The 6th grade teachers at Patrick M. Villano Elementary School in Emerson, New Jersey are in their first year of creating learner-active, technology-infused classrooms with the assistance of with IDE consultant Beth Speizer. The district's focus for this year, differentiation of instruction, melds perfectly with a problem-based based approach. Teachers are able to bring authenticity into the class while meeting each of the students' needs and maximizing all available resources.
Salena Joy - 6th grade teacher at Patrick Villano Elementary School
Write a brief description of yourself as "the teacher".
I am a teacher who tries to relate to each of my students. I believe that they learn better when they make connections with the teacher and their peers. I often like to teach in a variety of styles every day. This helps to keep the students (and me) interested. Children learn in different ways, therefore, I believe that we need to teach using different styles.
How has the PBL benefited you, the teacher?
The PBL allowed me to work with small groups and teach mini- lessons to those who truly need them.
How has the PBL benefited the students?
Teaching with a PBL style gave my students a sense of independence. It also allowed them to have more choices in their education!
What are some of the challenges that you faced?
The PBL takes a lot of teacher preparation before you can introduce the task to the students.
How did you overcome those challenges?
I realized that once the main part of the PBL was planned, typed, and organized, I had more time to spend facilitating with small groups.
What are some learner-active strategies that have been useful in your class?
Since my PBL workshop, I have been allowing my students to "sign up" for their spelling and vocabulary tests. They also were able to take some initiative in their group tasks, and decide how things were done.
What specific strategies have allowed your students to gain more responsibility?
The kids gained responsibility from being able to pick which group assignments to complete each day and which group members would work on each. The students could take their activity sheets and break down the homework and independent assignments. This way they determined which nights they had social studies homework and how much. Also, they loved being able to "sign up" for their spelling and vocabulary tests.
Amy Baum - 6th grade math and gifted and talented teacher at Patrick Villano Elementary School
Write a brief description of yourself as "the teacher".
One of my jobs as a teacher is to promote and facilitate learning. It is my goal to help the children develop skills that will enable them to become life-long learners.
How has PBL benefited you, the teacher?
I have been able to incorporate different learning styles throughout the use of each PBL activity. I am more aware about the different styles of learning that can be addressed. The PBL provided a challenge for children at all levels. It has started to sculpt a structure for independent, higher level thinking. The PBL is another way to make learning fun.
How has PBL benefited the students?
The students are becoming more independent thinkers. They are now realizing the resources they have everyday to aid in their learning, and using them on a daily basis.
What are some of the challenges you faced?
Grouping has been a challenge for me and monitoring the work of all the students, keeping track of who did what. I also found it challenging in creating the overall PBL itself.
How did you overcome those challenges?
As far as grouping, I have tried using different grouping techniques such as grouping by interest levels, same ability levels, and mixed ability levels. Through testing it out, I am finding what worked best for my classes. For keeping track of the students work more effectively, I will create a checklist for individuals to have signed by me. I will also create a smaller PBL activity to control the planning time needed.
What are some learner-active strategies that have been useful in your class?
Having how-to sheets available helped the more independent, higher level thinkers. The students who needed more help were able to sit in on a mini-lesson. The students were able to work at their own pace and they were able to perform at a level that challenged each of them.
What specific strategies have allowed your students to gain more responsibility for their learning?
The rubric allowed them to work at their own pace. The students knew what was expected,
therefore, I was available to work with individuals without being constantly interrupted with questions about my expectations. The how-to sheets allowed them to teach themselves certain skills. The students would then share what they learned with other group members. Each child was an "EXPERT" in something!
Ann Pryer - teacher at Patrick Villano Elementary School
How has the PBL benefited you, the teacher?
This has helped my students take an active role in what they are learning. I've learned about different websites that can be used as well.
How has the PBL benefited the students?
My students now have the ability to dig deeper into information and better understand the content they are studying.
What are some of the challenges that you faced?
Helping the students organize themselves as well as myself has been a challenge. I also find it challenging to deal with students who tend to "sit back" and wait for the other people to do the work.
How did you overcome those challenges?
To overcome those challenges, I made sure that all information was run off and placed in a location for the groups to access easily in a central location. I also decided to place more emphasis on the individual as opposed to the group. Each child will be graded on equal participation in preparation and presentation.
What specific strategies have allowed your students to gain more responsibility for their learning?
In the particular PBL I implemented, the students took responsibility for their learning in many ways. They had to write up lesson plans, prepare activities for the class based on their lessons, and develop questions to be used by the teacher on the final test for the unit.
Examples of some PBLs used in Patrick Villano Elementary School
(click on a PBL to see the task and the rubric or a graphic)
M&M Quality Assurance
All is Number and Final Product
Early Civilizations and Project Photos: Egyptian Social Pyramid, Government Officials, Scribes, Farmers, and Gods.
Picture Gallery
These are pictures of the students hard at work on their problem-based learning tasks.
