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PBL for Remote Learning

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Hasan Akkaya Muhammet Kucuker 1008 Points

How can a STEM teacher keep students connected and engaged, so a project is just as powerful as what would be expected in their traditional classroom?

Emily Faulconer Emily Faulconer 5755 Points

I use weekly workshops for big projects. Each workshop is in the LMS discussion function but the workshops are very clearly task-based. The rubrics reinforce this. There is an engagement expectation, but they also have to complete certain tasks for the rubric to a certain quality. Each workshop tackles a common stumbling block for the major project. For example, for the Lit Review paper in my Environmental Science class, one workshop focuses on the evaluation of sources while another focuses on synthesis. In my Chemistry class for their Chemistry in the Real World project, one workshop focuses on module connections - to help them bridge what they are doing to what they have learned in the class. 

Makayla Schluter Makayla Schluter 515 Points

Hello Muhammet!

I think this is a very valuable question to pose, especially during this period of remote learning! I am a pre-service teacher and would love to know more about this as well. Recently, I completed a professional development course on integrating technology into PBL projects. Granted, the content revolved around the notion that students are in the classroom, however, some of the components may still be applicable to the remote setting. 

From this course and my experience working with my peers in the remote setting, I believe Google docs and Zoom are best for keeping the value collaboration piece of PBL activated. Students value the face-to-face interaction and are able to work collaboratively on a document. They can also work with other applications through the shared screen function of Zoom. 

From the professional development course I completed, I found there are also ways to share student work virtually for authentic audiences. The course suggested Kidblogs, a site that allows students to post their written work and receive responses and feedback from local individuals to those world wide through a safe online environment. Students can also collaborate in a remote setting and produce authentic demonstrations of knowledge through social media accounts, videos, or mobile campaigns. 

I believe the most critical components of PBL to maintain in the remote setting are effective collaboration and demonstrations of knowledge for an authentic purpose or goal. 

Thank you for generating this discussion! I look forward to learning from the other responses you recieve.

Makayla Schluter

Jennifer Hielkema Jennifer Hielkema 30 Points

I love any program that allows me to see my student's progress real-time. When I can see what my student's are doing in the moment, I can engage them in the conversations that are crucial for developing the thought processes that are needed in a STEM classroom. Right now, we are using GoGuardian as a school so I can see what the students are doing on school chrome books at all times. This has helped while running simulations on Gizmos and doing quests on Classcraft. If students run into problems it is just like looking over their shoulder to see exactly what has them stumped.

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