Can you remember the last time you had a real “ah-ha!”
moment? I had one of those moments a little over a month ago. I was at a
training session for coaches and administrators where we were discussing
strategies for how to best coach teachers, specifically Math instructors, in
PBL. As we moved through each day of the training the attendees became
increasingly aware of their own comfort and discomfort levels with PBL. At one point
a participant shared how she realized there were two areas of content knowledge
she needed to learn and understand: one was a Math content knowledge, and the
second was a PBL content knowledge. To me this was a profound statement. I
thought to myself, “YES! This woman is really onto something here. This is a
way for me to explain what it means to implement PBL in a classroom.”
In much of my experience I’ve heard PBL described as an
educational model, a philosophy, or a process for learning. It’s also been
likened to a vehicle in which we drive instruction. I think these are true
descriptions, but to hear this person identify PBL as its own content knowledge
really clicked with me for a few reasons. First off I believe PBL, while
becoming increasingly popular, is still severely misunderstood. Over the years
as I have coached teachers and been coached myself I’ve come across some common
approaches to PBL that have lead to its lack of success in a school or
classroom. If we address PBL as a “content” area it sheds light on why these
approaches don’t work. Let’s look at a few I’ve encountered and likewise named:
1.
The “Add-on” approach: One of the most common approaches
to PBL I’ve come across is treating it like an additional educational
initiative teachers need to add on to what is already occurring in their
classrooms. This approach leads teachers to feel overwhelmed and under
pressure. They believe that in their already full schedules there isn’t enough
time for an additional initiative such as PBL. On top of getting in all of
their standards, testing, and the other school initiatives, teachers are left
feeling as if PBL is one more item on a checklist they must complete out of
compliance. In many cases, the school or
district presents PBL in a manner that leads teachers to believe this. Instead
of it being a “grass-roots” movement, it is laid out as the plan of attack or
the educational platform to accomplish district/school goals. In this case,
teachers aren’t having the chance to “buy-in”; they’ve been told that they already
bought it. When it’s considered an “add-on” PBL loses its power to drive
instruction and change education. If you
find yourself in this place, here are some next steps:
a.
Reframe your mindset on PBL. Check out this
blog: Five
Myths of Project-Based Learning Dissected and Debunked Look at what you are
already doing in your curriculum/class/district and search for natural
connections to PBL. You’ll probably find that it is a solid fit.
b.
Work with your administration and request that
they provide time for teachers to collaborate on designing projects. Request already
scheduled professional development to focus on additional PBL training and
support.
c.
Use existing PBL resources: There are a plethora
of PBL resources out there: Magnify
Learning, New Tech Network, The Buck Institute for Education, Edutopia and many others offer a variety
of vetted options.
2.
The “Cliff-Notes” approach: In this approach teachers/schools/districts
may learn some of the PBL basics, but they aren’t fully committed to immersing
themselves in PBL. In the same way a student might read the Cliff Notes of a
book and then try to write an essay, they try to make an educational
paradigm-shift with a surface-level knowledge of PBL. Staff members may read some
articles or books on PBL. They may attend a webinar, a workshop, or session
about PBL. They might even go to a PBL training provided by the school or
district. With the knowledge they have,
they try their hand at implementing a project or two in the school year. In
this scenario their PBL knowledge can be limited or incomplete, which leads to
the mislabeling of “projects” as PBL. In other cases the PBL is only being done
partially and without fidelity to the model, which also can lead to mediocre
PBL lacking in rigor and structure. Without proper planning and knowledge of
the PBL process, the projects fall apart and PBL is seen as a failed model.
Furthermore, the lack of follow-up and ongoing training/support often leads to
discouragement and nominal success for teachers and students alike. Here are some next steps if you find yourself
in this approach:
a.
Gain a deeper understanding of PBL and continue
growing in your knowledge of it. Check out monthly PBL blogs from teachers and
students who are immersed in PBL. Consider attending more training sessions or
shadowing at a school where PBL is fully implemented.
b.
Work with your administrator to see if there are
resources/time to do additional PBL training. Create a follow-up plan in your
school/district for how PBL practice will continue.
c.
Take time to properly plan projects. There are a
variety of Project Planning Forms out there that can help you with the planning
process. There are several housed on the Magnify Learning website under PBL Resources.
3.
The “Lone Ranger” approach: In this situation,
teachers have come across the ideas and concepts of PBL and truly want to put
it into practice. These kinds of teachers are often the ones who are pioneers
of PBL in their school or district. They
are taking their own time and resources to learn more about how to do PBL well.
They are committed to doing PBL with fidelity, but without further support from
administrators and peers it becomes a tiring if not lost battle. They don’t
have continued support or follow-up on their implementation of PBL nor do they
have other teachers to share their PBL experience with. Often their district
has too many other demands that don’t allow for them to do PBL fully. Without
support their PBL attempts can be discouraged and even squelched. If this
describes you, here are a few next steps:
a.
Seek out administrators/coaches who would be
willing to offer you support in your PBL practice.
b. Find teachers in your
school/district or another school/district who have implemented PBL
successfully. Find some collaboration partners who can support you.
c.
Become PBL Certified! This process allows you to
have ongoing support as you work through the elements of a project. Check out PBL
Certification.
4.
The “Cafeteria line” approach: In this approach
some of the more palpable elements and key components of the PBL model are
adopted, but not the entire model. So a district, school, or teacher may have
agreed to do PBL, but they leave some of the crucial elements of healthy PBL model
out. For instance a teacher could be implementing PBL, but they don’t ever
include a community partner. Or students are doing PBL, but the teacher makes
all of the decisions leaving out student voice and choice. In other cases, the
PBL project is a made up scenario and lacks authenticity. The elements of the
PBL model that are more appealing or easier to accomplish are adopted, while
the less appealing ones are ignored or discarded.
a.
Commit to a PBL model/process and stick to it
with fidelity! The 6 Steps Problem Solving Process provides a solid framework
for doing a project. It can be found under the Magnify Learning website under PBL Resources.
Each of these approaches reflects a deeper misunderstanding
about PBL. When students approach their courses in any of these ways, they
usually aren’t successful nor do they reach their full potential. So we really
shouldn’t expect it to be different with PBL implementation. This is where the
concept of “PBL content knowledge” really comes into play. Content knowledge must be learned and skills
must be practiced for successful application to take place. I say PBL is a type
of content knowledge for a few reasons. It is a methodology that must be
studied, learned, and applied. It requires a certain kind of mindset and way of
thinking as well as a skills set to implement it. It has its own vocabulary
i.e. rubric, driving question, entry document, group contracts, Know/Need to
Know, benchmarks and the list goes on.
If teachers, schools, and districts want to adopt and
implement PBL with success it needs to eventually become a full immersion
experience. Learning Spanish in a high
school class isn’t the same as being dropped for 3 months in the middle of
Madrid, Spain to learn it. In the same way learning about PBL isn’t the same as
fully immersing in it and implementing it. PBL becomes the “conduit” for
teaching your standards and skills. You learn and then keep learning the
content on a deep level. You get training and continued support to implement
the concepts. You regularly apply the skills and concepts in the classroom. You
continue reflecting on and refining your practice. It’s not an add-on to what
you’re already doing; it becomes what you do. It’s not accomplished by skimming
through a few PBL resources; it becomes a deep continual practice. It’s not
meant to be done alone; you need support and collaboration partners. PBL is the
full delicious meal; not a tray of a la carte options. If PBL is approached as
a type of “content” (and I believe it is) then the manner in which it is
learned and applied cannot be haphazard or half-hearted, it must be intentional
and steadfast.
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