PBL for the first time

Firstly, don’t judge my last blog post, it’s been awhile since I’ve looked at this blog.

What better way to start a new entry than with a new pedagogy at a new school!!

Project Based Learning (PBL) is new pedagogy for me as this is my first year teaching in a PBL school. Having spent years in a very teacher-centred, direct instructional environment, being a creative arts teacher certainly had its frustrations. So, I needed to change that. As a creative arts teacher, I like to think that we are loosely modelling PBL in a way.

We are developing an artwork (project) in mind and we workshop and build up the student skillset, question, collaborate, develop and meet benchmarks as we come to our resolved artwork or culminating/final product. So by making a move to PMH meant that I could cement and see the process of developing a project in a more structured, supportive and streamlined form.

Designs for an ArtBot from a current project involving Visual Arts and electronics to develop creative and critical thinking

The PBL environment at PMH requires a strong supportive infrastructure in order for it to work...properly. Anyone can create a project and deliver it, but what is being assessed? What learning are we measuring? How do we know that students are meeting these benchmarks along the way? How do we check in with them to ensure they are on the right track? I find that PBL addresses all these things but in a more formalised setting yet offering more freedom for both teacher and student.

The physical learning space contributes greatly to it as well. Having worked in a very enclosed space previously, the open environment allows the students to take their learning elsewhere...literally. If the space is not conducive to their group dynamic, they can move to a breakout space, practice a presentation in another part of the room, before they present or seek out inspiration from others in the class.

So what’s involved? For my next post I will look at breaking down some of the components that I have incorporated into my teaching practice through the PBL process.