Keeping the Project Moving

There are tons of ways to generate productive classroom discussions. The key is asking good questions: questions that might just generate some discussion, and several plausible answers. A teacher-to-teacher discussion involves talking about the nuts and bolts aspect of a lesson. "What might we do tomorrow?" "How do you think that lesson went?" "I noticed that many of the groups are struggling with this concept. Perhaps we should go over it again." Basically, the teachers are maintaining communication with one another either face to face, or by using class wikis and blogs. Students also need plenty of opportunities to communicate with one another both as teams, as well as with other teams. Students should be discussing learning experiences, and talking about how they are thinking about their project. It is also beneficial for students to practice giving constructive feedback to one another, learning to do so by having the skill modeled to them by their teacher(s). Whole class conversations give teachers the opportunity to talk to their students. Traditionally, teacher to student discussions are reserved for a lecture format. With project-based-learning, a class may only use whole group conversations to make specific announcements or introduce new skills. Generally speaking, however, in this particular learning environment, the teacher is more likely to be making rounds from group to group, checking their progress periodically within the class period. While the teacher is circulating, he/she is likely to be asking important questions of the different groups. Several types of questions can be beneficial for checking the progress of the student groups. Teachers should be ensuring that the procedural aspect of the project is progressing by asking questions like "Do you guys feel like you're making good progress?" Another aspect is whether or not the team is working well together by asking questions like "How are you dividing your work up? Are you getting along well?" There should be a safe environment where students feel free to raise concerns regarding their group, or to talk about their team's progress. Teachers need to also ask questions to check the student's understanding. "Did you think about trying out a different site?" Teachers can base the questions they ask on the observations they make of group dynamics, and work progress. Finally, students should be asked questions that encourage them to be reflective. This can be achieved by maintaining a project blog or journal where students can talk about their frustrations and challenges, and ask any questions they feel uncomfortable asking in class. Using technology like a project blog or class wiki can be beneficial to students when they're working on a project. It is important, however, to ensure that the technology is being used appropriately by students. Are they staying organized? Are they able to use technology outside of the classroom? Are they getting distracted while working on more creative aspects of the project? (A google search on "awesome animal facts" could yield some very interesting results...and many rabbit trails through cyber-space.) In general, we need to ensure that the technology is benefitting the students, and they aren't getting bogged down in the process. There are some things which can send a seemingly well-planned experience down a path of destruction. A set-back in the project process can inhibit and discourage students. Teachers need to prepare students for these unforeseen detours, and instead teach them the joys of being flexible in a real-world situation. This seems a trouble likely to surface during our project, as we will be dealing with areas that some students don't know anything about, and where some students might feel intimidated. In a musical setting, there are bound to be some students who excel, and some who don't get the part they want because someone else seemed a better fit for the role. This of course can also lead to conflict within the group. We have to prepare our students for these inevitable circumstances, and teach them how to deal with them appropriately both at school, and in their future.