Double Entry #15

1. Give an example of an authentic form of assessment the students engaged in a PBL performed well on?
The students who applied geometry to build a playhouse performed very well when assessed. The text says that 84% of the students' creations were accurate enough to build.



2. How does project based learning promote intrinsic motivation?
The students are more excited about the learning because it is students based. The students get to choose the topic and figure out how they are going to get an answer. Also, because students want to learn they reach for higher reading level materials and also find themselves having a better understanding of their own learning styles (working alone in quiet, with a partner or group, or working alone but with noise, etc.).


3. What do students who experience PBL do better than student who receive traditional direct instruction?
Students who have expereiences with PBLs generally not only perform better in testing situations but also have better time management, accountability, and pride in their workd that those inthe tradition direct instruction settings. They get good at setting goals that are achievable and reaching those goals. They also tend to have much better collaboration skills.
4. How does PBL align with John Dewey's philosophy of education?
Dewy believes that the best learning occurs through experiences and that the definiton of prior knowledge is not so much what the students KNOW but rather what they have expereienced. The PBL lines with Dewey's philosophies because PBLs are giving students authentic experiences. The students are learning the KNOWLEDGE through experiences given to them rather than information thrown at them.
5. Why do our assessment practices need to change if we are going to prepare students for the 21st century?
Our assessment practices need to change because currently we are only testing whether or not the students know the content, which sometimes may change. We are not preparing the students to live in such a changing world. The students must learn to problem solve, collaborate, communicate, etc. and a paper pencil test only tests their knowledge, not their skills.