The Three P’s: P OWERFUL, P ERSONALIZED P ROJECT-BASED LEARNING EXPERIENCES FOR SECONDARY SCIENCE STUDENTS Andrea S. Foster, PhD University of Houston

Who am I? Teacher Science Educator Reformer Researcher Parent

Who are you? Triangle Diamond Square Circle

Who are you? Triangle Friendly, dependable, reliable Diamond Creative, expressive, artistic Square Intelligent, organized, systematic Circle Party Animal! Social, fun loving, free spirited. (Also known to be pre-occupied with sex.)

Why are we here? Inform Inspire

Informed What is Powerful Learning? What does it mean to Personalize science instruction? What is Project (Problem) based Learning (PBL)? How can we build coherent science learning experiences that are directly linked to the TEKS?

Inspired Think outside of the box with regard to science teaching, learning, and assessment.

Agenda What is Powerful Learning? What is the Aim of Schooling? What is Project Based Learning? Mirror, Mirror Activity – How do we learn? PBL Examples A Penny, Some Water, & A Cup The Coin Metaphor “C in the Box”

What do we know about Powerful Learning? Finish the following statement. People learn well when...

What they learn is Personally meaningful. Challenging and they accept the challenge. Developmentally appropriate.

People learn well when... How they learn involves Controlling their own learning and having choices. Using what they already know as they construct new knowledge. Opportunities for social interaction. Getting feedback. Acquiring and using strategies.

People learn well when... Where they learn is A positive emotional climate. A supportive environment.

What is the aim of schooling?

The aim of schooling is not to do well in school, but to do well in life. Elliot Eisner, 2001

What do we know about schools today? (Eisner, 2001) Virtual absence of intellectual conversation Implies listening and interacting Celebrate achievement over inquiry The real game is in the journey and learning where the resources are. Lack intellectual dispositions This involves an appetite to be engaged We don’t have enough “romance” in our schools! Students learn how to “do school” in order to get through it. We should be about getting kids “into it!”

What does it mean that a school is doing well? What kinds of activities are the students doing? What kinds of questions are kids asking? What kinds of intellectual things are kids learning? Are students exposed to multiple perspectives? Are students given “bones they can chew on for the rest of their lives?” What connections are students making between what they are learning and the outside world? Are their opportunities for students to work cooperatively with other students? Does the school make it possible for students to engage in community projects? Can students pursue some field in depth? Are their variations in student performance products?

What is Project-Based Learning? An innovative model for teaching and learning Focuses on central concepts and principles of a discipline Involves students in problem-solving investigations and other meaningful tasks Allows students to work autonomously to construct their own knowledge Culminates in realistic projects

What is Problem-based learning? An instructional method that encourages learners to apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and content knowledge to real-world problems and issues.

Theoretical Rationale PBL was originally used in the education of medical doctors in hope that it would increase self-directed learning and improve problem solving skills (Barrow, 1983). It has been applied in several disciplines in colleges and universities (Bridges, 1992; Camp, 1996) and in teaching most subjects in K-12 schools (Delisle, 1997; Stepien, Gallagher, & Workman, 1993; Torp & Sage, 1998).

PBL fosters growth in many areas Ability to be critical thinkers Skills to analyze and solve complex, real world problems Expertise in finding, evaluating, and using information resources Ability to work cooperatively in groups Skills to communicate orally and in written form Interest in being lifelong learners and role models for other students

The PBL VISION Project-based learning emerges from a vision of education in which students take greater responsibility for their own learning, and graduate from school prepared to use the skills and knowledge they have attained to lead successful lives.

Why is PBL important? John Dewey tells us learning is enhanced when it is experiential, child- initiated, and child-oriented. It makes more sense when it happens in a real- world context. Retention increases when students feel learning has a purpose and have a sense of ownership for it.

Also... Brain research is helping us understand that PBL also works by helping students move beyond surface learning, beyond learning held in short-term memory, learned for the test and then forgotten.

TIME FOR A BRAIN ACTIVITY

Mirror, Mirror Activity Write your name while looking only in a mirror. Do not look at your pencil directly. Write it so that you can read it in the mirror. Copy each figure in the boxes beside them. Try it three times. No erasing.

Reflecting – Talk to your neighbor How did you feel while trying to complete the exercise? What do you think your brain was doing? Imagine what it is like for your students to learn a new concept or skill? How does this activity demonstrate a similar process?

How do we learn? What the human brain does best is learn. Learning changes the brain because it can rewire itself with each new stimulation, experience, and behavior. Learning begins with a stimulus. The stimulus is sorted and processed at a variety of levels. Then there is a formation of memory potential Pieces are in place so that the memory can be easily activated.

What percent of of your physical brain do you use? On a given day, most areas are used because functions are well-distributed throughout it. Mathematically, however, it is estimated that we use less than 1 percent of 1 percent of our brain’s projected processing capacity. (Each of your 100 billion neurons ordinarily connects with 1,000-10,000 other neurons. Your brain is capable of processing as much as 10 to the 100 trillionth power. That number exceeds the number of known particles in the universe.

The brain is energy inefficient. It is about 2% of the body’s adult weight. Primary source of energy is blood which supplies nutrients like glucose, protein, trace elements and oxygen. Water provides the electrolytic balance for proper functioning. The brain needs 8 to 12 glasses of water a day for optimal function. Dehydration is a common problem in school classrooms, leading to lethargy and impaired learning. (Hannaford, 1995) FYI

The Power of PBL PBL provides learning that has deep meaning, processed into long-term memory, because the learner has a chance to do something they want to do, something real, something exciting.

The Power of PBL Classroom walls expand to the community at large and self-esteem soars as students work harder than ever before on relevant, real-world challenges.

Defining Features of PBL CONTENT Compelling Ideas (TEKS) ACTIVITIES Investigative and Engaging CONDITIONS Support Student Autonomy RESULTS Real-world products

PBL PROJECT ORGANIZER

With increased use of PBL most teachers experience: More coaching and modeling Less telling More finding out along with students More cross-disciplinary thinking Less specialization More teamwork Less privacy and isolation

More use of multiple and primary resources Fewer texts More multi-dimensional assessment Less paper-pencil testing More performance based assessment/less knowledge-based assessment More varied materials and media More teachers experience...

How do students benefit from PBL? PBL... Evokes active, deep, generative processing that keeps kids interested Allows students to construct their own knowledge thereby improving learning (better transfer, retention) Helps students become better problem solvers. Offers multiple ways for students to participate Accommodates different intelligences

Expands students capabilities to display and manipulate information Shifts students away from what they normally do giving students a richer, more “authentic” learning experience. Widens students interests and career options Multiplies the ways students can contribute to project work.

Tips for Getting Started Begin simply and slowly. Choose elements of PBL that makes sense for your content area. Do what’s comfortable. Set rules and guidelines for behavior. Take risks. Be patient. PBL doesn’t have to be yet another thing to fit into your program. Use it to integrate and pull together other aspects of learning.

Two Powerfully, Personal PBL High School Examples The Aquarium Problem The Biodome

The Aquarium Problem

THE BIODOME PROJECT

PBL Websites

A PBL Resource Lewin & Shoemaker 1998 ASCD Provides examples of performance assessments and accompanying rubrics

A Coin Model as Metaphor What do we teach? Content Process Curriculum Assessment Cumulative Project Edge

A Penny, Some Water, & A Cup Fill your plastic cup with water – right to the brim. Place the cup on top of your penny. Cover the top of the glass. Can you see the penny? What explanation can you give for the phenomenon you observed?

Can you see the penny? Don’t strain your eyes! You won’t see the penny. In order to see something, light reflected from the object must reach your eyes. Since light can pass through water, it’s puzzling that there is no spot where we can see the penny. There is a spot – but it is covered by the cover. The rays are bent as they pass from one transparent substance to another. This moves the image of the penny upward. (That’s why the bottoms of pools seem more shallow than they really are.) When the penny is under cover, you can’t see it unless you look straight down. For a strange illusion, remove the cover and view the surface of the water from the side. The image of the penny will appear on the surface of the water.

Summary -- Shedding some light on... The Three P’s Schools that are doing well Project/Problem based learning Curriculum/Assessment/Projects