1. Could you please write down one of your most memorable learning experience and be specific about the details of what made it your favorite.
2. When you done with your reflection, turn and share out the experience with a friend and see what commonalities they share.
Introduction of PBL:
The 6 "A's" of Project Based Learning
Authenticity
Does the project emanate from a problem that has meaning to the student?
Is it a problem or question that might actually be tackled by an adult at work or in the community?
Do students create or produce something that has personal and/or social value, beyond the school setting?
Academic Rigor
Does the project lead students to acquire and apply knowledge central to one or more discipline or content areas?
Does it challenge students to use methods of inquiry central to one or more disciplines? (e.g., to think like a scientist)
Do students develop higher order thinking skills and habits of mind? (e.g., searching for evidence, taking different perspectives)?
Applied Learning
Does the learning take place in the context of a semi-structured problem, grounded in life and work in the world beyond school?
Does the project lead students to acquire and use competencies expected in high performance work organizations (e.g., teamwork, appropriate use of technology, problem solving and communication)?
Does the work require students to develop organizational and self-management skills?
Active Exploration
Do students spend significant amounts of time doing field-based work?
Does the project require students to engage in real investigations, using a variety of methods, media, and sources?
Are students expected to communicate what they are learning through presentation and/or performance?
Adult Relationships
Do students meet and observe adults with relevant expertise and experience?
Do students have an opportunity to work closely with at least one adult?
Do adults collaborate on the design and assessment of student work?
Assessment
Do students reflect regularly on their learning using clear project criteria that they have helped to set?
Do adults from outside the classroom help students develop a sense of real world standards for this type of work?
Will there be opportunities for regular assessment of student work through a range of methods, including exhibitions and portfolios.
Key Characteristics of PBL: It was a project, it involved community, it had fear of failure, it had recognition of success, it had a mentor, it had a public display of your work...now how does this connect with the way you teach?
Exemplar of what "PBL" looks like:
Key Characteristics of PBL: It was a project, it involved community, it had fear of failure, it had recognition of success, it had a mentor, it had a public display of your work...now how does this connect with the way you teach?
Exemplar of what "PBL" looks like:
Final Reflection: Consultancy Protocol
Purpose: A consultancy is a structured process for helping an individual or a team to think more expansively about a particular plan or concrete issue.
Consultancy Protocol, adapted for projects
Adapted from Gene Thompson-Grove,
National School Reform Faculty (NSRF)
Purpose: A consultancy is a structured process for helping an individual or a team to think more expansively about a particular plan or concrete issue.
Time: Approximately 50 minutes
Roles: Presenter (whose work is being discussed by the group)
Facilitator (who sometimes participates, depending on the group size)
Steps:
1. Presentation (5-10 minutes), including, perhaps:
- Overview
- Essential question(s)
- Product(s)
- Learning goals
- Timeline/Milestones (what duration, what checkpoints or intermediate products)
- Strategies for meeting the needs of diverse learners, including EL and special needs
- Presentation (how will students present/exhibit their work)
- Assessment
- A “burning question” the presenter has about this project
OR
The presenter gives an overview of the dilemma/issue with which s/he is struggling,
and frames a question for the consultancy group to consider. The framing of this question, as well as the quality of the presenter’s reflection on the plan/issue being discussed, are key features of this protocol. If the presenter has brought student work, educator work, or other “artifacts,” there is a pause here to silently examine the work/documents. The focus of the group’s conversation is on the dilemma.
2. The consultancy group asks clarifying questions of the presenter—that is,
questions that have brief, factual answers. (5 minutes)
3. The group asks probing questions of the presenter. These questions should be worded so that they help the presenter clarify and expand his/her thinking about the plan/issue presented to the consultancy group. The goal here is for the presenter to learn more about the project/issue s/he framed or to do some analysis of the plan/issue presented. The presenter may respond to the group’s questions, but there is no discussion by the consultancy group of the presenter’s responses. At the end of the ten minutes, the facilitator asks the presenter to re-state his/her question for the group (for dilemma only). (10 minutes)
4. The group talks with each other about the plan/issue presented. (15 minutes)
Possible questions to frame the discussion:
What did we hear?
What didn’t we hear that we think might be relevant?
What assumptions seem to be operating?
What questions does the plan/issue raise for us?
What do we think about the plan/issue?
What might we do, or what have we done in similar situations?
Members of the group sometimes suggest refinements/solutions to the plan/issue. Most often, however, they work to define the issues more thoroughly and objectively. The presenter doesn’t speak during this discussion, but instead listens and takes notes.
5. The presenter reflects on what s/he heard and on what s/he is now thinking, sharing with the group anything that particularly resonated for him or her during any part of the consultancy. (5 minutes)
6. The facilitator leads a brief conversation about the group’s observation of the consultancy process. (5 minutes)
Some Tips (Dilemma Consultancy)
Step 1: The success of the consultancy often depends on the quality of the presenter’s reflection in Step 1 as well as on the quality and authenticity of the question framed for the consultancy group. However, it is not uncommon for the presenter at the end of a consultancy to say, “Now I know what my real question is.” That is fine, too. It is sometimes helpful for the presenter to prepare ahead of time a brief (one-two page) written description of the plan/issue and the issues related to it for the consultancy group to read as part of Step 1.
Step 2: Clarifying questions are for the person asking them. They ask the presenter “who, what, where, when, and how.” These are not “why” questions. They can be answered quickly and succinctly, often with a phrase or two.
Step 3: Probing questions are for the person answering them. They ask the presenter “why” (among other things), and are open-ended. They take longer to answer, and often require deep thought on the part of the presenter before s/he speaks.
Step 4: When the group talks while the presenter listens, it is helpful for the presenter to pull his/her chair back slightly away from the group. This protocol asks the consultancy group to talk about the presenter in the third person, almost as if s/he is not there. As awkward as this may feel at first, it often opens up a rich conversation, and it gives the presenter an opportunity to listen and take notes, without having to respond to the group in any way. Remember that it is the group’s job to offer an analysis of the plan/issue or question presented. It is not necessary to solve the plan/issue or to offer a definitive answer.
It is important for the presenter to listen in a non-defensive manner. Listen for new ideas, perspectives, and approaches. Listen to the group’s analysis of your question/issues. Listen for assumptions—both your own and the group’s—implicit in the conversation. Don’t listen for judgment of you by the group. This is not supposed to be about you, but about a question you have raised. Remember that you asked the group to help you with this plan/issue.
Step 5: The point of this time period is not for the presenter to give a “blow by blow” response to the group’s conversation, nor is it to defend or further explain. Rather, this is a time for the presenter to talk about what were, for him/her, the most significant comments, ideas and questions s/he heard. The presenter can also share any new thoughts or questions s/he had while listening to the consultancy group.
Step 6: Debriefing the process is key. Don’t short-change this step.
No comments:
Post a Comment