Feel like we are paddling upstream in our efforts to employ pbl?
The political current might be working against us, but thought leaders and the public have grabbed an oar. ISTE's recently revised NETS*S, the American Association of School Librarians 21st Century Library Learning Standards (due Oct. 25), and this week's survey of public opinion all support the rigor, complexity and authentic tasks are at the core of PBL. Let's keep our shoulder to the oar a little longer.
Below is a draft version of the AASA learning standards. When the entire doc is released you'll see that AASL describes the skills, responsibilities, and dispositions associated with each standard, and also suggests self-assessments.
AASL 21st Century Library Learning Standards
Learners use 21st century information skills, resources and tools to:
I. Inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge.
II. Draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to new situations, and create new knowledge
II. Share knowledge and understandings with others and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society
IV. Pursue personal and aesthetic growth
Can you think of any better way to address these standards than through Project-Based Learning?
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4 comments:
I don't think that there is any better way to move forward with these standards than pbl, but I think you have to look at your current district standards and assessments and make those pbls kill two birds with one stone. I think too many times pbl is presented as an add on to assessments already given. Why? P21s poll says we need to teach technology in addition to what we are already doing. How? If you are adding on to what you do, you either have to take something away or extend the amount of contact time with students. It has to be integrated with what's already happening for it to be successful.
Thanks, j allen
I don't see why technology instruction has to be an add-on. I believe tech skills should be taught within the instructional context -during the ecology project, the math lesson, the literature study, where ever the technology is going to be useful.
One of the things I notice as I look at technology in the classroom is the use of said technology to continue to teach in the same manner as we have been for decades. For example the PowerPoint presentations are simply more lecture with a "prettier face". Technology can be use in a much more beneficial manner. Teaching thinking skills is a better expenditure of our time. The PBL can be used for this end. I would like to see more school try to move their pedagogy in this direction.
EXACTLY, Anonymous. New technologies give us the opportunity to transform teaching and learning. Let's think beyond technology to the essential learning functions it serves -giving us the ability to connect, create, represent, and make sense of the complex world we live in. We've captured the main functions of tech that make teaching and learning better and different here in this essential learning functions appendix to our book.
Essential Learning Functions
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