As an NC State North Carolina Teaching Fellows Recipient, I have been provided multiple opportunities to grow my passion for STEM-focused education (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).  I believe STEM can make a positive impact in the field of education.  At NC State University, teacher candidates learn how to connect research to practice and develop a multitude of instructional strategies that can transform teaching and learning.  One particular instructional approach that I am super excited about implementing in my future classroom is Project-Based Learning (PBL).  PBL is a teaching style in which students gain information and skills by investigating and responding to an authentic, interesting, and complicated question, problem, or challenge over an extended period of time.

Author Heather Wolper-Gawron provides a more detailed definition of project-based learning in her piece “What the Heck is Project-Based Learning.” She defines PBL as the continuing process of

learning about multiple things at the same time. This is accomplished by leading students in identifying a real-world problem (from local to global) through research, designing a solution utilizing evidence to back up the claim, and presenting the answer using a multimedia approach based on a set of 21st-century technologies. As they progress through the unit and interact with it, children demonstrate what they have learned.

PBL (Project-Based Learning) is an excellent way to apply STEM knowledge to a real-world problem. Project-Based Learning is a teaching and learning method in which students investigate different concepts, ideas, and solutions in the context of a real-world problem or challenge.Take a glance at all of the benefits that have been identified in relationship to the implementation of Project-Based Learning:  

 

  • Deeper engagement and interaction with learning content
  • Encouragement of higher order thinking and problem-solving skills
  • Development of peer and professional networks
  • Engagement with potential employers and career mentors
  • Fostering of 21 st century skills like collaboration and communication
  • Enhanced autonomy and agency in learning
  • A sense of mastery and self-efficacy
  • Gaining valuable career insights   (from practera.com)

All of these benefits and more get me excited about the day I can implement PBL in my own classroom.  However, I know as a beginning teacher, I will have to look to resources such as this great video from Edutopia for support. 

https://www.edutopia.org/video/5-ways-begin-shift-toward-project-based-learning

I want my students to establish deeper connections to information, connect concepts across disciplines, and develop the questioning, thinking, and metacognitive abilities necessary for success in today’s quickly changing world.   by using a project-based approach to STEM learning I can make this happen!