Differentiated
Grouping
In order
to have successful PBL activities the grouping strategies are important. There are
many different ways to group students and it’s important to use strategic
grouping for each individual project. Both heterogeneous and homogeneous grouping can be beneficial depending on what type of project it is. Grouping
should be intentional and we should know why we are grouping students. We could
group students for academic ability, collaboration skills, social/emotional
reasons, and interests. To successfully group students we must know each
individual student and design groups that will produce the best learning
outcome for everyone.
Choice
Allowing
freedom and choice for students in PBL activities can be beneficial in the
overall learning and an effective way for teachers to access overall student
learning. Giving students choice in their learning process can be a great
motivational tool and gives the students a sense of power over their learning.
There are many opportunities in PBLs that can allow for choices. For example;
students can choose how they show their understanding at the end of the
project. Perhaps a student loves writing and would like to do a written
assessment, where some students may want to utilize technology to present their
projects. By allowing choices we can truly access each student and give them
the opportunity to express what they learned through a platform they are more
comfortable with.
Individual
and Group Work
While PBL
is most commonly focused on collaboration it is just as important to use
individual work as well. A well rounded PBL activity will incorporate both collaboration and individual learning. Some students work better on their own
than in groups and visa-versa. We must give every student an opportunity to
succeed and show their understanding both in groups and individually. This may
look like letting students brain storm individually and then bring their ideas
to the group or giving two assessments at the end, individual and group
presentations. Not only does this method allow students to do what they are comfortable
with, but gives them the opportunity to work on more challenging methods of
learning.
Be a
Facilitator
Because
PBL is focused on peer-peer learning and collaboration, we must find a balance
of being involved and giving the students control. It is important for the
teacher to set the project up and make sure students understand what they are
doing, but at some point we must step completely back and observe the learning
process. We must become a facilitator of the project and help keep time and
make sure students are on task. This is also an opportunity to check in with
each group and answer questions or address any misconceptions. Not only is this
step important for the students, but it is important for the teachers as well.
By stepping back we can walk around the room and watch the students work
together and assess the learning. This is a time for us to take notes, reflect,
and make observations.
Student
Survey/Reflection
I think a
great tool to use at the end of the project are student surveys or reflections.
It is important that each individual within each group was working and played a
role in the project. By giving students a survey at the end can be a time for
students to express how it was working in a group and any successes or
challenges they may have had. This could also be beneficial for the teacher as
we can ask questions regarding how they liked the project. By asking questions such
as; Did you enjoy the project? What was your favorite part? What would you
change about the project? What was challenging? Etc., we can take their
opinions into consideration and make any adjustments for the next time we
implement the project.
