#1 Part of Reader Response from session 8

Reader Response: Session 8

1. What do I want to remember from this reading assignment that may be helpful to my present or future teaching or to the ExCET exam?

Chapter 5

     When planning a PBL we must be aware of context, students, and curriculum.  We want all these things to be considered in development.  The challenge is to pick a role or scenario which will allow the students to “gain full understanding of the problem and its complexity.”  Problems should “lure them inside the situation and propel them toward action that is grounded in a true desire to learn and apply essential knowledge and skills to serve the needs of their problem.”  This is a big undertaking!  I think once a teacher has figured this part out, he/she will easily be able to accomplish the rest of the essential elements of PBL.  This is the biggest hurdle for me at least. J  Another hard thing for me from this chapter will be to make sure that I only give the children the basic information on the problem and the larger questions to be resolved, and not the design tools of where I want them to go.  I will have to bite my tongue.  

Chapter 6

     I also want to remember several things from chapter six.  Being a “coach” is a role I actually prefer.  If I feel that I have good clear direction in my head of where I want them to go, I can relax and be a questioning coach fairly easily.  I want to remember this will involve “exposing and facilitating student thinking and moving to deeper levels of understanding AND managing the PBL process itself in my classroom.”  One of the harder things for me to remember will be to ask all types of questions, especially metacognition questions.  I think I may print some of these question rubrics out and keep handy for easy recall until it becomes second nature.  I want to remember “well-placed questions that probe students to think further or challenge them to reconsider their thinking not only help students consider different aspects of a problem situation, but also encourage them to become critical thinkers.”  One wonderful tip from this chapter was the “talking chips” to use in cooperative groups.  I love that idea!

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