I am looking forward to trying some new things in this project with my 5^th grade gifted class.  My Integration Project is going to be an extension of the Genetics PBL Project my co-teacher and I recently started.  So far, our students have researched different genetic disorders and they chose one to investigate further for their project.  One aspect of the project has the students creating a Public Service Announcement to bring awareness or a project board (think Science Fair style) to demonstrate their learning.  The students have really shown an interest as they know some people who have some of the genetic disorders they researched, which made a personal connection with them.

My Integration Project will be an extension to what they’ve learned and occur after they create their PSA or project board.  It includes:

• Week 1:  The students will be given scenarios from mock patients who have an undiagnosed genetic disorder.  They will choose one and diagnose what genetic disorder the “patient” has.  After that, the students will identify difficulties the patient may have at home and school, and provide suggestions and recommendations for how they can cope in these environments based on their research.  They will then write their “doctor report.”
• Week 2:  The technology comes into play here.  The students will post their “doctor report" onto Titanpad (sort of like Google Docs).  Here they will collaborate, revise, and edit their writing pieces with other groups.  The critique and revision is a big part of PBL and STEM projects, and this is a new way I’m trying to fulfill that.
• Week 3:  The students will be taking their critiques and suggestions from Titanpad and completing their writing.  A gallery walk of the finished products could be a nice way to wrap it up and give the students an audience for their work.

    One concern I have for the project is that I don’t see the class as often as I would like.  We currently do a pull out model for our gifted and “high flyer” students, and I see my 5^th graders once a week.  Also, benchmark testing has cut some of these class periods shorter.  Another concern I have is with Titanpad.  I have never used it and I hope that it’s beneficial to their project.  I don’t just want to use it just for the sake of having technology be a part of it.  

Assessing PBL Projects

One thought I have with assessing PBL projects after looking at this week’s resources and also thinking about my own experiences is how important it is to conduct formative assessments throughout the project.  In the article “Artifacts and Understanding” it mentions that assessing PBL is different than traditional assessments because teachers are looking at the “construction of physical objects, multimedia presentations, computer programs, Web sites, videos, and other forms of communicating what they know.”  The article refers to these as artifacts.  Teachers just can’t wait until the end of the project to assign a grade in PBL or just give a test at the end of the unit.  This is where the revision of the projects comes into play, and the teacher plays a pivotal role in guiding the students when they are still in the process of the project.   

The article “Rubrics, Portfolios, and Tests, Oh My!” mentioned that some reasons many teachers are reluctant to assess group projects or use alternative assessments is because they can be “too time-consuming and impossible to manage.”  Diane McGrath points out  that although these types of assessments can be a challenge, she suggests “if you design your project so that teaching, learning, and assessment all work together, the multiple assessments will occur naturally.”  The assessment can be a learning activity when done while the students are in the middle of the project.  I will be starting this with my 5^th grade FOCUS students as they begin the creating part of their Genetic Disorders PBL project.  They’ll need some guidance along the way, and my co-teacher and I will be conducting informal assessments as the students are working.  The author recommended not to think of it as testing the students, but rather the teacher is tracking what the students are doing and collaborating with them along the way.

One problem I’ve had assessing student work that teachers are recommended to do is providing immediate feedback.  Often, I was tired at the end of the day and honestly the last thing I wanted to do was to grade the stack of papers I took home.  Assessing the students along the way in class would actually lessen what I have to grade outside of class, and the students receive feedback on the spot.  Another area of assessing that I have improved on is using rubrics.  This is a must when doing PBL projects.  One tool I’ve used that is user friendly and a quick way to generate rubrics is Rubistar.  McGrath makes a good point that the “site also gives some good ideas about PBL and promotes student input into the creation of checklists.”  Using student input to help in the grading process would be the next area I need to improve on with assessment…

PBL Reflection

My 2 previous blogs looked at PBL, so I was glad I could learn even more about this since my co-teacher and I wanted to make an effort to incorporate more PBL style lessons in our teaching.  Undertaking a PBL project for the first time can be daunting since there is so much front-loading and planning the teacher has to do before the project begins.  As I said in a previous blog, the teacher can’t show up and just “wing it” when doing PBL. 

The three articles are a great starting point in getting some reluctant teachers some direction in launching PBL in their rooms, and also a review for teachers who have already done some PBL.  Here are some of the highlights and takeaways I took from these articles:

·         First article “Getting Started with Project Based Learning”:   It gave good information for explaining what PBL is to new teachers, and also useful as a checklist for all teachers to refer to for including all parts of PBL in their unit.  I liked how the article explains and gives examples for each part of the PBL process.  Hit home the reasoning for it is for providing deeper learning for students. 

·         Second article “Designing to Learn”:  This article made a good point of the importance of having an authentic audience and it’s what sets PBL apart from traditional learning.  Students work harder when they know they will have an audience and someone will actually be looking at what they create.  Another big component of audience is the critiques and suggestions they can offer to make project better.  A big emphasis in the gifted classes I teach is that they are never truly “done.”   We work on how to give constructive critiques and also how to take that advice without getting defensive.

·         Third article “Launching a PBL Project”:   A big takeaway in this article centered on the learning in PBL comes from questions that students are asking, not a list of questions posed by the teacher.  It can be scary to give up this control and be more of a facilitator then direct teacher. 

As far as my experiences with PBL lessons in k-12 as a student, I honestly can’t recall any that are truly PBL.  I remember a group project in 5^th grade where we built models of the Battle of Gettysburg.  I was hooked because I got to bring in my army men and I wouldn’t get in trouble for it!  Although it was memorable, it was missing many of the key components of PBL.  I see that simply building a model of the battle and writing a report isn’t PBL.

 A unit I just started that I mentioned in my blog previously is called “Inherited Traits and Genetic Disorders.”  Just yesterday, the students generated some cool ideas on genetic disorders in their Learn/ Wonder Charts (picture attached).  The students were able to choose a genetic disorder and research it.  My gifted students are the types that will do really well in PBL, as they have so many questions and wonderings about the topics we cover.  My co-teacher and I were encouraged by the level of engagement and thoughtful responses the students had.  

LoTi Framework

The use of technology at my school, Jenkins Elementary in Lawrenceville, is something that our school prides itself on.  One reason is that our former principal who just retired made a big push for it as she wrote her dissertation for her doctorate on integrating technology in the classroom.  We are fortunate enough to have access to a lot of tech tools in our classrooms as she provided each class with:  1 student desktop computer, 8 student laptops, 6 kindles, and 4 tablets in most rooms.  Teachers were given the tools, and they’re expected to have students use them daily.

But just because I have so much access to technology doesn’t mean that what I’m teaching falls in the higher LoTi levels.  I noticed looking at the LoTi levels that most of the units I teach fall in between the LoTi Levels 2-4.  The three components that were consistently missing that didn’t allow the units to fall in the 5 or 6 range included:

• Real world relevance
• Opportunity for students to apply their learning to a real world situation
• Students involved in defining the task, process and solution

I team teach with another gifted teacher who became STEM certified this summer, and our goal this year was to amp up the rigor in our units.  One unit we are trying to accomplish this with our 5^th grade gifted class.  I briefly touched on this unit in my previous blog and it’s for Inherited Traits and Genetic Disorders.  It was written at the county level as an example PBL lesson and there was a lot of time and effort put into it by people who live and breathe PBL.  Using the LoTi framework, I think this lesson does fall under level 6 (I’m taking credit for the awesome unit J). 

I think it’s a level 6 because it does contain the hard to attain real world relevance component that was missing from the previous units I’ve taught.  The real world relevance comes into play as students will be raising awareness for the genetic disorder they research by fundraising or using social media to raise awareness.  This is honestly the first level 6 unit that I’ve taught, and I see that there is a lot more work for the teacher upfront.  Believe me, I can’t just step into class and “wing” this one J.

Since my co-teacher and I have just started this unit, it’s still a work in progress.  One activity that we want to include that will have the unit be a LoTi Level 6 is to Skype with a medical professional on genetic disorders.  This will help the students gain some feedback and knowledge from an expert in the field.  My sister-in-law is a doctor, so this is someone we could easily use for this aspect of the project.  Another aspect of the project that could be a challenge for my co-teacher and myself is the raising awareness component.  Since the students will either be raising awareness to the genetic disorder they study by fundraising or on social media, we have to really support the students in this area. 

Technology Integration with PBL and STEM

       A big push being seeing in classrooms across the country are for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and PBL (Project Based Learning).  No longer are STEM and PBL just relegated to the gifted classes, an after school club, or a fine arts class.  Classroom teachers are integrating these programs into their everyday instruction across all subjects, some by choice and other kicking and screaming. The days of the teacher standing in front of the class as the keeper of all of the information students must master, and then slowly lecturing all of it out are slowly becoming extinct (at least I hope they are). 

A major component of STEM and PBL are that the students take accountability for their learning and presenting the information the best way they see fit.  I see the teacher’s role as more of a coach as they guide and direct the students in the right path.  This can be a difficult transition at first as some teachers think they lose classroom management when they have a gradual release of control to the students during STEM and PBL lessons (I know I did at first).  Also, student choice as to how they present their project is a new avenue some teachers are going down, as no two STEM or PBL student projects will look the same.

There are some great STEM and PBL lessons happening at the school I teach at, Jenkins Elementary in Lawrenceville.  A group of teachers became STEM certified this summer, and are doing some great projects in their rooms.  Also, many teachers are incorporating engaging PBL lessons as well.  Here are a few projects that have just begun:

• Putt Putt Math:  One of our STEM teachers created this awesome project that asks the guiding question, “How can we use our knowledge of angles to make a hole in one in putt putt golf?”  As a kid, I would have been sold on this and hooked immediately.  Math and science are integrated into this lesson as students design and build their own courses, and then use angle reflection to make a hole in one.  Technology is integrated through student research, online discussions using Padlet, and QR codes that are embedded with the path to make a hole in one for each of their holes. 
•  Survival of the Fittest:  The 4^th grade teachers are using a PBL lesson for their content study of Native Americans.  The students are started with the guiding question, “If I were a Native American in early America, how would I survive in my location?”  From there, the students are responsible for learning about the tribes of the Nez Perce, Seminole, Kwakiutl, Hopi, Pawnee, and Inuit.  Some students have chosen to create 3D models of their shelter, while others are using ThingLink to demonstrate their knowledge of the different tribes.
•  Inherited Traits and Genetic Disorders:  This is a project I will be doing with my gifted students, as it’s still a work in progress.  They’ll research different genetic disorders and then work on the guiding question, “How can we help improve the lives of those affected by genetic disorders through by fundraising or other informational outlets?” Technology will be integrated through the use of Skype with a medical professional, online research, and the different products students will create for their fundraising.