Journal Entry #1: Reflection on Chapters 1 and 2
Project-Based Learning Using Information
Technology by David Moursund is the text for this course, and the basis for
most of the journal entries. I read the
first two chapters of this book, and was immediately impressed and happy with
the interesting topic of PBL as well as the ease with which I read and
understood the book. Chapter 1
introduced the topic of PBL and included an example, while Chapter 2 provided a
more in-depth overview of PBL with IT, and how it is viewed by students as well
as teachers.
“Even the longest journey begins
with a single step” –Lau Tsu
This quote was
featured in the beginning of the first chapter, and is a motivational quote for
the start of this course. The idea of
thoroughly developing a PBL unit for class seems extremely overwhelming. However, this daunting task may be alleviated
somewhat by taking the first step, jumping into this book. I really think that this book will be very
helpful, and that our task for this class will be possible!
One of the main
ideas about PBL that I took away from these chapters, was that the students
engaged in PBL (and they will be engaged!) will produce a product, performance,
or presentation using high order thinking.
Moursund(2003) states that “One of the major goals of education is to help
students learn to solve complex problems and accomplish complex tasks” (p. 2). I
think this is true, especially in math education, and that students need
practice in order to be able to do this.
By enabling them to use their higher order thinking skills in new and
innovative ways, PBL aids in the process of fulfilling that goal. Students do just that: solve complex problems
and accomplish complex tasks.
Instructional
technology is a big part of project-based learning, and this text focuses on
including IT in the model for PBL. The
book emphasizes the need for instruction technology to become something
routinely used every day in the classroom.
I think that technology is a very useful and helpful tool and that it is
necessary to integrate it into the classroom.
However, I think that it must be used as a tool. Too often, teachers push technology into the
lesson just so that they are using technology, but not for the benefit of the
lesson. If the technology is not benefiting the lesson, what is the purpose?
Teachers need to strive to not just include technology, but to make sure
that the inclusion of the technology is done for a purpose, to accomplish something
that otherwise would not have been accomplished (or to make a more difficult
process easier).
Technology is also
an area in which some students may have more expertise than some teachers. Teachers should not be intimidated by
this. They should embrace it and be able
to learn from the students. Allowing the
students to explore and experiment for their projects enables them to use the
technology that they know (that the teacher may not even know). Teachers should be open to learning from the
students.
When thinking
about my own education, I think that I participated in a few examples of PBL,
though they may not have been formally called PBL, or might not have reached
all of the requirements. In my history
class, we had to plan a news show from a certain time period. We worked in groups, developed the show based
on the Gold Rush, and then videotaped the show.
In Geometry, we worked to develop a product to sell (I chose a
shampoo). We designed the bottle shape
and label, and calculated costs. Both of
these projects involved some higher order thinking, collaboration, and a final
product. They were fun, and I learned a
lot from them.
While reading
chapter 2, I thought a lot about my own project. At first, I wanted to do something with using
geometry to develop a model house (or something else). After reading the first chapter, and most of
the second, I thought more about the project.
I want to do something fun that can incorporate a lot of geometry (area,
volume, construction, angles, surface area, etc), while giving the students
more choices. I decided to allow the
students to create a piñata of anything that they wanted, using geometric
shapes and different materials. I think
that this will allow for more creativity than the model house, and is something
more fun for the age group (7th grade?). Students could then fill the piñatas, and calculate
volume etc. I need to do more brainstorming,
but I definitely like this idea, and I think a lot can be done with it.
I embrace the idea
of the “guide on the side” versus the “sage on the stage” as the role of the
teacher. I think that from a student’s
point of view, it is so much more rewarding to be able to build upon one’s own
knowledge and take control of one’s own learning. I do think that there are times when the
teacher needs to instruct the students and provide them with information, but
that this should be the supplementation for a constructive classroom that is
student-centered. Unfortunately, there
are constraints that hold back many teachers from approaching this method such
as time constraints, amount of curriculum to cover, standardized tests, lack of
technological knowledge, and just laziness on the part of the teacher. I hope that from this class, we can all learn
the importance and necessity of project-based learning, and possibly influence
the future with our knowledge!
References
Moursund, D. (2003). Project
based learning using information technology. (2nd ed.). Washington, DC:
International Society for Technology in Education.
