Blog Post 9

Seven Essentials for Project Based Learning
This article outlines the criteria for a successful project. 1) Establish a need to know. Don't turn students off by handing out a packet that looks like busy-work. Excite them with a video, discussion, guest speaker, or something of the like. Their interest will follow. 2) Ask a driving question. You can think of this as a thesis for the project. Ask a question that is going to focus the students. It should be a complex, open-ended question that links to the core  of what you want the students to learn. 3) Give the students a voice and a choice. This makes the project meaningful to the students. Whether choice is limited or not, the students still feel like they had a say in what to learn about. This was always something I had an issue with in school, especially with essays. I didn't mind writing them-- I even liked writing. However, I hated writing on the provided topics. I found them boring, stupid, or a waste of time. Being given the opportunity to choice my own topic actually made me want to write the essay. This same concept can be applied to project based learning. 4) Implement 21st Century Skills. The use of these skills gives the project a sense of necessity. The students will learn skills or collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and the use of technology. All of these are important aspects of the workplace and life. 5) Encourage Inquiry and Innovation. Have the students write a list of questions. In their search to find the answers, they will most likely have new questions. They will become interested in the topic and keep searching for more information. This will lead to them answering the driving question, a new product, or a new solution to a problem. 6) Provide feedback and time for revision. Having a process for feedback and revision is another way to add meaning to a project. It teaches students that first attempts aren't always successful. Real-world work has to be revised to make it better or to fit new situations. 7) Have public presentations. Students will provide higher quality work if they know that someone other than the teacher is going to see it. This could also lead to the use of student projects outside of school.

Project Based Learning For Teachers
In this video, Tony Vincent explains what project based learning (PBL) is. It is a teaching style, in which, teachers have students work over an extended period of time to answer a complex driving question. The students share their learning experience with others by creating an end product. Through the project, students learn collaboration, communication, critical thinking, career, and life skills. PBL includes having a purpose, addressing an audience, crafting a driving question, identifying learning standards, creating a rubric, grouping students, brainstorming, branching questions, meeting deadlines, focusing the process, and refining the end product. PBL accomplishes all this while giving the students a say so in their learning. It is a new way to reach our students and keep them interested in school.

Two Students Solve the problem of Watery Ketchup By Designing A New Cap 
This was a really interesting video. It shows a potential outcome of PBL. The students came up with a driving question to solve a problem that they were having. They didn't like their ketchup to come out of the bottle watery. They did a lot of research to see if there were any existing solutions to the problem. They didn't find any patents pertaining to their issue, so they began planning. Each student came up with 30 ideas for a design. From there, they narrowed it down to five design and then, chose the one shown in the video. They used a 3D printer to make the prototype. After completion of the new ketchup cap, they conducted market research to see their potential profits. Each cap would cost roughly 22.6 cents to make, and consumers would be willing to pay up to $3.00 for the solution to watery ketchup. This is just one of many examples of the results of PBL. The students in this video used research to answer a driving question that they came up with on their own. They solved their own problem. This is the ultimate goal of PBL-- to help students develop ingenuity.

Project Based Learning in PE 
This article describes a PBL project in which high school students design a physical fitness program for middle school students. Having the students create these programs gives them a better understanding of how physical fitness is achieved. These skills will be useful to them throughout their entire life. They will be able to adjust the programs to fit their needs as they age and their fitness levels change. Having the younger students work with the older students would get the younger students more motivated to do well with the physical fitness program. Since the high-schoolers would have someone actually using their program, they would feel the need to do their best. This is another great example of PBL in action.

What Motivates Students?
In this video, several students were interviewed about what motivates them to do well in school and what reward system works for them. Some of the things they listed as motivation were:

• Student recognition for a job well done
• Financial stability in the future
• Accomplishment of career goals
• Disapproval of parents
• Punishment by parents

Some of the things they listed as rewards that they liked were:

• Going outside to do their work
• Getting school supplies
• Food
• Classroom monetary system; The students are rewarded for good behavior by gaining money and punished for bad behavior by losing money. On Fridays, they could use their money to buy things from the classroom store.
• Having themed days of the week

As teachers, we need to take the time to listen to our students to see what works for them. No child sets out to do bad in school. They get bored, frustrated, tired, etc. It's up to us to figure out ways to keep their attention and keep them motivated. We have to break up the monotony of school-- for them and for us!  I mean do you really want to spend your weekend grading a bunch of papers? Or would you rather have the students present a project that you, as well as they, can be proud of? It's just something to think about. After all, kids will be kids. Put all that excess energy and ambition to good use! MAKE THEM THINK!