students project work

As part of the celebrations for 25 years of Project, now in it’s third edition, and in preparation for the Project Competition to design the best class poster, Tom Hutchinson explains what a project is and shows us a few examples. Project work is not a new methodology. Its benefits have been widely recognized for many years in the teaching of subjects like Science, Geography, and History. Some teachers have also been doing project work in their language lessons for a long time, but for others it is a new way of working. In the first of a series of five blog posts, I aim to provide a simple introduction to project work. In the following posts, I shall then go on to explain what benefits project work brings in relation to motivation, relevance, and educational values. I shall also deal with the main worries that teachers have about using project work in their classrooms. So to get started: What is a project? The best way to answer this question is to show some examples of projects (click on the images to see full size versions). Design by Katorina Pokorná and Klára Kucejová Projects allow students to use their imagination and the information they contain does not always have to be factual. In the above example of a project which required students to introduce themselves and their favourite things, the students pretend they are a horse. Design by K Hajnovic You can do projects on almost any topic. Factual or fantastic, they help to develop the full range of learners’ capabilities. Designer unknown Projects are often done in poster format, but students can also experiment with the form, like in the project above. You will probably also note that project work can produce errors! Project work encourages a focus on fluency – some errors of accuracy are bound to occur. What are the common characteristics of these projects? Hard work Each project is the result of a lot of.
Research is an important element of any independent learning project. Photograph: Alamy What are your plans for the remaining weeks of the teaching year? Perhaps you have a group of tired students who need to be productively engaged after a period of study leave? It's an ideal time for project work. At best, projects can be exciting, personalised learning journeys. But the process can be fraught with difficulties and challenges. What, then, are the keys to success?FocusIf project work is going to be more than simply a ragbag collection of unrelated activities, there needs to be a clear central objective. Research projects should begin with a specific question that the student is seeking to answer, or a testable hypothesis. I find that practical projects work best when they respond to a set design brief or commission.It is fine for students to start the process with vague ideas about what they are trying to achieve. But these ideas need to focus on a central point, so that their work is coherent and has clear direction.I start by asking students what interests them. What are their hobbies? What are their aspirations for future work or further study? I then suggest that they pick a project that fits in with those aims or interests. If a boy in my class says that he would like to do a project on football (a popular choice), I'll have a discussion with him about current issues in the footballing world. Moving from a general topic to a specific question such as, Will the impact of goal-line technology improve football? is a big step forwards.ResearchWhether a student is writing a dissertation on the ethics of cloning, putting on a performance of scenes from Hamlet for year 9 students, or designing a model skatepark, the first thing to be done, once the objectives are clear, is to gather information about ideas, techniques, history, influences and so on.I see many projects.
BIE « site menu Home Sign Up Login Contact Cart ABOUT BIE RESOURCES SERVICES SHOP COMMUNITY PBLU PBLWorld search advanced resource search » « Resource Search Top 10 related resources » Topic tags: revision & reflection share What is it? This document helps students think about what they did in the project and how well the project went. If you would like to download this document, please take a moment to sign up or sign in to bie.org. Download as pdf Resource Search Use one or more of these to fine-tune your search. Hide Recommended for You ASCD Annual Conference and Exhibit ShowBIE is attending the ASCD Annual ConferenceConferences PBL World Napa Valley 2016June 13-16, 2016 in Napa Valley, CaliforniaConferences Local Food Movement Meets PBL in Project LocalizeGreat projects for students & support for teachersBlogs Gold Standard PBL: AuthenticityJanuary 26, 2016 with BIE National FacultyRecorded Google Hangouts Gold Standard PBL: Align to StandardsA discussion of a Project Based Teaching PracticeBlogs How PBL Starter Kit Aligns with BIE’s New Model for Gold Standard Project Based LearningHow new terminology is reflected in BIE's bookArticles How PBL in the Elementary Grades Aligns with BIE’s New Model for Gold Standard PBLHow new terminology is reflected in BIE's K-5 bookArticles Gold Standard PBL: Scaffold Student LearningJanuary 12, 2016 with BIE National FacultyRecorded Google Hangouts 9 Resolutions & 9 Resources for Your Project-Based Learning Classroom This YearHow to create engaging & effective PBL in 2016Blogs Gold Standard PBL: Public ProductDiscussion of an Essential Project Design ElementBlogs Back to the Future at the White House Summit on Redesigning High SchoolsPBL seen as key to 21st century high schoolsBlogs Project Based Learning with Students with DisabilitiesReflection + Success Skills = Deeper Learning Blogs Gold Standard PBL: Design &.
September 2010 | Volume 68 | Number 1 Giving Students Meaningful Work Pages 34-37 John Larmer and John R. Mergendoller As Ms. McIntyre walked around her high school science classroom, she plopped a packet of papers on each student's desk and announced a project. Each student would create a poster about a water-borne bacterium that can be harmful to humans, the bacterium's effects, and disease prevention and treatment. The handouts included an assignment sheet with due dates and grading policy, a guide for designing the poster, and a list of websites and books. The teacher would display the best posters. * * * Sound familiar? When you were in school, did you make posters, dioramas, and models of buildings or volcanoes? If you are a teacher, have you asked students to research a topic and present information with PowerPoint slides? These are all-too-common examples of the kind of meaning-lite assignments that teachers bill as projects. A classroom filled with student posters may suggest that students have engaged in meaningful learning. But it is the process of students' learning and the depth of their cognitive engagement— rather than the resulting product—that distinguishes projects from busywork. What Every Good Project Needs A project is meaningful if it fulfills two criteria. First, students must perceive the work as personally meaningful, as a task that matters and that they want to do well. Second, a meaningful project fulfills an educational purpose. Well-designed and well-implemented project-based learning is meaningful in both ways. As educators with the Buck Institute for Education, we provide professional development to help schools set up a sustained program of in-depth project-based learning throughout a district, network, or state. In our work with teachers, we have identified seven essential elements of meaningful projects. Let's look at each element by.
In work and life, success often hinges on effective application of knowledge to solve problems and create new ideas and information. Working collaboratively during project work prepares students for modern citizenship and work, as most complex communal, social, and workplace problems are solved by groups, not individuals. Having students work together to achieve a goal helps them recognize the value of the contributions and perspectives of all team members and prepares them for life in the 21st century. Working in teams on complex problems requires a variety of skills and expertise. As team members identify and explore their own strengths, weaknesses, and skills, they gain an understanding of how combining the various skills of several individuals contributes to greater success than can be achieved by one person alone. To achieve the team goal, students must capitalize on each member’s strengths and varying perspectives. Traditionally it has been held that the primary benefits of collaborative work are social: interpersonal communication, trust, and skill in working with others. However, a collaborative and cooperative learning experience can also lead to significant advances in individual understanding. Collaborative learning entails more than just students working next to each other or even helping one another. As students work to formulate an answer to an open-ended task, they talk and work together. When students exchange ideas and insights, they work through misunderstandings, absorb content more effectively, and help each other achieve true understanding (Cohen & Lotan, 1997). Collaboration or Cooperation? The words collaborative and cooperative are often used interchangeably. During both collaborative and cooperative learning, students work together as they tackle new concepts and form new understandings. The two approaches are subtly different, but are both.
PBL is an effective and enjoyable way to learn. Project Based Learning’s time has come. The experience of thousands of teachers across all grade levels and subject areas, backed by research, confirms that PBL is an effective and enjoyable way to learn - and develop deeper learning competencies required for success in college, career, and civic life. Why are so many educators across the United States and around the world interested in this teaching method? The answer is a combination of timeless reasons and recent developments. PBL makes school more engaging for students. Today’s students, more than ever, often find school to be boring and meaningless. In PBL, students are active, not passive; a project engages their hearts and minds, and provides real-world relevance for learning. PBL improves learning. After completing a project, students understand content more deeply, remember what they learn and retain it longer than is often the case with traditional instruction. Because of this, students who gain content knowledge with PBL are better able to apply what they know and can do to new situations. PBL builds success skills for college, career, and life. In the 21st century workplace and in college, success requires more than basic knowledge and skills. In a project, students learn how to take initiative and responsibility, build their confidence, solve problems, work in teams, communicate ideas, and manage themselves more effectively. PBL helps address standards. The Common Core and other present-day standards emphasize real-world application of knowledge and skills, and the development of success skills such as critical thinking/problem solving, collaboration, communication in a variety of media, and speaking and presentation skills. PBL is an effective way to meet these goals. PBL provides opportunities for students to use technology. Students are familiar with and.