Project Based Learning

TechnoKids uses a Project Based Learning instructional approach. Project based learning is an instructional approach that poses challenging questions or presents real-world problems that are personally meaningful to students, and has them investigate these issues and propose viable solutions.

Project based learning is not new. As long ago as the early 1900's, John Dewey supported the use of projects to have students construct their knowledge. Educators for years have been designing activities that have students select a topic of interest, formulate questions about the topic, research information, and then present their findings in original ways such as a presentation, report, or poster. Educators call this type of assignment a project.

In recent years, project based learning has become an important instructional approach because it includes many components that are believed to promote learning. These include:

• Interdisciplinary: Interdisciplinary is the combination of two or more academic fields of study. Projects are interdisciplinary because they combine knowledge and skills from multiple subject areas such as language, visual arts, and social studies.
• Collaboration: Collaboration is a process where two or more people work together to reach a common goal. Projects often require collaboration between the student and teacher or the student and their peers. Students work with others to generate an idea, plan the process, manage the timeline, organize ideas, create the original work, and share the results.
• Inquiry: Inquiry is the search for knowledge or truth by asking questions, examining facts, and synthesizing the information. Projects often include an investigation into a problem to discover viable solutions with the search guided by a series of questions.
• Self Directed Learning: Self directed learning is when the student is able to independently undertake a task and make judgments without the direction of a teacher. During a project, the teacher often assumes the role of a facilitator. The teacher will help students gain an understanding of the assignment including the learning objectives, timeline, and criteria. Afterwards, the students within the given framework, will select a topic of interest, plan and organize their ideas, and carry out the assignment, with the teacher guiding the process.
• Motivational: Motivation is the incentive to act. Projects are often motivational to students because they are personally meaningful. During a project, students are actively engaged in the learning process, by selecting a topic of personal interest, picking the type of finished product, or contributing to the assessment of completed work. This encourages them to become involved in learning.
• Learning Style: A learning style is how a person comprehends, expresses, and remembers information to gain knowledge or develop skills. The learning style may be auditory, meaning learning occurs by hearing, visual, meaning learning occurs by seeing, or kinesthetic, meaning learning occurs by doing. Projects are an assignment that encourages each learning style.
• Critical Thinking: Critical thinking is the purposeful interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and synthesis of information used to make rational judgments or decisions. Projects often require students to engage in critical thinking.
• Creative Thinking: Creative thinking is the deliberate stimulation of the imagination to generate the creation of original, innovative, ideas, insights, processes, solutions, concepts, experiences, or objects. Projects often require students to engage in creative thinking.
• Technology Integration:Technology integration is the blending of computer-related learning activities into curriculum to have students acquire, organize, demonstrate, and communicate information. Projects offer an opportunity to integrate the use of technology.

Project based learning is an instructional approach that lends itself easily to the creation of projects. A project is an open-ended assignment that uses technology to create a unique product that is student-driven with the goal of achieving specific learning objectives from multiple subject areas. Throughout the learning process, technology is used to acquire, organize, demonstrate, and communicate information. The seamless integration of technology into each stage of the project creates a meaningful learning experience.

Project Based Learning is a unique approach to teaching technology skills. In many classrooms, students learn how to use the computer by completing lessons focused on a software application, such as Introduction to Word Level 1. This can lack interest for students and does not meet their individual needs. With project based learning students complete technology projects that focus around problem solving tasks. Students learn technology skills gradually as they complete activities such as publishing a magazine, creating a multimedia storyboard, or developing a website.

Project Based Learning is personally meaningful to students. This is because everyone in the class is learning the same technology skill, however within the framework of the technology project each student can pursue their own interests.

The integration of technology often makes teachers feel overwhelmed because it becomes one more thing that they have to do. It is true, that the integration of technology adds another layer of learning that must occur. However, there are many benefits to integrating technology into curriculum using project based learning:

• interdisciplinary nature of activities targets learning objectives from multiple subject areas
• simulates real problems to have students actively devise solutions
• creates learning opportunities based upon student interest and strengths
• engages learners by offering a meaningful learning activity
• offers multiple ways for students to participate and to demonstrate their knowledge
• accommodates different learning styles
• encourages the mastery of technological tools
• prompts students to collaborate
• offers a learning experience that draws on creative and critical thinking