(Clip art: Girl Hanging Upside Down)
You just experienced project-based learning.
What did the teacher in you learn?
I learned many transformative things through project-based learning:
- I learned about the power of a flipped classroom. We spent our time in class wisely, learning important teaching strategies that finally put a lot of things together in my head. I learned so much about making teaching about the students not the teacher.
- I learned about the power of uncovering information for myself. Researching through books, videos, the internet and talking to people made me grasp the information on a much deeper level.
- I learned about the importance of a real audience. The iBook is to be published, and for that reason I cared so much about the sources, the perspectives, the words and the tone because all I thought about throughout the process was the people who may read the book.
- My last and probably most transformative lesson about project-based learning was about the power of social learning. I was completely blown away by amount that each of us learned through editing and revising our work together.
I remember a history teacher from high school who went thorough the motions of lecturing to us. Most of the class was bored as hell, with some even routinely putting their heads down to take a nap. I kept wondering if the teacher would ever wake them up, but he never did. Then the bell rang and I went to my next class. That experience is light years from the exuberance you’ll possess as a teacher. I’m sure I’ll do some lecturing, but I’ve come to feel that relying too much on lectures is a lazy way of teaching. Lecturing indicates a lack of preparedness and imagination. Last year I took Intro to Educational Technology, where the flipped classroom was investigated. I had never heard of it before. For me, the iBook experience has made it more likely that I will do my own research, as well as engaging in more social learning, perhaps with my students. I’m excited at the prospect of learning alongside them. Thank you, Heidi, for your exuberance!
Heidi, it was great experience! Thanks for being a steadfast member of Team West Coast/Best Coast aka Super Buddies.
I, too, enjoyed picking up more understanding of Alaska and learning as a group. What a process!?!