I am a psychologist and former teacher who has enjoyed reading all of your comments. I would like to comment on It Takes A Village and to some of your responses. Though the article was very interesting I am always slightly cautious when rendering an opinion on an article that has not been deemed valid or reliable and shares only one point of view. Having said that, I do believe that experiential learning is important to the human conditioning and the learning process. Rather than reiterate all of the positive points of the article that many of you have made I do think we must take into consideration that the basics are important and that testing, to some degree, has its merits. It would be wonderful if all students could experience some of what Lucas has experienced. Unfortunately, that is simply not realistic. I understand that the article does not talk about traveling to different parts of the world as a way to learn however, if you take note of many of our school trips you will see that we are talking about Japan, England, Spain etc. Every community has its own wealth of untapped knowledge and I do think that we should offer it as an option or even mandate as a component of the educational process but it seems to me that our children have gotten from us (the adults in the community) that they must venture outside of their community to achieve such rich experiences. To some degree we do mandate experientail learning as I believe that is the purpose of the community service component to our education system. The problem with community service is the way in which it is presented to the students. The majority of students that I have had contact with see community service as a boring mundane thing that they have to do in order to graduate. The question becomes, from where did that attitude come? I think we must look at the individuality of students and help them focus on their strengths, dreams, and ambitions. If that means exploring other wonderful cultures etc then great but I also think that sometimes we have to understand that for some students it might not be what the doctored ordered. I have learned that great treasures can be found anywhere in the world if one is motivated enough and has the DESIRE to search for it and yet, sometimes the greatest treasures are found in ones own backyard.

Hi..my name is Janie Peters, and though I currently live in the principal's office, I spent over 20 years teaching Pre-school and Art education. I was immediately attracted to the article on project-based learning, as it is the way I have always taught. In order for children to make sense of anything they do, there has to be meaning and purpose. Once there is a clear goal, then the steps toward achieving that goal create an entire process involving learning pieces. Every year in Nursery class (three year olds) we would construct a house using cereal boxes. The collection process was the initial piece, creating the occasion for comparative and descriptive vocabulary, and letter recognition.(nearly every child could read the word "free", found on most boxes) We would put them in size order, count them, and do simple addition and subtraction.
The project continued for several months, including visits from architects, builders, plumbers, etc, until we had built a playhouse tall enough for me to stand in the middle of. Even the demolition of the house became a recycling project that was filled with learning.
I would suggest this project even for a high school class, where the same elements could be used, with the concepts at a higher level.
I think that our minds naturally seek out patterns and purpose, making project learning important, and we are filled with satisfaction when the project is completed.
The one word of caution I would put out is that we need to be careful not to throw out the baby with the bath water. To suggest that we do only projects and not include learning basic skills as part of the process is dangerous. Children still need to memorize math facts, sequence the alphabet, and other basics. Even though there are calculators, and computers with spell check and the ability to create graphs, there is no substitution for being able to do it yourself. Aside from the obvious possibility of electronic malfunction, the mental pratise involved in learning basic skills enhances development and self-reliance.

Edited by author 04-23-2006 04:35 PM
What an interesting and thoughtful conversation. I am currently an English teacher at the 8th grade level and feel often caught in the juggernaut between state testing and this new field of project-based or experiential learning. I often feel as if there are two curriculums competing in my classroom because, in my experience, one is EITHER preparing for the state test OR having a project-based assessment. I have thought long and hard on it and -although I wish it were different - find that the state requirements are so exacting and so strict, one is often at a loss as to how to prepare students adequately AND have some creativity at the same time. Perhaps the state needs to back off a bit and release some control, or perhaps WE need to have seriously focused collaborative curriculum-writing time in order to figure out how to encompass the project into the test preparation. It does indeed "take a village" because no one teacher can turn the tide or figure this one out for herself (believe me, I'VE TRIED!), but I think if we're all committed enough, there is a way through dialogue or Quick Topics like this that we can approach our goal, using one another for sounding boards or support.

Edited by author 04-23-2006 08:51 PM
Janie I agree with what you said here"The one word of caution I would put out is that we need to be careful not to throw out the baby with the bath water. To suggest that we do only projects and not include learning basic skills as part of the process is dangerous." Somewhere in the articles it advised caution. I believe it was "Start with a Pyramid". In any case it would be wise to incorporate many styles.

Unfortunately project based learning is considered hard work by some teachers. Changing the way we think. Changing the way our classroom management is handled. Some teachers do not believe in cooperative learning. To hard! Some blame it on the states curriculum demands. We have too much to cover! Some say that integrating curriculm is to difficult because of the lack of collaboration time. It is hard to have a "Shared Vision".

I do believe that assessment is valuable but how authentic are our assessments. I would like to see more authenticity.

Debbie, I mentioned in Linda and my online discussion going right now, our conversation we had at class last week about the need for interdisciplinary project based assignments because the students get overwhelmed when they have more than one project based assingnment going at a time. Maybe if there could be more integration within the subjects it would cover the project based learning aspect while also freeing up some time for other types of learning which Evelyn is wishing for. Again, our topics collide. Our conversation on Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences is going on if anyone wants to check it out:
http://www.quicktopic.com/36/H/JWi4CkA76F3

Wow this so hits home for me as a Special Education Inclusion teacher who works with teachers who design incredible projects. This year my students and I got slammed with too many projects at one time. Some weeks we had three. My new title became project coordinator. This is why it is imperative that the curriculum be integrated first. I feel the stress that the students feel because I am in all subjects. Quality is compromised greatly when there is too much going on. In addition, we jam these projects in around the 5 week report and the end of the quarter which exacerbates the stress.

Multitasking is a thing of the past.( It is said that it causes early sinility but I cannot remember where I read that.) Time and quality are a must.

What great thoughts from such great people! I think the hardest part of changing education to meet the changing needs, is getting everyone from the administrators to the school board to the teachers to the janitors on the same page. Conversation is the key for change. Change does not come from one person's actions, they may act as the catalyst, but it takes minds that are thinking alike to create positive change.

Curiosity and engagement are at the very heart of the educational journey. The kinds of projects described in "It Takes a Village" and "Start With a Pyramid" lay the foundation for life-long engagement in the learning process. Tackling 'big problems' stimulate children to want to know more and to feel like they can make a difference in the world. Learners who tackle the big problems begin to realize that there are a variety of disciplines that can shed light on complex issues. By working together with caring adults who scaffold learning alongside motivated peers, students are bolstered by a community of learners. Further, project based learning is a much closer approximation of the workplace than preparation for test taking. Thank you for focusing our attention on this very useful and hopeful educational strategy.

Hello everyone! My name is Kiersten and Heidi is my sister. I am also a first year teacher and have loved reading through this topic and Sarah's multiple intelligences topic as well. Above all else, during my college classes, when professors asked what they could do to improve the curriculum and experience during class time...the answer was always get in the classroom with children, so we can experience more and learn how to address the theorists, like Gardner, in the classroom, instead of memorizing the theory behind it all.
This year, being my first, I have found it especially trying to keep that balance of "the basics and curricula, with the hands-on, real life situations," that we all know stays with the children far longer than just "getting through" the info. I have to agree with Heidi, the hardest part is not only meeting the changing needs of each student throughout the year, but also then balancing that with the changing curricula, standards, testing, faculty...and trying to make it as engaging as possible! In "It Takes a Village," the idea of tackling our goals of learning through experience by starting SMALL, and including mentors and those faculty/community members with experience in the project areas---because so often people start off with good intentions and ideas of actions to take, but then the motivation fades when the task goals cannot be reached or time/money is just not in our favor. I would love to get my whole building involved in a community project together...so that each student can take part in the effort in some way, using their own talents, and the product is something that the students, faculty, and administrators can be proud of completing as a whole.

I love that the conversation has shifted slightly from the individual classroom to the school community and getting everyone involved. I am hoping that this coming year I can help Kiersten and the other teachers at her school start and maintain a school-wide, long-term community service project, (with community involvement) that will impact the school community as a whole. The individual teachers can have a profound effect on their students by modeling the group process and showing the effects of teamwork!

Heidi, that sounds like a great idea. Do you have a particular project in mind (just curious!)?

One of the projects I am going to try next year is one that I learned about yesterday at the United Nations conference for Youth and Nonviolence. A gentleman came and spoke to me for some time about his organization and what they are all about. They invite schools to create murals and then they swap them throughout the world so that other students can relate to different areas of their planet. The website is: www.WherePeaceLives.org and although I have yet to really look into it, I think the concept is wonderful on so many different levels. Children are communicating on a level beyond words with children that they would never be able to communicate with other wise. It incorporates social studies, geography, language, and arts all in one great project that is outside of the school itself. It would also be a way to bring in the artists that we have in our community, as we know that we live in an arts enriched environment, and it would bring in the school community as a whole.

Again, I have yet to really research it, but these are my thoughts on the initial idea.

What better way to learn than through hands on experience! Teachers in college tried to tell us their experiences to help us decide what we would do in a specific situation. It doesn't work like that- you learn the most when you're out there creating your own experience and using what you've been taught as a guide.

I agree with the value of hands on experience. I had "attended" college briefly, but technically don't have a high school diploma. My education has been largely fueled by self-education; a rogue academic. I had been told by my high school math teacher that I wasn't going to amount to anything. I'm now 26, manage and manage in excess of $750 million in discretionary capital on Wall Street. My previous position was as a quantitative analyst, which is the finance equivalent of a rocket-scientist... not bad for a failing math student. I'm usually very reserved regarding this subject, but had been asked to add commentary. My only suggestion is that teachers pay attention to the C students (D in my case) with A aptitudes, as they are the ones that will probabilistically run the world.

What had an impact to me was the point that the students work differently when they know a project or task is part of a bigger picture that has some real purpose. They will put themselves into the project in a totally different way than if they think it is another assignment to be handed in to the teacher. Students seem to come alive when there is more purpose and meaning. I think the teacher does, too. There is a good and important reason for each student to put forth their best ideas and work. It is so much more exciting.

Thank you Cheryl and Ryan! I specifically asked Ryan to comment since he comes from such a different place on education than us college graduates. Maybe the way to find out how to shape education is to speak to the people it didn't do justice for...whether they are now successful, like Ryan, or not! I am sure there are people studying this now, but since we only deal with the students who are filling the seats, maybe we should hold exit interviews for the students who do not finish school, and ask really indepth questions on how they could have succeeded.