Problem Based Learning
How many times have you given students work that involves memorization, repition, and recall? "Here's a worksheet..." is what most students get in school. Shouldn't there be a better way of learning? Think back to a recent problem you had. Maybe your car was making a funny noise, your computer wouldn't print, or your quiche didn't turn out like you expected. What you do in these situations is just as important as the solution. You might ask a friend where they take their car to get repairs or maybe next time you leave the onions out of our quiche. Those skills that you used are what we call in Education 21st Century Learning Skills (Creativity, Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration).
So although you have a reason to fix your car (you need it to go to work) or revamp your recipes (don't want to have the only dish not eaten at the Firday morning staff breakfast) our students have NO REASON to complete a worksheet. Yes I know they need to know skills to pass CSAP but that's not good enough of a reason for a 8 year old (or even a 18 year old). So what's the solution? We have to meet State Expectations so how do we approach learning in a 21st Century Fashion? Simply put...
MAKE LESSONS PROBLEM BASED
Think of the skills that you want students to learn, then apply it to a problem. Take a minute and think about all the ways we have to use measurement in our daily lives. Could you create a lesson where students have to design a new line up system for the hallway?
Yes this is challenging so we're asking teachers to step up, take the challenge, and be creative. If you're sitting at your desk and wondering how in the world you'll be able to create a real world problem based lesson, ask your students about problems they want to solve. You'll be surprised at how creative your students can be.
So although you have a reason to fix your car (you need it to go to work) or revamp your recipes (don't want to have the only dish not eaten at the Firday morning staff breakfast) our students have NO REASON to complete a worksheet. Yes I know they need to know skills to pass CSAP but that's not good enough of a reason for a 8 year old (or even a 18 year old). So what's the solution? We have to meet State Expectations so how do we approach learning in a 21st Century Fashion? Simply put...
MAKE LESSONS PROBLEM BASED
Think of the skills that you want students to learn, then apply it to a problem. Take a minute and think about all the ways we have to use measurement in our daily lives. Could you create a lesson where students have to design a new line up system for the hallway?
Yes this is challenging so we're asking teachers to step up, take the challenge, and be creative. If you're sitting at your desk and wondering how in the world you'll be able to create a real world problem based lesson, ask your students about problems they want to solve. You'll be surprised at how creative your students can be.
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