M8 bportfolio Meta-reflection

Carmen Reid

EDU6978 Introduction to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Research

What are some of your biggest take-aways from this class?

     The biggest take aways for me have centered around Project Based Learning (PBL) and incorporating this teaching technique in an interdisciplinary way into my classroom.  What I find fascinating about the basis of PBL is that students must have a real-world NEED to learn information (something other than a good grade) as the basis for making the projects work.  It is now apparent to me, that students will experience more positive learning outcomes with direct correlation to the number of PBL experience that they encounter. 

     The real-world scenarios of with small groups endeavoring to conduct long term collaboration projects is something I personally love.  My goal as a teacher is to help grow citizen who are well equipped to contribute and participate in the world where which we live.  As a science teacher, I see no better way to do that then through PBL. 

One major misconception about PBL that I carried was the idea that PBL is merely a “project.”  This of course is false, with PBL acting as the “unit” not the conclusion of it.  I had to rethink my teaching style and look closer at the presentation of a challenging problem and or question as the focus of the project as opposed to an actual hands on activity/physical artifact which may or may not be a part of the PBL at all.

     According to the Buck Institute of Education, “Once teachers feel comfortable with PBL, they usually say they’d “never go back.” (p. 7, Starter Kit).”  The role of a PBL teacher is one that I personally feel much more comfortable taking on.  That of a facilitator or coach.  As a teacher, I appreciate the idea of overseeing the logistical maneuvering of the project, while simultaneously assessing student learning with an occasional lecture to further understanding (and boost my own ego 😊). 

What are some important resources both written and/or from your peers? 

The two biggest resources that I plan to hold onto from this course are as follows. 

1.      Successful STEM Education web site.  This site is loaded with programs that work with students directly, both school or non-formal education programs.   These programs and projects are said to be “Exemplary Programs in Successful STEM Education.”  Many of them are funded by the National Science Foundation (like the one I chose to evaluate for my final project Foundations in Science) and are aligned with the recommendations of the National Research Council reports, Successful K-12 STEM Education and Monitoring Progress Toward Successful K-12 STEM Education.  The selection is quite vast and one thing in particular I liked about the site is that I can locate both age appropriate projects as well as programs that are geared toward specific groups of students (i.e. underrepresented minorities or female students).

http://successfulstemeducation.org/programs

2.      The Buck Institute for Education (BIE), has truly inspired me to want to be a better teacher.  Through the use of the starter kit and the videos that I found online (and those recommended in the class) I felt they helped me to get a pretty nice grasp on how to use Project Based Learning.  I bought the book for secondary teaching (before I learned I will be teaching 5^th grade next year).  I feel adequately prepared to make the necessary adaptations though and find the PBL is wonderful for all grade levels and subjects.  It is my hope to participate in some of the BIE professional development seminars on how to design, assess, and manage projects.  There is nothing better than a classroom full of engaged and motivated students and I am convinced that PBL is the way to make this happen. For me this is a resource that I am looking forward to sharing with my teaching community and hence, it is one I recommended to everyone else.

https://www.bie.org/resources  which offers more advice on what it means to be a PBL teacher.

PBL Starter Kit or PBL Handbook (both secondary and elementary are great).

     Note:  I spent a great deal of time studying the Project Based Learning Toolkit Series -Starter Kit 2^nd Edition:  To-the Point Advice, Tools and Tips for Your First Project in Middle or High School, compiled by the Buck Institute for Education.  This book caters to those of us with no PBL experience in the classroom or from professional development classes.  It is written for a teacher to use as they read, meaning to be planning a project simultaneously.