PBL: The Transition to More Student-Centered Learning | Kathy Uhr & Steve Uhr, Fort Worth Academy
When used appropriately, Project-Based Learning (PBL) can be empowering for students. When it is, student-directed learning becomes second nature to many students. This workshop begins with an honest discussion of teacher- and student-directed learning, reinforcing the notion that both pedagogical approaches can be effective. Then, participants will make the case for when student-directed learning is most appropriate, and how PBL makes the pedagogical shift easier. Teachers will experiment with several approaches to making the PBL transition from teacher- to student-directed learning: 1) setting learning goals and employing backward design (Grant Wiggins style); and 2) evaluating a PBL pedagogy and envisioning how learning might be improved in specific lessons that, over time, turn into a student-directed project with the goal of answering a Big Question. After completing these exercises, if participants still feel uncomfortable about a possible transition, there will be opportunities to communicate fears and sources of discomfort, both publicly and privately. One goal of the workshop will be to make the case that one does not have to jump into the water, but can wade in slowly by creating student-directed projects in the context of a more traditional Socrative or direct instruction classroom. Some time will be devoted to the results of learning and brain research that might impact the decision to shift pedagogical emphasis.