I want project based learning in my classroom (I have the Technology)

Anatomy of a Project: "Soil Superheroes"

http://www.edutopia.org/maine-project-learning-multiple-disciplines-community-guide-video

The 7^th grade students at King Middle School in Maine worked on a semester long project on how bacteria are beneficial to the health of soil.  Their end product is a cartoon pamphlet that will be distributed in local garden centers, university, and local main flower show.  This project matches the 7^th grade Life Science standards and can be modified for the 6^th grade Earth Science Standards of Georgia.  6th grade does not focus on the bacteria (life science) but more on the composition and conservation of the soil.  The project idea could be modified to work with local farmers and scientists to work on effective ways to conserve the soil.

The teachers across several subject areas started by working together to schedule the project throughout the semester and build a model before the students began working on the project themselves.  Their pamphlet required a variety of subject areas such as a science, math, language arts, art, and contained multimedia.   They had community scientists come in to work together with the students to provide feedback.  They had Comic book Artist come to present and teach the students how to make an effective cartoon.  The students made storyboards and planned out their cartoons.  Once they completed their cartoons they scanned them and added them to their pamphlets along with other vital information to be distributed in the community.   

The students were given an organizing tool to guide them in organizing their data.  Their folders were scaffold according to the subject areas. This allowed for the students to easily locate the information when they needed for the final product.  The scaffolding of the folders was taught before the students even learned about bacteria. They also were given questions to help guide them in their research. Later local scientist came to the school to help and provide feedback to their research.

Engaged Learning Indicators:

I felt that the following indicators were strong and present in the following (video) “Soil Superheroes” project.

Standards-based: The 7th grade Teachers came together to produce a project based learning for the semester.  Life Science standards were addressed when they incorporated the bacteria and used technology to complete their final product

Challenging:  The students did not just learn about what a bacteria was they had to show the role that bacteria plays and why bacteria can be important. 

Authentic:  The students took on the role of a scientist in researching bacteria’s in the soil and how they are beneficial.  They then had to take that information and make an informative pamphlet that was going to be distributed in the local community.  The students had scientist and artists provide feedback on their research and final product development before it was to be published for distribution.  This project falls in about 1/2 of the learning experience continuum. 

Multidisciplinary:  Students used the following subject areas to complete their products; Math for the size of the bacteria, Science the majority of the research, Language Arts to properly discuss and address their issues to the community, Art for the cartoon, and Multimedia using different technology tools to complete their product.

Student Roles:  Explorers, Teachers, and Producers.  Bacteria are seen many times as a bad thing.  The students were to look at them as a helpful tool instead.  They needed to research and work with local scientists to build up their information.  They were then to make a pamphlet that included all the vital information that was to be distributed in the community to other consumers.  It would be nice to see if the students had more of their personal questions being addressed throughout the project.    

Teacher Role; Guide – Co-learner / Co-investigator:  The teachers came up with the schedule and models for the students to follow.  The teachers also gave students questions they needed to answer and guide their research.  Teachers even learned from the scientists prior to the project to be able to help and guide their students throughout the project.

Collaborative:  The students worked with the local scientists and artists for feedback on the information they were providing on the pamphlet.  The students also critiqued their fellow peers work when they presented.  

Performance-based:  The students need to complete a pamphlet at the end of the project to be distributed to the local community. 

I believe that this project falls somewhere in the middle of the authentic continuum.  Many indicators are present but some are a little weak or don’t seem to be present.  The project seems to be in greater part teacher directed.  It doesn’t show much of where the questions were more students directed.  Students did take a big part in developing and collaborating with scientist and artist in the community for the development of their product. The students also had to think of bacteria in a different way as oppose to what the conventional learning of bacteria.   The students didn’t just have to learn what is a bacteria but they had to show the benefits and uses of a bacteria.  Critiquing by the local community and fellow peers was evident but I would have like to been informed of a rubric or how the teachers were assessing the students throughout the project since it was an extensive and lengthen throughout the semester.  How did the students remain on task on the project since it was spread out? 

The students were about at a 7 in motivation.  The idea of using a comic as part of the product was a good idea.  It is a different aspect then just having to write out information.  The pamphlet allowed the students to target different people in the community and teach them about bacteria in their own soil.  Also having their product mass produced in multiple community places and events is a motivation for students.  They see their work counting for something and not just a useless piece of paper worked on for a long time.

In the video the LoTi Level appears to be at a 4.  Technology was useful in organizing the student’s data and completing the final product. The teachers explained and provided a guide to organizing the data on the school server and then how they would be able to retrieve it at a later date.  Students used to the computer to research their questions from all their subject area.  They used scanners and other software to edit the comic.  They used other software to create their pamphlet. There were other sources of technology mentioned but not shown.  It would be nice to maybe have them use a computer program or website that helps create cartoons.  

This video provided a great insight to project based learning.  It provided a great template for setting up an intricate project.  At the bottom of the video there were posting for the template and examples you could use.  The other good thing is that the template can be modified to accomplish the 6^th grade standards or other lower grade levels. There are many places for improving and strengthening the indicators.  Of course in the short video not all indicators were properly provided. With technology changing there can be in the future ways to improve or add on to the project to help strengthen those indicators.    This video shows that it can be done.  You do, however, need to have the support of your fellow faculty and community to have a successful project that touches upon the standards and in which the student learns without even knowing.