My initial thoughts on Project Based Learning were “Ok, now that I know a little but more about what PBL is, how can I implement this as a teacher in my classroom for such young kids?” So creating this project definitely helped me get a better idea of how I could do that. It would be great to use as an introduction to the class, so they can feel more comfortable with me. I know I personally like it when teachers have some kind of autobiographical presentation on the first day so we aren’t complete strangers. It is also great for, say, Open Houses, for basically the same reason- the parents get to see who I am and who is the woman with their child for numerous hours every day. It could also be a great way to just introduce a new topic in a fun and interesting way to keep the children motivated to learn.
I plan to teacher either Kindergarten or P.E., so one way I could use PBL to teach in my classroom is to introduce a new topic, for example, hermit crabs. The students could create some type of booklet to help learn as many things about hermit crabs as they can, for example, their body parts, what happens to them as they grow (molting), etc. I think it would be a fun way for them to learn about an interesting topic, and to take it one step further, we could even adopt a class pet and learn how to take care of it. They can find the information from books in the library or the internet.
Another way I could use PBL to teach would be for the students to learn how to make their own Powerpoint presentation to later share with the class. Since I want to teach Kindergarten, this will obviously be harder, but I think with the way technology is expanding, it would be a great start for them, and children are never too young to learn. Each child could pick one subject to research, say their favorite animal (specific), and create maybe 10 or so slides to teach the class about that animal. It is another great and fun way for the children to learn and practice technology skills at the same time.
Hey Gabby! I totally agree with what you are talking about. When I was reading this all it was doing was making me have cool ideas about what I could possibly do one day in my classroom. I really like what you said about your students making their own powerpoint. I was saying that exact thing. I know that when I help others learn (teach them) that it also helps me to learn. I will definately at some point have my students present about something and "teach" there fellow students. :)
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