Student Voice & Choice
12/8/2018
One of the key components of a PBL project is student choice. The extent of student choices and which choices belong to them changes project by project. Sometimes, they choose a subject they would like to study or create. This was the case for our first project, when we made the stop motion movie about people in our community and they each got to decide what professions to create for the movie. Other times, they help decide what the finished project will be, like in our partnership with the class in Thailand, or what we will do with it, as was the case with our weather forecasts. Always, I find that allowing students to have a say makes the projects even better. It not only makes the project more meaningful for our little learners, but our students' ideas enhance the project itself. In the case of creating pattern texts, I nudged the students to choose the option of making books. However, they suggested recording the books in an audio version for the Thai students to listen to. While I had plans to make audio books in the future, I had not thought to take that extra step with this project. It not only makes the product more useful to the Thai students, but it gives my students additional practice bringing books to life and makes the project more "theirs." Student choice also played an important role in our birthday weather forecast project. I knew I wanted students to study weather patterns to make forecasts, but I had not decided what to do with the completed forecasts. Our sweet little ones had a vision bigger than mine, and they wanted to send their forecasts to the meteorologists at KTUU for them to review. I immediately thought it was a brilliant idea and the meteorologists graciously agreed to review their videos, so we sent them off. Teachers have a vision for the project and know which standards and content students will learn through each project, but students truly drive the project. They too are encouraged to create a vision for the project and their ideas are heard and honored. Sometimes their ideas even change the direction of the project. And that is powerful for them. When their ideas are consistently heard and honored, it gives them the confidence to continue to share them, to continue to refine their vision for themselves and their classmates. At PNA, our mission is to educate students to be exceptional learners and independent thinkers of vision, courage, and integrity. Giving our students sway in the projects we create helps us do this. If students are consistently taught to do what they are told, they learn to do what they are told. However, if within boundaries and structure, they are given choices and the freedom to express their opinions and shape the projects they take part in, they learn to find and refine their voice and vision and to think independently. The more PBL projects I undergo with our sweet little ones, the more I see what a powerful tool PBL really is. Through projects, students broaden their experiences, positively impact our community, get to have a say in their learning experiences, learn to dream big... and find their voice in this world.
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Saania AliMs. Ali graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelors of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies. She specializes in Early Childhood Education, ESL, and Special Education. Her hobbies include traveling, reading, and painting! Archives
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