Readings for "Project-Based Learning and Educational Technology"

    

     One aspect of this unit I wholeheartedly agree with is something that was written in the article entitled 'Project-Based Learning for the 21st Century". In this article the author writes "when students work collaboratively, there is an expectation that each child will contribute to the project equally.The group dynamic creates an interdependent team...and as a result, a natural consequence exists for those students who do not demonstrate accountability..." (2). Perhaps PBl's greatest strength is learning of accountability and the obligation each student has towards the other students. Especially if there is a presentation at the end of the project--as Larmer and Mergendoller suggest--it becomes apparent who gets along with others and who needs assistance either in time management or interpersonal skills.
     PBL also offers a chance at creativity that I believe is essential to active learning. I remember an assignment from elementary school revolving around the earlywhite settlers in North America. We had our choice of project, and one of the options was to create a journal as though we were one of the passengers on the Mayflower. This is one of my fondest early academic memories: I recall reading about the Puritan voyage and settlement, and then creating a story based around those readings; I also remember getting my parents to supervise me as I held my drafts over the kitchen stove's flame to give the paper that oh-so-essential brittleness and yellow color. The point is I was excited to do a school project. Such assignments either challenge an individual student or a collection of them to make something their own. It fosters a connection between "what is mine" and "what is/was around me".
     The main drawback I can see from Project-Based Learning is that because each unit and/or project is so subjective, they will not be consistently fruitful. I think everyone can remember certain projects from younger school days that both developed slowly and presented badly. By the same token, I'm sure everyone has memories of much-loved projects. The point I wish to make is best said by Jane David: "...there are no common criteria for what constitutes an acceptable project. Projects vary greatly in the depths of questions explored, the clariy of learning goals and the content/structure of the activity". If a teacher relies on PBL, they should not be discouraged to find some projects work well and others won't. A syllabus should reflect what projects seem to work best.