How interesting!!!
This reading actually excites me because as a history teacher, PBL can be used to express certain aspects of lessons. I agree with the students, especially ryan who said that students do not want to take out their social studies books and outline everything. I truely feel, that in a manageably controlled environment, the students will react in a more ethical way. When students are challenged with a project, no matter what age, I believe they would rather work on a project than be lectured to for an hour.
Power to these students seems to be their essential tool. They call it power, I call it freedom. They have the ability to leave the classroom anytime they want, it is impressive that they all do stay in line, not all students behave so ethically or responsibly. I mean I understand that maybe the teacher told them this project will only happen this once if every one does not stay on task, but I was that age once, not all students are going to follow directions. Hurray for these students who do behave exceptionally, and all averaged higher than their previous tests.
I do not agree to standards and standardized tests, because certain students just cannot do well on tests; but they do seem to be necessary, they give educators a guideline, something they understand the students should learn by the end of their school year. In saying that, PBL's are a great idea, but if educators are to follow standards while educating their students, how on earth will even a majority of these standards be met if a classroom performs these projects at a higher frequency? Will they not fall behind?
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I agree with you 100%. As a future history teacher myself, I feel that PBL can be an essential tool to help further understand the past and situations from the past. In addition, I also am not a fan of standardized tests, whether it be for middle schoolers, high schoolers or college students. I took the Praxis II in March and it was like a giant SAT with random questions. How does doing well on that test prove to the state that I am going to be a good teacher? What if I am just really good at taking tests and happen to know a wide range of random facts? I understand that a Social Studies teacher needs to know their content, but does the fact that I can tell you a similarity between the Code of Hummurbai and the Justinian Code of the Byzantine Empire make me a good teacher?
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