and experiments, art projects, or acting out stories. || **LOGICAL LEARNER** Thinks conceptually, likes to explore patterns and relationships; enjoys puzzles and seeing how things work; constantly questions and wonders; capable of highly abstract forms of logical thinking at early age; computes math problems quickly; enjoys strategy games, computers and experiments with purpose; creates own designs to build with blocks/Legos. **Examples of motivating tasks to you include/but are not confined to the following:** Performing science experiments, recording and analyzing results, Using computer learning games and word puzzles, Examining relation of story to real-life situations and people. **Project-based learning** is a comprehensive instructional approach to engage students in sustained, cooperative investigation (Bransford & Stein, 1993). Within its framework students collaborate, working together to make sense of what is going on. Project-based instruction differs from inquiry-based activity -- activity most of us have experienced during our own schooling -- by its emphasis on cooperative learning. Inquiry is traditionally thought of as an individually done, somewhat isolated activity. Additionally, project-based instruction differs from traditional inquiry by its emphasis on students' own artifact construction to represent what is being learned. Students pursue solutions to nontrivial problems by * asking and refining questions There are two essential components of projects: > 1. A driving question or problem that serves to organize and drive activities, which taken as a whole amount to a meaningful project > 2. Culminating product(s) or multiple representations as a series of artifacts, personal communication (Krajcik), or consequential task that meaningfully addresses the driving question. (Brown & Campione, 1994) || Resources: []
 * **SPATIAL /VISUAL LEARNER**
 * **KINETIC LEARNER**
 * debating ideas
 * making predictions
 * designing plans and/or experiments
 * collecting and analyzing data
 * drawing conclusions
 * communicating their ideas and findings to others
 * asking new questions
 * creating artifacts (Blumenfeld et al., 1991).

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