Profession Growth Plan/Profession Learning Template(PLT)
Mr. Allison
Mr. Allison
1. Faith GoalShawn: My goal is to embrace my unique skill sets and use them to foster valuable skills and talents in students with similar skill sets and interests.
(Social Justice/Coach/Sports/Physical/Guitar/Education/Science/ Math/Technology/Leadership/Mentorship) How: I will do all of these things. I will also answer the reflection questions in my District Faith Booklet. I will create a Year End with my grade 9's |
GPCSD District Theme
Year I Theme: God’s Dream for You God has blessed each one for us with a unique set of gifts and talents. God wants each one of us to become the best, most complete version of ourself. With prayer and God’s grace we can become the “Disciple” God has intended us to be. First Reading Is. 50:4-9 Second Reading Acts 2:14-21 Gospel Mt. 28:16-20. |
2. Project Based Learning |
“Project-based learning is a dynamic classroom approach in which students actively explore real-world problems and challenges and acquire a deeper knowledge.” http://www.edutopia.org/project-based-learning
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Essential Question:
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Why did I choose Project Based Learning?
A. I have chosen PBL because I believe that students learn more efficiently when they can work with/create their own visual/manipulative. I believe that there needs to be a mixture of inquiry-based learning mixed with traditional lessons. I believe that choice is an integral part of Project Based Learning – students
B. Reference the Teaching Quality Standard and how this document relates to my choice
TQS - 3 d) Teachers know there are many approaches to teaching and learning: Teachers appreciate individual differences and believe all students can learn, albeit at different rates and in different ways. They recognize students’s different learning styles and the different ways they learn, and accommodate these differences in individuals and groups of students including students with special learning needs.
Teachers understand the fluidity of teaching and learning. They constantly monitor the effectiveness and appropriateness of their practices and students’ activities, and change them as needed.
A. I have chosen PBL because I believe that students learn more efficiently when they can work with/create their own visual/manipulative. I believe that there needs to be a mixture of inquiry-based learning mixed with traditional lessons. I believe that choice is an integral part of Project Based Learning – students
B. Reference the Teaching Quality Standard and how this document relates to my choice
TQS - 3 d) Teachers know there are many approaches to teaching and learning: Teachers appreciate individual differences and believe all students can learn, albeit at different rates and in different ways. They recognize students’s different learning styles and the different ways they learn, and accommodate these differences in individuals and groups of students including students with special learning needs.
Teachers understand the fluidity of teaching and learning. They constantly monitor the effectiveness and appropriateness of their practices and students’ activities, and change them as needed.
ResearchPBL - Best Practices
For many educators, the reason to center learning on a project is to increase students’ motivation to learn. Motivation is increased by extending the use of knowledge attained beyond the classroom and into the real world. For many students, this makes learning more interesting as they can attach their learning to a real-life problem. Blumenfeld, Soloway, Marx, Krajcik, Guzdial, and Palincsar (1991) note that, “… projects [of the PBL variety] can serve to build bridges between phenomena in the classroom and real-life experience” (p. 372).
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The atmosphere of cooperation that is meant to be a hallmark of a project-based learning classroom is likely to foster a focus on learning and mastery (John W. Thomas, 2000, p. 6). Ames (1992) writes, “With a mastery goal, individuals are oriented toward developing new skills, trying to understand their work, improving their level of competence, or achieving a sense of mastery based on self-referenced standards” (p. 262). This orientation of mastery increases students quality of engagement in learning and their willingness to persist in the face of difficulty (Ames, 1992).
Many schools implementing project based learning see improvements on their standardized test results (Geier, et al., 2008). Thomas (2000) notes, “Nine out of ten schools that implemented Expeditionary Learning [one type of PBL school] in 1993 demonstrated significant improvement in students’ test scores on standardized tests of academic achievement” (p. 9). PBL has also been found to be more effective for students than traditional instruction when it comes to long term retention (Strobel & van Barneveld, 2008) and in preparing them to integrate and explain concepts (Capon & Kuhn, 2004).
The importance of the teacher’s role in the PBL classroom.
The role of the teacher in a PBL classroom is of central importance. They act as a guide more than a director, and their guidance is instrumental to the success of students in a PBL classroom. The guide is required to help students scaffold their learning and to keep the project manageable. The importance of having a guide to help with scaffolding new information can be seen from the following findings:
A series of reviews by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences has recently described the results of experiments that provide evidence for the negative consequences of unguided science instruction at all age levels and across a variety of science and math content. (Kirschner, Clark, & Sweller, 2006)
In contrast to unguided learning, PBL incorporating a teacher as a facilitator and guide, often yields superior results (Hmelo-Silver, Duncan, & Chinn, 2007). A direct comparison in which scaffolding in PBL was found to be superior to direct instruction was exemplified when students working on a memory project were found to have learned a great deal more from a lecture on memory than students who did not engage in the project. Hmelo-Silver, Duncan and Chinn (2007) found, “The students who received the lecture after trying to explain the data learned much more from the lecture” (p. 102).
Many schools implementing project based learning see improvements on their standardized test results (Geier, et al., 2008). Thomas (2000) notes, “Nine out of ten schools that implemented Expeditionary Learning [one type of PBL school] in 1993 demonstrated significant improvement in students’ test scores on standardized tests of academic achievement” (p. 9). PBL has also been found to be more effective for students than traditional instruction when it comes to long term retention (Strobel & van Barneveld, 2008) and in preparing them to integrate and explain concepts (Capon & Kuhn, 2004).
The importance of the teacher’s role in the PBL classroom.
The role of the teacher in a PBL classroom is of central importance. They act as a guide more than a director, and their guidance is instrumental to the success of students in a PBL classroom. The guide is required to help students scaffold their learning and to keep the project manageable. The importance of having a guide to help with scaffolding new information can be seen from the following findings:
A series of reviews by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences has recently described the results of experiments that provide evidence for the negative consequences of unguided science instruction at all age levels and across a variety of science and math content. (Kirschner, Clark, & Sweller, 2006)
In contrast to unguided learning, PBL incorporating a teacher as a facilitator and guide, often yields superior results (Hmelo-Silver, Duncan, & Chinn, 2007). A direct comparison in which scaffolding in PBL was found to be superior to direct instruction was exemplified when students working on a memory project were found to have learned a great deal more from a lecture on memory than students who did not engage in the project. Hmelo-Silver, Duncan and Chinn (2007) found, “The students who received the lecture after trying to explain the data learned much more from the lecture” (p. 102).
What impact will Project Based Learning have on student Learning?
I believe that PBL will have a great impact on student learning by creating stronger connections (authentic tasks) to the information - PBL will help create more engagement . They will get a choice for most projects so they can choose the direction in which they decide to go.
I believe that PBL will have a great impact on student learning by creating stronger connections (authentic tasks) to the information - PBL will help create more engagement . They will get a choice for most projects so they can choose the direction in which they decide to go.
My Plan
1. Create good authentic projects (multiple options, different styles, etc.)
2. Create/Edit/Re-edit an appropriate rubric that may be applied to all science projects
3. Re-evaluate each project
4. Re-evaluate overall learning vs. traditional lessons
5. Need Audiences (Other classes, Teachers, Principles, Parents, Outside Experts, On-line, etc.)
6. Post stronger curricular Ties
7. ....... ongoing
1. Create good authentic projects (multiple options, different styles, etc.)
2. Create/Edit/Re-edit an appropriate rubric that may be applied to all science projects
3. Re-evaluate each project
4. Re-evaluate overall learning vs. traditional lessons
5. Need Audiences (Other classes, Teachers, Principles, Parents, Outside Experts, On-line, etc.)
6. Post stronger curricular Ties
7. ....... ongoing
Ongoing Evidence of Implementation
Pre-evidence.....
I wanted to create a rubric that could be used in a variety of projects - science projects, science fair, etc. This rubric contains some important factors that I have used in all of my projects - contents of a good science project, self assessment, peer assessment, etc. I now use this rubrics as benchmarks to assess the projects during the process. I have recently decided that using checklists that are more specific for each project is a better way to go - based off of the outcomes. |
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The beginning.......PBL - Mars Project
Starting to take shape......Science 8
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More development - Math 8 - Square Roots
I gave these students the choice of 3 projects and the ability to present their information in a variety of ways - I-movie, showeverything. |
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Currently working on.......
Twitter: #MightyPeaceMovement - Science 9/Social Justice/ Leadership 9
On going - Students are currently working on an Environmental Chemistry Project that involves a creation of a company, the use of a board room setting, use of Social Media, communication and collection of K-Cups, Tassimo Pods, and Batteries. To be posted soon...
Currently working on:
- PBL Final Assessment in Science 8 and Math 8 - Solving the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
- PBL Final Assessment in Science 7 - Sudden Change!
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PERSONAL LEARNING NETWORK: |
St. Marys Sexsmith
Mr. Daniel Standring, Mrs. Kate Weber, Ms. Chelsea Stone Mrs. Genevieve Payeur, |
GPCSD
Mrs. Lesley Allison Mrs. Alicia Burdess Mrs. Jesse Shirley Mm. Doris Diret Mr. Jonathon Mr. Cameron Mcmillan Ms. Kristy Lorenz Mrs. Donna Gordon |
Reflection of PBL
This is not done....... :-) But....
I have realized that what I thought I knew about PBL was wrong.....then, more right then I secondly thought. I have decided that PBL has some very useful attributes that I plan on implementing in the future, however, the greatest part of PBL that complements my philosophy and teaching style is using Authentic/Real World or Hands-on tasks.
I originally thought that PBL was creating projects for students that would enhance their learning. After doing some research, I have realized that PBL does not involve a project at the end of the unit to reinforce the material. Instead, presenting the project at the beginning of the unit and teaching towards the project throughout the unit has increased my students ability learn the material - they have shown a deeper understanding.
I have also realized that several outcomes are common in the different core subjects - this will save alot of valuable time throughout the year. Instead of several teachers taking time to cover the same outcome, one teacher could take of it or several teachers could take less time. I'm a fan of that!
I have realized that it takes a lot of front-end preparation for this to go....but once it's developed it is totally worth it....with a few tweaks here and there. I have come to realize that checklists - instead of my general rubric - is a great tool for formative assessment or benchmarks during the project.
The most important reflective piece that I have come away with is that I have come to realize the importance of Authentic/Real World Tasks (also hands on tasks). I have come to realize that Authentic Tasks develop a much stronger tie to the outcomes(information needed to be learned. I now try to teach as much of the concepts as possible by using real world tasks/situations or by using manipulatives or any hands-on developed/building assignment.
I have realized that what I thought I knew about PBL was wrong.....then, more right then I secondly thought. I have decided that PBL has some very useful attributes that I plan on implementing in the future, however, the greatest part of PBL that complements my philosophy and teaching style is using Authentic/Real World or Hands-on tasks.
I originally thought that PBL was creating projects for students that would enhance their learning. After doing some research, I have realized that PBL does not involve a project at the end of the unit to reinforce the material. Instead, presenting the project at the beginning of the unit and teaching towards the project throughout the unit has increased my students ability learn the material - they have shown a deeper understanding.
I have also realized that several outcomes are common in the different core subjects - this will save alot of valuable time throughout the year. Instead of several teachers taking time to cover the same outcome, one teacher could take of it or several teachers could take less time. I'm a fan of that!
I have realized that it takes a lot of front-end preparation for this to go....but once it's developed it is totally worth it....with a few tweaks here and there. I have come to realize that checklists - instead of my general rubric - is a great tool for formative assessment or benchmarks during the project.
The most important reflective piece that I have come away with is that I have come to realize the importance of Authentic/Real World Tasks (also hands on tasks). I have come to realize that Authentic Tasks develop a much stronger tie to the outcomes(information needed to be learned. I now try to teach as much of the concepts as possible by using real world tasks/situations or by using manipulatives or any hands-on developed/building assignment.