I was so excited when I read this line under the first heading. This week in practicum my co-teacher and I gave the students an "All About Me" assessment. I asked the students how they learn best, and one of my students, a young lady in the 6th grade, wrote:
"I like doing hands-on projects because art comes from the heart."
Without knowing it, this young lady put her finger on the pulse of learning. She talked about how she likes to learn, yes, but she also discussed her passion for creating something. I think this is the essence of project based learning, and it's amazing to see it captured in the writing of a 6th grade student.
The concept of a "big idea" is something we address daily in the classroom I serve. Every time we read something, we ask the students to lift out the big idea, and expand on it with 20 words. As a teacher, finding the big idea when planning and aligning our lessons with standards and curriculum expectations, finding the big idea is of equal importance. A hands-on project with a focused, main idea can create an awesome learning experience for our students.
I love that this chapter touches on the Bloom's Taxonomy and higher order thinking. Addressing the higher ordering thinking actions is important in lesson planning and in teaching. Another way to approach learning is called Multiple Intelligence's, which teaches to the student's strengths. I think both methods have their merits.
Great reflection! It is so great that students can recognize project-based learning and how much they enjoy it. Also it is wonderful your classroom is always pulling out the big idea!
ReplyDeleteI like that you talk about the classroom you student teach in. It puts this whole concept into real life and you can actually relate. Its really important that students as well as adults understand the big idea of everything. Going on without knowing is a bad thing but thinking back and remembering is a good way of holding all the information.
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