PBL Blog - Third Step

Example PBL: Hawaiian School Carnival #2

The students in this PBL are trying to raise the money to fund a technology center for their elementary school. The grade level was chosen for the 6th and 7th grade students and fulfills the want and need for some prior knowledge. The strengths of this PBL outweigh the negatives I feel because they focus so much on the process standards. The grade level is appropriate and they are doing something that will affect them directly which fulfills the real life connection. The problem also covers allot of the curriculum that they have either learned are pretty familiar with.

Example PBL: Mall Madness

Through the PBL the students are attempting to build a child based learning area in a local mall. They are given the opportunity to do something that will affect their community directly and perhaps even affect themselves; depending how often they make use of the mall. They will be learning how this problem will affect them personally and relate back to the real life. This type of activity/problem gives the students independence while giving them something challenging. Group work will help the students become better communicators and work better with others. This PBL yet again meets my standards of what a PBL should look like. There are many good qualities throughout this PBL.

Both of these Problems are related in multiple ways. The biggest and most important aspect is that they both relate back to the process standards. The process standards can be seen being acted upon in both PBL's which is why I am so positive for the both of them. I really have not had too much experience in PBL's so it is hard for me to tell what these PBL's are doing wrong. I can tell you however that both of these are getting the students engaged and providing them with something challenging and relatable.

The carnival one I really enjoyed because what they were doing was coming directly back to the school in the ways of technology. I cannot say the same for the mall PBL because they are doing it more so for the community and not their school. I would have liked to see both PBL's be associated with the schools instead of something else.

Both groups did a fine job assessing the students work. There are always so many things that you have to take into account when assessing all the students work so it is hard to have the same thing written down every time. Different assignments call for different measures. All in all the assessments look fine to me.