Project Based Learning

What is PBL and how does it help students?

Project Based Learning definition

Project based learning is focusing students on a project allowing them to remember what they are learning by researching, collaborating, and problem solving. Traditional projects are pre-planned by the teacher and given with directions and criteria. Project based learning does not have directions or criteria whereas they are based on purpose and inquiry.

How to incorporate PBL inside the classroom

Project based learning can make cross disciplinary connections in my future classroom by creating a fun and engaging classroom setting. Instead of giving students a worksheet for them to fill out, allow your students to do research and develop questions of their own on what is being learned. Allow students to create posters, videos, songs, dances, etc. Students can be conducting a project about a farmers market, in that project alone students would be digging in math, social studies, art, and many more disciplines.

How can traditional projects be expanded into a PBL learning experience?

Instead of having your students draw their family tree and give them direct directions on what to do and how to do it, allow your students to create a family tree however they would like and incorporate voice recordings from living family members. This allows the students to think outside the box and do research. It also allows students to interact with the real world versus keeping the project based through the school audience.

Challenges that can arise when conducting PBL

Some challenges in implementing project based learning in today’s classrooms is due to the pandemic classrooms are not the same. We can not have field trips, interact with many people without social distancing, etc. In today’s classrooms students are spaced out making it hard to allow students to do group projects or engage amongst each other. It is also hard because people in the real world outside of the in school audience are not allowed to participate in school projects.

As educators and future educators, I hope that we can expand more on project based learning and conducting more PBL’s rather than traditional projects!