English 9H cluster classes PBL
PBL, or Problem Based Learning is a teaching strategy devised by medical schools in order to develop creativity and innovative thinking in future doctors. The med students would be presented with a case study, a patient describing a list of symptoms, and it was up to the students to diagnose and recommend a course of treatment for the patient. These case studies mirrored the work students would do as qualified physicians, requiring them to be resourceful and take the reigns of their learning.
The 9th grade cluster teachers began learning about PBL as a classroom strategy through a book study last school year. This year, the goal of each teacher was to put together a PBL learning event for their classrooms. Ms. Watson and Mrs. Bailey's English 9H classes were the first to roll out their PBL. The English teachers selected objectives related to the research process and are asking the students to focus on problems in society.
The first step of a PBL is being introduced to a messy problem. Placed in the role of university research assistants, our students were given a call for submissions to The Journal of Effective Solutions. Students brainstormed the topic and settled on a research question for their group.
One key aspect of PBL is that teachers take a step back and allow the students to drive the process of learning. One way we did this was by asking the students to create the rubric for evaluation of their papers. After looking at an example of an exemplary APA paper and investigating the research process, students were asked to describe exemplars for categories like grammar, tone, in-text citations, etc.
While teachers are asking students to take a more exploratory approach to learning, we have to still ensure students are meeting learning objectives. This is accomplished through formative assessments like daily exit tickets, progress logs, and posts to digital mediums like Socrative and Edmodo. However, the most useful data to inform teachers comes from the Project Board, which is another key element of PBL. The Project Board is a fluid document that the teacher uses to check the progress of the students toward their learning objectives. We opted to use sticky-notes in order to move answered questions to the "known" category and to be able to update our action steps and processes. The teachers use this board, particularly the "need to know" section to plan learning activities that address individual concerns.
The 9th grade cluster teachers began learning about PBL as a classroom strategy through a book study last school year. This year, the goal of each teacher was to put together a PBL learning event for their classrooms. Ms. Watson and Mrs. Bailey's English 9H classes were the first to roll out their PBL. The English teachers selected objectives related to the research process and are asking the students to focus on problems in society.
The first step of a PBL is being introduced to a messy problem. Placed in the role of university research assistants, our students were given a call for submissions to The Journal of Effective Solutions. Students brainstormed the topic and settled on a research question for their group.
One key aspect of PBL is that teachers take a step back and allow the students to drive the process of learning. One way we did this was by asking the students to create the rubric for evaluation of their papers. After looking at an example of an exemplary APA paper and investigating the research process, students were asked to describe exemplars for categories like grammar, tone, in-text citations, etc.
While teachers are asking students to take a more exploratory approach to learning, we have to still ensure students are meeting learning objectives. This is accomplished through formative assessments like daily exit tickets, progress logs, and posts to digital mediums like Socrative and Edmodo. However, the most useful data to inform teachers comes from the Project Board, which is another key element of PBL. The Project Board is a fluid document that the teacher uses to check the progress of the students toward their learning objectives. We opted to use sticky-notes in order to move answered questions to the "known" category and to be able to update our action steps and processes. The teachers use this board, particularly the "need to know" section to plan learning activities that address individual concerns.
Based on what students stated they "Need to Know" about the research process, the LMS, GRT, and classroom teachers devised a rotation of mini-lessons to address those needs. In the library, each group was given a 15 minute introduction to online databases, organizing research, evaluating web-sites for credibility, and APA in-text citations. In order to further individualize learning, teachers used the TES site Blendspace to create tutorials on a variety of topics in the writing and revision process.