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Our
district has been involved in Performance Based
Assessments for several years. One significant
parallel I see between PBA and PBL is that both
present the learner with an "authentic" problem
in an effort to activate student interest. Also,
in both PBA and PBL, the activities become more
student initiated and less teacher directed. The
teacher becomes the facilitator of learning
rather than the source of information.
A significant difference between PBL and PBA, as
I have seen it developed in our district, is
that PBA is less open ended that PBL. The PBA
problems do not seem
as "messy" as PBL cases. In both there is not
necessarily a "right" answer, but the PBA
approach looks for answers that are logical and
well supported given the information that the
student has acquired in the classroom or through
individual research. In the PBL activities, my
impression is that students have more
opportunities to determine the nature of the
problem. This approach broadens the possible
range of student responses immeasurably.
As an alternative school teacher at the high
school level, PBL seems a natural "fit". My
students have not been successful, for a variety
of reasons, in the traditional classroom.
Lessons that empower them, allow them to
identify issues and seek resolutions, are
ideal.
There are a few barriers to implementing
"authentic problem based learning". In our
alternative setting, students work
independently. It seems that one of the
repetitive components of the articles was a
"group" process. We do have occasional group
classes and groups every Wednesday. Perhaps PBL
could be worked into those activities through
the "post hole" method. Also, I think that it is
difficult for students to accept the
responsibility for learning. Many alternative
students are accustomed to feeling that things,
including education, happen "to them". While
taking control of the learning process is
exciting, it is also frightening for them.
Perhaps the most significant barrier to
implementation is time. When do we find time to
develop activities that will challenge, but not
frustrate, our students. One of my goals, when I
registered for this class, was to learn more
about harnessing technology in a way that speeds
the creation of quality activities for students.
I do feel that, initially, the insertion of
"post hole" activities would allow both the
students and myself to become more proficient in
the PBL process.
I believe that a lesson involving decisions
about family expenses/living would be
interesting for many of my student.
As I reviewed the articles, I found PBL #1,
"Helping Students Ask the Right Questions,"
offered a good general educational basis PBL.
Essentially, the authors, indicate that "good"
teachers have long known how to develop the
"student thinker." Of course, it was interesting
to note that several large firms, Honda,
Uniroyal Chemical, and Hewlett-Packard, for
example use problem solving strategies. I
appreciated the classroom examples as
"samples".
The organization of article #2, "Learning
Centered Schools Using a Problem-Based
Approach", was excellent. There was a supporting
basis given for PBL followed by guidelines for
the implementation of the process. The
information was concise and clear. This article
went a long way toward explaining how PBL is
used in the classroom. I enjoyed the "Pitfalls"
section. The authors seemed to be taking a
realistic approach.
Article #4, Problem-Based Learning as Classroom
Solution," brought my students to mind. What to
do with those "least favorite students"?
Offering them a chance to resolve a "real"
issue, allowing them to seek information in
their own way, and giving them some control over
their learning, is certainly a way to engage
these students. I was pleased to see that the
article mentioned a strategy much like the KNL
strategy that is a standard in our building.
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