Going About This Backwards! Ch. 4 Developing an Implementation Plan

Today I realized I would be far ahead of the frustration curve had I read the ENTIRE book, Students Taking Charge, and designing my ENTIRE PBL before launching it in the classroom.

Of course, as timing would have it.
I had just begun the perfect unit to try this in
At the same time I began reading the book.

I have decided that not all is lost, though.
The learning curve for me has been huge!
I have been able to edit my assignments as we go so they are ready for next year.

Chapter 4 is about developing an Implementation Plan.
Hmmm...that would have been a good place to start!

As I had planned out my unit, I did make a list of learning activities that needed to be addressed along the way.  I had whole-class lessons, small group lessons, technology tutorials, and group work tasks all lined up.  However, I didn't have a clear picture of how it would all fit together.  This is what I learned from Chapter 4.

A Scaffold for Learning - What are the key concepts students need to learn and what is the order they need to learn them?
~ I had an idea of where I was headed with this.  I knew I wanted them to learn slope and the slope-intercept equation.  Obviously, I had the order in place.  I just didn't have the activities and scaffolding prepared to meet student needs.

Benchmark Lessons - 10-20 minute whole class lessons covering a concept...to inspire learning to continue.  A benchmark lesson connects  to prior learning, real life, and student's experiences.
~ For some reason, I had in my mind that a PBL was all about the student, and I steered away from the whole class lessons.  This would have been beneficial to have had this in place from the beginning.
~ Once I did interject a whole class lesson, I tied the concept of slope to walking up a staircase and the process that our legs go through to accomplish this task.  We also looked at the various sizes of steps and how this is like skipping steps...it's the same slope, just a larger step.

How-To Sheets - focuses on a particular skill such as various technology concepts with clearly numbered steps.  Perfect for the visual learner or independent learner.  Podcasts/videocasts work great and allow the teacher to still provide instruction at the learner's needs.
~ I provided how-to YouTube tutorials for Google Sketchup
~ I probably should have had a how-to for starting a scale drawing.

Small Group Mini Lessons -
~ I need to pre-plan these...and then have a sign-up sheet so students can plan as well.
~ By having How-To sheets and Learning Centers, these small group mini lessons can be more focused.

Learning Centers - I have always loved the idea of learning centers.  And in a PBL, it makes a lot of sense.  Students can pick and choose the concepts they need help on.
~ I can see now that I went about this backwards.  I had the learning centers first...then we went to the task...then to the benchmark lessons.
~ I need to think of this more as a WHOLE product/process instead of in PARTS.  Yes, the planning needs to be done in parts, but from what I've been reading, all of these parts of a PBL are fusing together the whole idea...happening not necessarily at the same time, but "in sync" with each other.

A Middle School Dance Analogy


At a middle school dance, there is music, dancing, conversation, and food.
There is no particular order that one must enjoy these activities.
Students can dance, eat, and mingle.
Or mingle, eat, and dance.
Occasionally, there will be a group dance such as the Chicken Dance where the DJ instructs dancers what to do.


A PBL is a like a middle school dance.


In the PBL there is learning (whole or small group), conversing (with peers with teacher), instruction (benchmark lessons), and questions (student directed).
For each student, the order these occur can be quite different.
Students can question, seek answers, collaborate, and apply.
Or they can seek knowledge, collaborate, and apply.
Occasionally, the teacher will interject with a benchmark lesson.
It's a dance of it's own.
Everyone moving together in harmony
Accomplishing the task of learning
In sync with each other.