High School Teachers Meet the Challenges of PBL Implementation

[@betsycollins601]

Am I the only one who finds it ironic that school districts across the nation keep pushing for "project-based learning" programs? Yet, so many of these were the very districts who pulled the plug on and denounced their age-old vocational-education programs, home-economics classes, wood shop, metal shop, and auto mechanics-THOSE WERE THE VERY DEFINITION OF PROJECT-BASED LEARNING PROGRAMS! Bring back those PBL programs that made your average high-school graduate immediately employable and self-sustaining!

[@mayrarock1]

I agree with what your saying in parts, cause learning other content things while making something out of wood or metal turns everything more exciting for students. But if you think we are past the industrial era and mechanical technology have already replaced the working man on the various factories, such as the worker on weeding machine for example, having those manual skills does not make students immediately employed like the way you are thinking right after high school. But what I actually think is that while doing those manual task you can develop other important skills like team work and how to lead a group, how to manage a project with dead lines and work under pressure. Theses are all valuable skills theses days. Just a thought here!

[@MrDBalm]

Thank you for the honesty in this video. It's refreshing to see others who have and are struggling with things like this, now over coming and being a great example.

[@edutopia]

Thanks, David! Broad curriculum changes can be tough for any instructor, and the Sammamish teachers have definitely risen to the challenge. Building in time for experimentation is key.

[@KellieDeterman]

I'm interested in knowing if the teachers at Sammamish H.S. are working cross-curricular in the implementation of PBL? I can envision the art department collaborating with business and incorporating language arts. Does the science, engineering and mathematics work together? What is truly more authentic that a 'big problem' that can't be solved or have a proposed solution by students just using one subject? The world outside of high school is a collaborative, cross-curricular environment and schools looking to embrace that will be headed the right direction. As a FIRST Robotics mentor and art teacher, I can see how an elegantly crafted problem can be handled in multiple ways and encompass curriculum while engaging students.

[@sasm8128]

Im crying for a PBL project thats due this week when i have no clue what to do for it because i usually ignore all the problems so i dont know what i need to fix

[@Noelwiz]

So what do you mean by problem based learning exactly?

[@plerpplerp5599]

Teachers who think their role is to tell the students what they need to know are going to absolutely hate this method. Especially those who feel threatened by anything which calls their teacher centred methods into question will not be able to adapt to this method at all. If you don't like taking risks or learning along with your students then this is not the method for you. Students who have learned to shut up, only answer questions, and generally sit back and let the teacher do all the work are not going to like this method because they have no chance to hide. So expect some resistance. However, the results are amazing if you have the right attitude.