Reflecting

Over the past several weeks I have been working on developing a PBL unit as part of my work for one of my courses.  This week, we were given a series of questions to answer.  I've decided to go through them one by one.  I hope you enjoy reading my responses.

Will my role in the teaching/learning process change?

The transformation from teaching in a traditional method and a PBL approach is very noticeable.  Instead of being the instructor at the front passing along knowledge, the teacher becomes more of a mentor/facilitator to the students.  That being said for the past several years I've worked in schools where they use a similar approach to PBL and I have already gone through the process of adapting my teaching methodology to fit the student centered methodologies required of the PBL.  

Additionally, my current role in my school is IT Integrator and I don't actually teach specific classes.  Instead I work with the teachers to develop and plan units that integrate technology.  I rarely have direct lecture style lessons.  Instead when a student needs support, they will ask me, and I will provide guidance for them.  Where appropriate, I do my best to ensure that the students are involved in solving the issues to help them further develop their technology skills.

  What are the skills of effective facilitation?

IT would be impossible for me to list all of the skills that are necessary for effective facilitation as the list would be a mile long, if not longer.  However, there are two skills that I deem vitally important:

Problem Solving:  The idea behind problem solving is not that you jump in and solve any issues the students have but develop the skills necessary to identify when a student is experiencing difficulities that they will be able to overcome given some time and when a student requires assistance from the teacher to develop a skill or understand a concept that will help them continue in the PBL unit.

This skill is particularly important for students to learn as we want to develop learners who are able to tackle challenges when they are presented with them and not simply seek help every time they have an issue.  This is important skill for students to develop in real life, as struggling with concepts, skills, and ideas are usually a part of the learning process and it's important for students to feel comfortable in these types of situations.

Flexibility: Flexibility is a key aspect to facilitation within a PBL unit.  There is no one way a PBL unit will unfold and no matter how well planned a unit is, there will always be something that arises.  Whether it's a project that takes longer to complete, or students interests taking them in different paths than the ones you predicted.  The goal here is to be flexible and make necessary changes while keeping they eye on the big picture.  If you notice that things are in fact getting off track from the big picture of the unit, then there might need to be some more guidance or revision of the unit.

Will the students develop the competencies and skills needed to be successful?

The short answer is yes.  If you are developing a unit and the final assessment requires competencies and skills that the students have not had any exposure to prior, then there might be an issue with the unit.  During the introductory week(s), of a PBL unit students should be exposed to the necessary competencies and skills that will be required in order to be successful.  The final assessment should build upon this base and allow the students to not only demonstrate their competencies but also to further develop them.

What changes will you need to make in order to become an effective facilitator in your PBL unit?

While I am comfortable with the PBL approach as a similar approach is used in my current school, I still struggle with the concept of letting go and allowing the students to be self-directed learners.    This is a real issue that many teachers face for a variety of reason.  IT could be concerns about testing, pressure from admin/school community, or simply being uncomfortable when not in full control of the activities in their classroom.  I still struggle with this concept and have to continually remind myself that after all these years, the students will be alright, they will enjoy the learning process, and more importantly will learn more during the unit than I imagined possible. 

Integrating Transdisciplinary Learning

As an IB PYP school, we are obligated to create units that are transdisciplinary.  This means that wherever possible subjects like Art, Math, PE, Language, and Music should be tied into the unit of inquiry.  This is not an easy process and many schools do this differently depending upon the size and culture of the school.  However in my experience there are several things that help make transdiciplinary learning/activities possible.

Planning:

Time must be made for all the teacher involved in the unit to meet together.  This helps to ensure the teachers are all on the same page with the direction of the unit.  It also allows for teachers who are specialists to provide additional strategies and suggestions.  For example, during an art based unit, the art teacher is a valuable resource and can provide ideas and suggestions for activities/field trips that can be done with the home room teacher.

Reflection:

Reflecting after a unit is key.  This allows for teachers to provide their feedback on what worked well and what didn't work well.  The aim is to use these reflections to make necessary changes to the units the following year.

Communication:

Communication plays an essential part in transdiciplinary learning.  Teachers must continual communicate with each other so the progress of the unit can be monitored and changes made to other lessons if necessary.  Additionally, teachers need to ensure the connections between classes is clear to the students.

Buy-in:

In order for any transdisciplinary unity to be effective, teachers must buy in to the concept.  If teachers do not see the value in the linking units across the subject areas, then they will not be successful.

Those are really the 4 key elements that I see as essential for transdisciplinary learning to be successful.