When Dr. Ruben Puentedura’s SAMR model was introduced it helped establish a need and purpose for technology in the classroom. His work and study of teaching practices and their effects on student learning, show that technology integration is a critical component for Project Based Learning (PBL) in a digital world. (Puentedura, 2016) I have been referencing the SMAR model for gauging technology integration and assessing teaching practices for about 6 years. It was not until my introduction to Expeditionary Learning that I understood the highest tier of the SAMR model, redefinition. In my experience, most educators are successful with technology integration at the lower substitution and augmentation levels because it is the most natural and teachers understand that there teaching is improved with technology at this level of SAMR. (Puentedura, 2016) The upper levels of SAMR are difficult to implement because traditional classroom instruction does not allow for students to personalize their digital tools and engagement level as their own. Traditional instruction is geared toward whole class grouping and those students performing at mid to upper skill level. PBL is a transformative model of instruction that forces students to engage with learning at a personal level. PBL uses a real world setting to learn skills normally taught in a “sit and get” environment. Because PBL uses authentic audiences and a greater depth of questioning, students are highly engaged in learning and they produce high quality work. PBL also offers students and teachers more opportunities to reflect, collaborate, and develop creativity and critical thinking skills. (Boss, S., & Krauss, J. , 2014) With SAMR, gone are the days of the spaghetti effect of continuously throwing digital tools and resources at teachers, hoping something will stick. This four tiered model allows teachers to reflect on their instruction and feel successful with technology integration at any level of implementation. Dr. Puentendura’s research shows teachers are more engaged in their work and enjoy the classroom when digital tools are used with success at the teacher's comfort level. Moving instruction to higher levels of the SAMR model are about good pedagogy and not about use or learning of a specific technology tool. SAMR and PBL blend well to provide students with authentic learning and teachers a guide for continued growth in their teaching. All the elements found in a high quality PBL project are ones that can not be achieved without the use of technology. (Gorman, 2014) Authenticity and engagement and discovery come together through the use of excellent questioning, experts, field study in a professional setting, and workable solutions to real problems students value. Redefinition of the SAMR model, empowers students to create and study those burning questions sparked by PBL. Well designed PBL combined, with the reflective teaching practices SAMR provides, allow students the freedom to choose the tools and resources that ignite a student's passion and transform learning for both the teachers and student. Puentedura, R. (n.d.). Ruben Puentedura on the Impact of the SAMR Model. Retrieved June 06, 2016, from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/videos/ruben-puentedura-on-the-impact-of-the-samr-model Puentedura, R. (n.d.). Ruben Puentedura on Applying the SAMR Model. Retrieved June 06, 2016, from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/videos/ruben-puentedura-on-applying-the-samr-model# Gorman, M. (2014, September 15). Essential Connections of STEM, PBL, and Tech Integration… What Would Dewey Think? [Web log post]. Retrieved June 6, 2016, from https://21centuryedtech.wordpress.com/2014/09/15/essential-connections-of-stem-pbl-and-tech-integration-what-would-dewey-think/ Boss, S., & Krauss, J. (2014). Reinventing project-based learning: Your field guide to real-world projects in the digital age (2nd ed.). Washington DC: International Society for Technology in Education. Driving…guiding…essential….I don’t care what you call it, the Question is where it all begins for Project Based Learning (PBL). A student’s inquiry along with a teacher’s well crafted question kicks off an incredible expedition of learning in a PBL classroom. Over the next few weeks I will dive deeper into the craftsmanship and implementation of high quality Project Based Learning projects (a.k.a. Expeditions) hoping to strengthen curriculum for which I have collaborated.
Through my research this week, I have read or viewed multiple examples of PBL projects and expeditions, but was unsure how to assess the quality of a project from simple video clips or lesson plans. I started with the Buck Institute for Education’s (BIE) design elements for PBL. These 7 elements are being considered the gold standard for project based learning creation and is working to bring consistency and quality to projects and their implementation. I also used Adria Steinberg’s, The Six A’s for Designing Projects as a reference for evaluating the quality of the sample projects. Each of the three examples provided in the Wilkes EDIM 502 course content, displayed a developed sense of the design elements proposed by the BIE, though some projects exhibited stronger evidence in areas of design than others. All three projects had the role of student and teacher on the same level. I got the sense that both the teacher and student were in a stage of exploring and learning together. The teachers at Newsome Park talked about not having all the answers and researching together with students, Rockledge Elementary teachers and students used technology resources to build and implement their project and Mountlake Terrace High School demonstrated how students used collaboration to drive their learning. Teachers where scaffolding and building the structure for the exploration but no one person or group had all the knowledge for the project. All three examples demonstrated the teacher as a guide on the side, leaving students to own the learning. The video examples gave a snapshot of a more complex curriculum, making it hard to see each element addressed in the Buck Institute for Education’s Gold Standard PBL: Essential Project Design Elements. The Mountlake Terrace High, Schools for the Year 2050 project came the closest to addressing the element of Critique and Revisionwith the use of mentors or experts. In the video you saw students discussing and building 3-D models and had experts and Ms. Reeder giving critiques throughout the project. At 7:39 in the video, there was also a discussion between the architects in the assessment stage of the project that told you students had reflected and offered revisions to their project, during the oral presentation. Public Product or authentic audience was also a large part of the ownership of the learning in this example. Students gave public presentations to an audience of peers and professionals with a vested interested in what they had to share. Though the driving questions for the Schools for the Year 2050 project was not derived from student inquire, but rather teacher created, this was a strong example of a high quality PBL project. Newsome Park Elementary , More Fun Than a Barrel of . . . Worms?!, gave several examples of students Voice and Choice. From hostile takeovers of business shares, to boredom in a lesson, to finding the perfect animal for hands-on learning, students all had a voice in the decisions surrounding their learning. We talk about “buy-in” among adult faculty being a key to success for new initiatives in the workplace. It is the same for the classroom. Students find success when they have high expectations and want to learn. Newsome Park seems to work to provide that “buy-in” through PBL. I thought the Journey North project at Rockledge Elementary had multiple opportunities for Authenticity of learning. This PBL project does a great job of covering a variety of subject areas with real-world integrated tasks. They spoke of writing letters to others in the project and contributing to online field notes for other classrooms around the world to read. I have strong conviction for combining driving questions with real-world authenticity in a PBL project. I have had first hand experience with success and failure of a project because of a lack of authentic audience and weak guiding questions. I think authenticity can be an area where teachers go off the rails and real-world tasks become “activities” just to meet a learning target. The Journey North project has a variety of best practices that have been refined over time as teaching and technology has changed. I thought it interesting that technology was not at the forefront of these projects. Exemplary projects are grounded in good teaching, collaboration and planning. Technology is just the tool for which these best practices can be achieved. Notice that technology is not an essential design element in the BIE gold standard. I am a Technology Integration Specialist (TIS) in my school and many times I have teachers find a new App or website they just “have to” try. I struggle to implement a tool into a lesson for the sake of using technology despite the fact that is my job. Each of the PBL examples used technology resources for research and public presentation. I also found that the Journey North site has expanded to Twitter and an app for students to report observations and do the work of real scientist. I was glad to see technology being used to do the work and the tool did not become the learning. Students and teachers can get lost in the “cool” factor or get bogged down in mastering the technology, losing the true purpose of the project. Though technology might have been needed in all of these project, it was leveraged well against the key goal of learning. Larmer, J., Mergendoller, J., & Boss, S. (2015). Gold Standard PBL: Essential Project Design Elements. Retrieved May 08, 2016, fromhttp://bie.org/blog/gold_standard_pbl_essential_project_design_elements Steinberg, Adria (1997) Real Learning, Real Work: school-to-work as hig school reform. Retrieved May 08, 2016, from http://www.gsn.org/web/pbl/sixa.htm#adult Armstrong, S. (2002, February 11). Geometry Students Angle into Architecture Through Project Learning. Retrieved May 05, 2016, from http://www.edutopia.org/geometry-real-world-students-architects Curtis, D. (2001, October 01). More Fun Than a Barrel of …Worms?! Retrieved May 05, 2016, from http://www.edutopia.org/more-fun-barrel-worms Curtis, D. (2002, June 06). March of the Monarchs: Students Follow the Butterflies’ Migration. Retrieved May 05, 2016, from http://www.edutopia.org/march-monarchs A Journey North: A Global Study of Wildlife Migration. Retrieved May 08, 2016, fromhttp://www.learner.org/jnorth/ |