Here at PNA all of our students are engaged in Project Based Learning. These experiences are an intricate blend of curricular content, meaningful activities and opportunities for the students to develop personal connections within their own learning. The Buck Institute of Education’s site PBLWorks identifies 7 specific advantages students gain when engaged in Project Based Learning. Our current project entitled “Community Connections” provides an opportunity to experience each of these advantages. Since we are in the middle of the project and haven’t yet finished the whole learning experience, only the first 3 are highlighted below.
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Engaged hearts and minds
Students are actively engaged in this project and have each chosen a community member/ career that they have personal interest in. This might be that they aspire to that career path in the future or simply because they are interested in what that career entails on day to day scope. |
Success skills The students have been working together in teams of two, interviewing different community members and finding out about the variety of jobs in a community. They are gaining valuable personal speaking skills as well as how to work cooperatively, take initiative and communicate their ideas. |
Exposure to adults and careers
This project provides ample opportunity for students to engage with real-world experts, people who are in a variety of careers. So far, students have interviewed a public librarian, an area biologist, and the president of BP Alaska, Upcoming interviews include a dog trainer, a geologist, a chef and a veterinarian, among others.
This project provides ample opportunity for students to engage with real-world experts, people who are in a variety of careers. So far, students have interviewed a public librarian, an area biologist, and the president of BP Alaska, Upcoming interviews include a dog trainer, a geologist, a chef and a veterinarian, among others.
As our work continues, look for the conclusion of the project in an upcoming blog post entitled “Community Connections Pt. 2” where you can find out how the remaining advantages of PBL – Deeper Learning, Creativity & Technology, Sense of Purpose, and Rewarding Teacher Relationships – come to play into this project.
To read more about the advantages of PBL in a student’s educational journey, please visit
https://www.pblworks.org/why-project-based-learning.