Project Based Learning & Technology
Whether you are a teacher or planning to become one, you have most likely either heard of PBL or have used PBL in your classroom. If you are not a teacher or have not heard of PBL, hopefully this blog post will give you an idea of what it is and how to use it.
Project Based Learning (PBL) is an instructional approach which shifts the focus to student-centered learning, by exploring real world problems. Many people confuse Project Based Learning with simple projects. While they do have their similarities, projects are different from PBL because projects typically can be done outside of the classroom, by one person, and students don’t need the guidance of their teacher. Projects also typically have an audience of just the school the students are attending. With Project Based Learning, the role of the audience is often directed at a wider target such as a whole community, or a group of individuals outside of the classroom. PBL is also usually done in groups or partners and takes place in the classroom with guidance from the teacher.
The differences listed above are only a few of many between PBL and projects. However, you might be asking yourself, how could I be sure I am using PBL instead of projects? While there are many factors that can play into it, the best place to start is to make sure that your students have a big idea or a guiding question that they can answer along the way. For example: when teaching a lesson on matter and energy, such as properties of minerals, an essential question you might ask your students would be, “If I found a mineral outside, how can I find out what mineral it is?” This question prepares your students for what they will be learning, and by the end of the unit they will be able to answer it. This question also centers the topic in the context of the real world and not just the classroom.
The following video summarizes the differences between PBL and projects that I have made and provides more resources to learn more about how to use PBL in the classroom.
Technology is an awesome tool to use in Project Based Learning and it can amplify student engagement. Some kinds of technology to use during PBL can include websites such as discussion boards, where students can talk about the guiding question and apps like, canvas, that allow students to create unique presentations.
Going back to the guiding question about properties of minerals, one way that you could incorporate technology into this PBL unit is by using the app Geology Toolkit, that allows students to scan different rocks and minerals to identify them. While this is just one example, there are many different apps that serve educational purposes and would be beneficial to add to the classroom. If you would like to use technology and PBL in your classroom, discuss it with your principal and other teachers to determine what would work best for your students.
