PBL – Page 4 – UAS MAT Program ~ 2016 Cohort

“We gotta take it higher…”

As I am sitting here reflecting on these last 3 weeks of Alaska Studies, I am listening to James Brown and Maceo sing, “We gotta take it higher…” That is how I feel about education. With PBL I will be able to challenge my students to grow in ways that can be at their level of understanding because they will have the freedom to determine what is necessary for the project to be a success. I watched my cohorts challenge themselves that in some ways seemed unnecessary, but were necessary for their own personal standards of achievement. For myself, my challenge was not in doing the research or gathering the information, it was learning the technology of Ibooks Author and MyMaps so that it’s application in the future will not be so challenging.

Using this method as a tool for us to see that there is so much more to learn about Alaska, was successful. We all got the opportunity to learn together at our own pace. Exploring the museum, books, archives, maps, and then in turn using that as a jumping off point for internet research was great. I consider cultural research to be my specialty, but more so using what I find to increase my understanding of social structures to be the value that I place upon doing the research in the first place. Avoiding top down education is valuable when we are seeking to empower our future leaders. I like that this method of inquiry allows students to select what is important for them to learn about while the teacher is able to ask questions to help them facilitate in their understanding of the topic.

I really enjoyed how through this course we were able to explore resources, materials, technology, and group dynamics. The Ibooks were our way of showing our work. I still have yet to see everybody’s finished product, but I know that was not the point of the exercise. In the future, I plan to utilize a lot of these skills with my students because I feel that it will help them expand upon their skills of displaying knowledge that they may already have. Not being able to access technology in this day and age is a set back in growth and I really want to be able to help them access higher levels of achievement.

image from: https://3rdeyekid.wordpress.com/2013/10/25/james-brown-vs-maceo-parker-aint-it-funky-nowuptown-up/

Is music the project itself, or is there a more project-based approach?

In the typical orchestra room, students sit in a certain formation and the conductor tells them what to do, how to play it, maybe demonstrates occasionally what it should look like. I have always thought of music and the arts as a more project based approach to learning, but in some ways it really looks the same. Especially in my 8 am orchestra class last year, when it felt like pulling teeth every time I asked a question about the music, there was something off about student engagement.

Similarly, I have often struggled with ways to implement many of the teaching strategies and technologies we have talked about this year into he music room without making it a music history or music theory lesson, that is more focused on concepts rather than performance. In the last three weeks, I’ve thought really hard about translating these wonderful project-based strategies into the performance classroom. While I know that performances are already fairly motivating and project-based, I want to take it even further. Here is what I’ve learned:

Students need to be in charge of defining their own sound- they need to listen to each other play, and help each other refine technique so that it sounds unified. This means having a discussion about voice, perspective, how they want to be represented….
Students need to feel that their performances make a difference, that they are authentic, purposeful, and have the ability to move people deeply. Doing a recording that will be published or a radio broadcast will be more motivating than just performing for their parents.
Students need to be in charge of their own assessment and evaluation. What and how will they be accounted for? I am tired of coming up with ideas for making students on time for an 8 am class- maybe they have better ideas!

There are many other little take-aways from this version of Alaska Studies that I have put in my tool box, and I have really enjoyed getting to know a new technology and negotiating the presentation of a region of Alaska with some excellent teachers.

PBL notes on teaching tools

The teacher in me learned that “project-based learning” is not just dumb phrase someone coined to sell some books

This was certainly a departure from the traditional style of ‘learning’. No note cards or endless pages of scribbled factoids clogging up the lines of some ruled notebook pages. I did not miss the ubiquitous 20-page research paper on some mundane topic that only its only worth-the points. Nor did I miss the cramming for an exam that only displays my ability to spit back those facts I scribbled down on that notebook page last week only to forget most of what I only ‘learned’ shortly thereafter . I did however come away with an appreciation for a fresh idea of learning through collaboration in an investigative effort.

We certainly learned a lot about a fairly narrow scope of information individually, then broaden slightly through discussion within our group and broader still with other groups. I’d say we all shifted a little closer toward ‘expert’ in our respective field of investigation for the introduction sections we were responsible for. Aside from in depth and the narrow scope of learning through research and synthesis. I felt that another type of learning took place, through discussion with those who had recently undergone similar acquisitions of knowledge, but in different areas whether regional, cultural, or both.

As a lesson in becoming a historian, gathering information from available sources, sorting out the misinformation, filtering for bias, and synthesizing to the best of your ability the correct story I see this as a goal achieved. We also engaged in the process of peer review that wore an editor’s dress. It took me some time to catch that but this too is part of the process and is incredibly valuable in that if done well it prevents further misrepresentation of ‘fact’ and protects the credibility of your voice.

ALST600- Final reflections

ALST600 Alaska Studies was not a typical history course, and you were not the typical History teacher.

You saw potential in each of us, and gave us the freedom to experience a new situation. We were the historians in the room. I started this journey with excitement and hesitation for the big project ahead- writing our own book. You were there for us each step of the way, helping us when we got stuck.

Project- based learning involved a dynamic classroom approach, in which we acquired a deeper knowledge through exploration of the region we choose.

I found out so many things about the region, the culture,and the people. Working in small groups gave us the opportunity to share our ideas, present our point of view, and develop this project. By proofreading our classmates work, we learned about the other regions as well. There were days when you told us it was time to go home, but nobody hurried to leave. We formed a community within the classroom where we investigated and came up with answers to our questions.

What I learned from this, was that students are motivated when they are doing the researching and inquiring themselves. The teacher is coaching both knowledge development, and social skills, assessing what students have learned from this experience.

Final Reflection ALST600

Learning how to navigate iBooks was challenging at first, but luckily I had patient classmates and a super patient teacher. Being out of school for 6 years and then coming back into it and seeing the advance in technology was a bit daunting at first! I enjoyed the approach to learning; however, I didn’t like having to work in groups the entire time. I feel like I would have learned a considerable amount more had the group portion accounted for a smaller portion of the task. The teacher in me learned that not all collaborative work is helpful for every student. Smaller group work is the way I will go in my classroom. Although, I know we need to learn to work together, working together for such a long period of time to try to achieve a cohesive product is difficult and straining. I like the fact that we were not “talked at” like pretty much all of the history courses I have ever taken have played out. Project based learning is an excellent approach in that sense. I think finding the balance in group work and individual work is key when implementing project based learning in the classroom. Giving students time to collaborate with their classmates on their individual tasks to bounce ideas off of one another or reflect on each other’s approach to the assignment or have students work together to compile the final products may be the route I will take, versus having them all work together to put together one assignment.

The Incredible iBook- Final Reflection for 600

I cannot believe I helped write a book- in three weeks, nonetheless! This was quite an experience for me. I learned so much about the Interior region through a close study of it and am proud of the work my group and I put into our book. I learned that it truly is helpful to learn by doing. I also learned that it can be very special to study a specific place with the intentions of sharing what you learned about it with others. I have grown attached to my region and feel a connection to its people. I am so glad I had this opportunity to dig deeply into a region of the great state of Alaska and can imagine asking my students to do a similar process of researching and sharing about places, cultures, pieces of music, and more.

I am so appreciative of both professors I had for the past three weeks- thank you so much to Peter for all of his help and hard work to make this book such a successful learning experience for all of us!

The featured image is one I took of the captivating Bering Sea from Unalakleet, Alaska. This state truly is a beautiful place to live.

project-based reflection

Well, the student in me was reminded how difficult project-based learning can be. BUT the teacher in me realized that it really brings in a new dynamic to the classroom. It’s interesting to see how the group dynamics work for different people and how some work well with others. I think it builds a lot of communication skill, or lack there of, and as a teacher, you can see this very clearly. I think that project-based learning can be super beneficial but probably best-fit for smaller projects and less weight on the actual assignment. It can be a great learning experience for the teacher learning more about the students and just as great of a learning experience for the students to really learn new aspects about themselves and peers. Overall, I see the pros and cons of project-based learning from a student, and most importantly, a teacher’s point of view.