Problem Based Instruction: Making Learning Real

1. Problem Based Instruction: Making Learning Real Violet Harada and Linda Kim AASL Conference Kansas City, MO October 25, 2003

2. Essential question: What makes learning real for students?

3. What makes learning real? • Deals with a problem or issue with which kids can connect. • Allows for students making choices. • Involves hands on and minds on tasks. • Requires problem solving in teams. • Results in sharing new knowledge with real audiences.

4. This type of learning can be achieved through problem based teaching.

5. Session goals • What is involved in problem based teaching and learning? • What does it look like in practice? • How can you and your teachers transform “research topics” into problem based projects?

6. What is involved in problem-based teaching and learning? • Identify the problem or issue. • Link to content standards. • Discuss the reasons and implications presented by the problem. • Discuss how to solve or improve the situation.

7. What is involved in problem-based teaching and learning? • Identify the big questions addressed by the problem. • Find out what students already know. • Agree on how to assess final solution.

8. What is involved in problem-based teaching and learning? • Brainstorm what information is needed and how to find it. • Collect and organize information. • Create product or performance. • Continually assess and evaluate work. • Consider next steps.

9. About the School • Mililani Waena Elementary School located in Central Oahu • Current enrollment is 680 students in grades Pre K (SP ED) to 5 • Certificated staff of 43 plus 2 administrators

10. Teacher • Leila Robello, 5th Grade Teacher • 21 years as a 5th grade teacher • 16 years at Mililani Waena • Language Arts Cadre member for 2 years

11. LMS • Linda Kim, Librarian • 19 years as a librarian, K-12 • 14 years at Mililani Waena Elementary • Elementary teacher for 13 years • Standards Implementation Design Leader and Language Arts Curriculum Chair for last 3 years

12. Collaboration • Background: Worked together on the Language Arts Cadre for 2 years • Planning: Met after school, on the fly, at recess, email, phone calls • Goal: Make learning ‘real’ and ‘authentic’ for our students.

13. Roles • T/LMS/Students: Identified the problem • T/LMS: • Developed unit • Devised assessment tools • Connected with content standards • Co-taught the unit • Co-assessed the work • Teacher strength: knowledge of students • LMS strength: knowledge of resources

14. What’s the problem? • Students wanted fresher cafeteria lunches with more variety.

15. What’s wrong • with the lunches? • Food is cold. • Food tastes ‘old.’ • There isn’t enough variety.

16. What do students do • as a result? • Students throw away a lot of food. • Students bring home lunches. • Students go hungry.

17. What can we do • about this problem? • We can create new school menus that are nutritious AND delicious! • We can present the menus to the cafeteria manager and principal.

18. What questions do we need • to answer? • What makes a nutritious lunch? • What foods appeal to kids?

19. What do we already know? • What is the food pyramid? • What does a balanced meal look like? • What makes a meal nutritious? • What steps do we take to solve our problem?

20. How will be know if our menus are good enough? • It must include foods from each food group. • It must be something that students want to eat.

21. What do we want to find out? • What are students’ favorite meals? • How does our cafeteria manager create the menus? • How can we create a balanced lunch?

22. How are we going to • find the information? • Interview the cafeteria manager. • Survey students. • Search the Internet. • Watch a video. • Find recipe books for healthy meals. • Read food labels. • Interview chefs, cooks, nutritionists. • Look at menus from restaurants.

23. How are we organizing • our information? • Use graphic organizer for food pyramid. • Tabulate survey data on favorite lunch foods. • Create menus that are both nutritious and appealing.

24. How do we know if • we are doing well? • Take pre-post tests. • Keep logs. • Assess menus using ‘met/not met’ checklist.

25. What could we tackle next? Work on a healthy and tasty lunch menus for our own families. Study how exercise helps develop a healthy body.

26. How can you and your teachers transform “research topics” into problem based projects?

27. Today’s challenge • Work with an elbow partner or two. • Pick one of the suggested research topics--or select your own. • Complete the brainstorming organizer.

28. Sample topics • Life cycle of the butterfly (lower elementary). • 50 states (upper elementary). • Biography of a famous person (middle school). • World War II (high school).

29. Brainstorm the following: • Transform the topic into a related PROBLEM or ISSUE. • Identify a BIG or ESSENTIAL QUESTION for this problem. • Decide how students might PRESENT their findings.

30. EXAMPLE • Transform the topic into a related PROBLEM or ISSUE. • Topic: Water • Issue: Quality of drinking water in our community

31. EXAMPLE • Identify a BIG or ESSENTIAL QUESTION for this problem. • Essential question: How safe is our drinking water?

32. EXAMPLE • Decide how students might PRESENT their findings. • Culminating product: slide show presentation on the quality of water in the community for the local board.

33. Topical vs. Problem Based

34. Benefits • Higher levels of comprehension. • Improved teamwork skills. • Greater content mastery. • Increased self-direction and motivation to learn.

35. To contact us. . . . • Linda Kim, Library Media Specialist, Mililani Waena Elementary E-mail: Linda_Kim/MILWAENA/HIDOE@notes.k12.hi.us • Violet Harada, Associate Professor, University of Hawaii, Library & Information Science E-mail: vharada@hawaii.edu