Power of PBL part 2

 Almost a month since I posted about PBL (Project Based Learning) and my mini experiment at home with my kids. It has been a fun and interesting time and I have learned lots that I can't wait to apply in the classroom. I in the time since I last posted (which I will talk more about in the accompany podcast) I have had discussions with others regarding PBL and life outside of school that have fueled my excitement for PBL this year. So lets jump in  :).

So here are pictures of the final product from my at home PBL experiment. 

Some background for those that may be just joining us; back in July I gave my 2 daughters a project to work on. I wanted them to design a pair of showes for me like they did earlier in the year. For one I told her I would pay her as she did for people early on and the other I just asked her to do it as a fun project. I did this for several reasons after reading the book "What school could be" by Ted Dintersmith with talks about reforming schools and education. My goal was to see if doing a project with a clear outcome but little upfront instruction (other than what they received in school) would be successful & fun. Also I wanted to see what would happen when they ran into problems or things they didn't know. Boy was I surprised at the outcomes and what I found.

What surprised me the most was the reaction to my principal when he asked my youngest about the project (the top pair of shoes the Vans). When asked if she felt it was fun her response was "It was ok." This was a dramatically different response than what I observed throughout the project. What I saw throughout the project was engagement and enthusiasm that I haven't seen from her when asked to do other things at home. For example as soon as I gave her the task she was mixing paint and giving me advice on what shade of yellow to buy so it would work the best. Also she was very attentive to talking about design ideas and offering her opinion as well as asking clarifying questions. Once she was clear on the expectation she started to work checking in along the way to make sure I was happy with her work as well as accepting feedback for improvement. All this from a shy girl who doesn't like to be told what to do or asked to do work around the house. From start to finish she completed her project within 2 weeks of assignment. The interesting part was I didn't offer to pay her until she asked if she was getting paid once they were completed (I think this was because she found out her older sister was getting paid). 

My other surprise was how the "reward" affected the time and motivation of my older daughter. She is the lower set of shoes (the Converse) and it took her a lot longer, about 3+ weeks, to complete her pair of shoes but to be fair she did have a few more things going on in life. The only real difference other than design was that I offered to pay her upfront which I thought would be more motivating. Turns out it wasn't; what was motivating was the experiences throughout the project. The engagement level was close to the same with high engagement in helping me pick out shoes and asking about help with materials to get straight lines. She did do the same of asking clarifying questions and negotiating the final design. I think the biggest thing for me to witness was the confidence level in ability going up as evidence by both the lack of questions once started and correcting my errors on design without consultation.

My several take a ways from this are:

1. Intrinsic motivation does exist in kids; it is just finding out how to tap into it.

2. Formative feedback is not only important but also motivating

3. Summative assessment is important to some but not all

4. Projects were much more informative as to skills learned & needed than tests & quizzes

    a. I didn't know my kids knew how to mix paint to get different shades, check spelling of Nordic runes, ask clarifying questions with substance

5. Kids will rise to the level of expectation set for them

6. Kids don't need a "due" date to get things done

I can't wait to get this going in my classroom this year as well as blog/podcast about it as a from of reflection/assessment. How I will apply the above take a ways:

1. Focus less on points and grades and more on the journey and feedback along the way

2. Work with students on setting goals or identifying skills they want to achieve

3. Focus more on the formative assessment opportunities from projects than on the summative nature

4. Holding the same level of high expectations but making sure to scaffold more

5. Focus more on support and guidance rather than due dates

I welcome your comments, feedback, and suggestions on this and other topics.

As always "Go Forth, & Do Great Things!"

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