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Project Based Learning (inspired by Lori Pickert's book) Discussion here!


Halcyon
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I educate. They appreciate the education and glean fodder for their projects.

 

Love this! It perfectly explains why my blend of directed education stimulates creativity for my son's personal projects...

 

I've always had a hard time explaining why my blend of classical education and unschooling works for us... this explained it perfectly... :)

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Oh, brother there are pbl groupees. That explains things some more because I was wondering how everything was being construed as not independent enough. Sounds a lot like radical unschoolers to me. It seems like a wonderful and awesome thing to share what we know with our kids be it resources or knowledge, isn't that the goal? Heck, that is done on the WTM all the time. Someone wants to know more about something and they post and ask for ideas.

 

I'm really interested in cooking projects as well. Dd loves to pull out my cookbooks and magazines and look for recipes to make. She just likes to snuggle with me and then talk about the different recipes and ingredients. I receive Bon Appetit and it always has a cooking technique shown in the back and she thinks that is neat as well. I need to do that with her more often as she just loves it and I think it is neat to work on learning stuff together. A few weeks back we worked on figuring out how to cut a cantaloupe a certain way, nothing fancy but she is 5 and she thought that was really neat. I guess that isn't a *real* project nothing to check off the hs'ing to do list but learning none the less and awesome bonding time.

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ALso, i dont think crafts are the only way to go here. Yes, I know many kids love them, and mine do too, but I think there are other projct based things that kids could choose to do.

 

I agree. For me the process of taking ownership of the learning is most important. A child might choose to learn through projects, reading, DVDs, etc. My kid likes to learn through creating, but not necessarily crafting. My other kid learns really well through researching and reading. There are many methods to the same goal.

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Well, exactly. This is why I've been somewhat skeptical of a lot of the research on pbl in the classroom setting, especially in the very early grades when, let's face it, they don't know a whole heck of a lot on which to base this amazing, self-directed project work!

 

But see - that is the whole point of PBL. You run with a child's interest and help them find/learn what they want to know. In the process the child learns reading and writing and knowledge but in a way that is relevant and real to them - a way that they can see there is a purpose to learning the skills. A child of 5 is not interested in being sat down at a table and told "Today I will teach you handwriting because when you go to University you will need to know how to write" It's too far off for them -not relevant. They would be far more interested in learning to write if say they wanted to write up a menu for the family dinner they were cooking that night - they see and understand the purpose of it - that it isn't just some skill that will "benefit them when they are older and go to work".

 

It is all part of learning to trust your child - young children know plenty of things. Saying they can't do PBL because they "don't have the skills yet" means that you are viewing them as empty vessels that need to be filled with adult wisdom before they become useful. My 3yo knows a heck of a lot more about fire engines then I do -he should - he's be consumed with them for over a year now. He asks for books - he draws pictures of them - yesterday he asked me to help him make a fire engine from boxes - we've been on field trips -the first letter he learned to recognise was F for fire truck and he can write it too.

 

PBL is so perfect for the little ones -they are the ones with the most motivation - thy don't yet really know what boredom is because they have so many ideas -they love to ask questions -they are curious and want to know everything.

 

You are really missing out if you think PBL is only for older children who have the skills to help them along -that's backwards thinking. You engange in PBL to learn or improve your skills and knowledge - not just to show off what you have already learned by producing a perfectly completed product.

 

As I like to say "It's the process not the product" that is the focus here. The creation of a "product" is just a means to an end - not the end itself.

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I completely agree with crafts not being the only way to go. That is actually a pet peeve of mine with the book, that it seems like physical products are overemphasized. I think learning to meditate could be a great project... I'm gonna get right on that. :tongue_smilie: Definitely cooking though! I have been wanting to do a "cook your way around the world" thing for geography here. So many ideas, so little time...

 

I'll try to document. I've never been great with it. I've been meaning to start with this method of journaling my days. Looks easy. And pretty. :lol:

 

oh that's pretty! reminds me of modern scrapbooking combined with art journaling http://artjournaling.tumblr.com/

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But see - that is the whole point of PBL. You run with a child's interest and help them find/learn what they want to know. In the process the child learns reading and writing and knowledge but in a way that is relevant and real to them - a way that they can see there is a purpose to learning the skills. A child of 5 is not interested in being sat down at a table and told "Today I will teach you handwriting because when you go to University you will need to know how to write" It's too far off for them -not relevant. They would be far more interested in learning to write if say they wanted to write up a menu for the family dinner they were cooking that night - they see and understand the purpose of it - that it isn't just some skill that will "benefit them when they are older and go to work".

 

It is all part of learning to trust your child - young children know plenty of things. Saying they can't do PBL because they "don't have the skills yet" means that you are viewing them as empty vessels that need to be filled with adult wisdom before they become useful. My 3yo knows a heck of a lot more about fire engines then I do -he should - he's be consumed with them for over a year now. He asks for books - he draws pictures of them - yesterday he asked me to help him make a fire engine from boxes - we've been on field trips -the first letter he learned to recognise was F for fire truck and he can write it too.

 

PBL is so perfect for the little ones -they are the ones with the most motivation - thy don't yet really know what boredom is because they have so many ideas -they love to ask questions -they are curious and want to know everything.

 

You are really missing out if you think PBL is only for older children who have the skills to help them along -that's backwards thinking. You engange in PBL to learn or improve your skills and knowledge - not just to show off what you have already learned by producing a perfectly completed product.

 

As I like to say "It's the process not the product" that is the focus here. The creation of a "product" is just a means to an end - not the end itself.

 

Well, I stand corrected, apparently :lol:.

 

Look, I'm new to the whole pbl thing. I chose to enroll my 1st grader in a pbl charter - so I've had about 6 weeks exposure to it. From what I see in her classroom, it is so much better than the traditional ps 1st grade - they do really cool science and social studies projects, and lots of neat living math activities. I've seen almost no worksheets. Homework is more interesting and relevant. But they are still being taught to read, write, and do math. And they are being taught content. They are doing projects on animals, and the teacher is reading tons of books with them, they are learning about the different kinds of animals (mammals, reptiles, etc.), she is bringing in stuffed/model animals for them to see and touch, we dissected owl pellets, it's very cool. So now, when they do their animal projects, they understand what they are doing, and they can connect it to a whole body of scientific knowledge. I think this is a good thing. I think this is an interesting, balanced approach to teaching and learning, and my dd loves it!

 

Of course, I'm fully prepared to hear that they aren't "doing" pbl right! ;):D

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I've been meaning to get back to blogging, but for now a few pics. Ds has been working on the Parthenon. He wanted to build it out of legos, but we had to order some special ones. He needed to figure out what he needed and how many. while we waited for those to arrive, he wanted to build it out of clay. The first two pictures are of the clay model. The third is him making Greek coins out of clay. The last is The Parthenon itself. He has been looking at books, asking me to read to him about it and planning.

 

Since these pictures were taken, he has worked on more of the Acropolis. Today he built The Lighthouse in Alexandria and started on the place where they raced chariots.

 

This is not just him building with legos. It is more than that. It has taken planning, thought, research. Yes, there are rabbit trails. I have been there to support, but not direct. This has been a really wonderful project for him.

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oh that's pretty! reminds me of modern scrapbooking combined with art journaling http://artjournaling.tumblr.com/

 

LOL, Now that reminds me of The Right-Brain Business Plan, which I am currently using as inspiration to help get my ideas for a VSL, right-brain, CMish, inquiryish curriculum down on paper...a sort of secular blend of VP cards, Tapestry of Grace, and project based learning. It's eclectic, to say the least. :tongue_smilie: I should be finished sometime around the birth of my first grandchild. :lol:

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I've been meaning to get back to blogging, but for now a few pics. Ds has been working on the Parthenon. He wanted to build it out of legos, but we had to order some special ones. He needed to figure out what he needed and how many. while we waited for those to arrive, he wanted to build it out of clay. The first two pictures are of the clay model. The third is him making Greek coins out of clay. The last is The Parthenon itself. He has been looking at books, asking me to read to him about it and planning.

 

Since these pictures were taken, he has worked on more of the Acropolis. Today he built The Lighthouse in Alexandria and started on the place where they raced chariots.

 

This is not just him building with legos. It is more than that. It has taken planning, thought, research. Yes, there are rabbit trails. I have been there to support, but not direct. This has been a really wonderful project for him.

 

Very cool!

 

See, this is the kind of stuff my kids do all the time, organically. I don't feel a need to formalize it or set aside a special time for projects like this. This is exactly the kind of project that would evaporate if I showed too much interest in it. :lol: Then there are other types of projects that take off like a rocket if I pay attention. It is a balance.

 

Too much attention will kill interest in what they own outright. Those things I refer to as play. Yes, of course, they learn when they play.

 

Too little attention will kill interest in what they want to share. Those things I refer to as school. Yes, of course, there is still joy in learning when we are "doing school."

 

I think a blurry balance is OK. I might even go so far as to say that is my goal.

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Well, I stand corrected, apparently :lol:.

 

Look, I'm new to the whole pbl thing. I chose to enroll my 1st grader in a pbl charter - so I've had about 6 weeks exposure to it. From what I see in her classroom, it is so much better than the traditional ps 1st grade - they do really cool science and social studies projects, and lots of neat living math activities. I've seen almost no worksheets. Homework is more interesting and relevant. But they are still being taught to read, write, and do math. And they are being taught content. They are doing projects on animals, and the teacher is reading tons of books with them, they are learning about the different kinds of animals (mammals, reptiles, etc.), she is bringing in stuffed/model animals for them to see and touch, we dissected owl pellets, it's very cool. So now, when they do their animal projects, they understand what they are doing, and they can connect it to a whole body of scientific knowledge. I think this is a good thing. I think this is an interesting, balanced approach to teaching and learning, and my dd loves it!

 

Of course, I'm fully prepared to hear that they aren't "doing" pbl right! ;):D

 

PBL in schools is a little different than at home - they still have to meet curriculum standards and take tests etc. So they can be a little constrained in their techniques. Also it's more difficult to do PBL with say 30 students and one teacher then it is to do it with just a few. It's much easier to pick one topic for all the students and then work within those parameters. It's not a wrong way to do PBL just different because the circumstances and constraints are different.

 

If you look at the author's blog she explains that the way she did PBL when she was teaching in a classroom is different to the way she does it at home with her own two boys. She has a few articles written on her blog about adapting PBL for use in the classroom and how to make it work within the system of the school.

Edited by sewingmama
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Very cool!

 

See, this is the kind of stuff my kids do all the time, organically. I don't feel a need to formalize it or set aside a special time for projects like this. This is exactly the kind of project that would evaporate if I showed too much interest in it. :lol: Then there are other types of projects that take off like a rocket if I pay attention. It is a balance.

 

Too much attention will kill interest in what they own outright. Those things I refer to as play. Yes, of course, they learn when they play.

 

Too little attention will kill interest in what they want to share. Those things I refer to as school. Yes, of course, there is still joy in learning when we are "doing school."

 

I think a blurry balance is OK. I might even go so far as to say that is my goal.

:iagree:

That's my goal, too. "School" and "play" are not two different things here, they're intertwined aspects of everyday life. It's not just how we "do school," it's how we live our lives.

 

Jackie

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I completely agree with crafts not being the only way to go. That is actually a pet peeve of mine with the book, that it seems like physical products are overemphasized. I think learning to meditate could be a great project... I'm gonna get right on that. :tongue_smilie: Definitely cooking though! I have been wanting to do a "cook your way around the world" thing for geography here. So many ideas, so little time...

 

I'll try to document. I've never been great with it. I've been meaning to start with this method of journaling my days. Looks easy. And pretty. :lol:

 

:iagree:

 

You said that very well--that was my pet peeve with the book along with most of the examples involved younger children (K'ers and younger) and craft oriented. I kept feeling that the author was holding back on fleshing out some of her concepts and when I got to the end of the book I found out that I was right when I read on one of the last pages: "Look for these forthcoming books: Project Based Homeschooling: Parent Handbook & Idea Book" . . . and "How to Start". Shouldn't this have all been one book? OK, enough on that rant. . .Also, thank you for the link on journaling--that is exactly what I have been looking for!

 

Lori's book had a big influence on me in an area not even linked to academics. I originally read the book to get ideas on how to set up a unit study for my son about WWII. Obviously I realized that I really didn't want to set up a unit study (really, did he want a book list? How did I know whether he wanted to study planes vs. submarines, etc. I could put all this energy and time into it only to have him chose an entirely different aspect of the project. . .it was good advice. . .). Anyways, I applied her concepts when I was out working with my daughter and her pony. She had the basics for riding down but I still didn't allow her to ride by herself. So I always went out with her and gave her some instructions, "Heels down." "Sit up a little straighter." "Shorten your reins." Now I took a step back and let her figure out how to make the circle rounder or how to steady her pony when the ground sloped down. Sometimes things got worse before they got better. But I would comment to her about how it looked and whether she achieved what we were looking for. I let her, for the most part, figure out how to get her pony to do what she wanted. She did it by trial and error or even just lucking into it. You could almost see a little balloon above her head that says, "There, that's better. I need to remember to do ________" Every day we'd do this, with me occasionally remarking, "Did you feel how soft she got right there, how light she became?" or "Wow, I really thought she would slow down right there but you asked her to move forward before she had time to slow down--good job!" And so on. To me this is what project-based learning is about--not so much letting the child pick what interests them and go with it but giving the child the environment to explore the topic in his/her own terms as an open-ended process or experience.

 

My son still loves WWII but he doesn't necessarily want to do a project on it or experience it beyond reading about it, talking about it, or seeing planes, tanks, battleships, etc. on field trips. He's immersing himself in the knowledge of it but not in the production end of things. However, he really loves his legos. He joined Lego League this year and that has been his source of stimulation for producing interesting things. How can I make my motor produce more torque? Gears! OK, now to make a better ship, etc. Nothing formal, no major influence from me (no books from the library yet--this is a process of trial and error for him right now--he likes thinking that he is the first to see these things) but a full experience nonetheless.

 

For those wondering about how to put project time into use, I keep revisiting SWB's idea of "quiet time". Off to their rooms or project area to just be, just do. To have that down time to just think, stare into space or have ideas percolate in the back of their mind while doing something else. We do that more and more here. If I think of it as project time I will want to (or feel obligated) to be more involved. And how genius of SWB and her mom--it gives them downtime and (gasp!) you downtime! I reread WTM's section on this quiet time and watched the video on youtube and both of those screamed "project time" to me.

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LOL, Now that reminds me of The Right-Brain Business Plan, which I am currently using as inspiration to help get my ideas for a VSL, right-brain, CMish, inquiryish curriculum down on paper...a sort of secular blend of VP cards, Tapestry of Grace, and project based learning. It's eclectic, to say the least. :tongue_smilie: I should be finished sometime around the birth of my first grandchild. :lol:

 

That is really cool.

 

I largely agree with you, too. I just don't get pbl from reading this thread. My kids do this stuff all of the time. I don't see how you can formalize this, as I see it as such a natural part of childhood. My kids have an invention drawer and the closest thing I get to structured pbl is putting out materials and task cards for things like Think! Projects sometimes.

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:iagree:

 

snip

 

For those wondering about how to put project time into use, I keep revisiting SWB's idea of "quiet time". Off to their rooms or project area to just be, just do. To have that down time to just think, stare into space or have ideas percolate in the back of their mind while doing something else. We do that more and more here. If I think of it as project time I will want to (or feel obligated) to be more involved. And how genius of SWB and her mom--it gives them downtime and (gasp!) you downtime! I reread WTM's section on this quiet time and watched the video on youtube and both of those screamed "project time" to me.

 

 

This is brilliantly said, and I couldn't agree more. The very best thing I contribute to dd's "projects" is to give her free time to do them, rather than scheduling every minute of her day. Labelling them in my mind as "not school" (or "play" ;)) is my way of protecting them from . . . me. She needs time and projects that are entirely her own, that I don't mess with. This is distinct from interest-led learning, which is where I incorporate subjects she is interested in into our content-area studies, like science, history & lit.

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I have just started to read this book and have enjoyed reading through this thread. I think we have started this with our oldest without even realizing it. For a few years, he has been telling us that he wants to be a writer. In January, we started him in Creative Writer. This fall he is participating in National Novel Writing Month. So he is working on writing a novel because he wants to. We are helping to provide the frame work and the support but he is the one who is driving force behind the project.

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That's how it seems to me too. When I read the excerpts of the book on Amazon I thought to myself, "isn't this just what homeschoolers do?" I also don't see any distinction between pbl and unschooling.

 

Susan in TX

Well, some unschoolers claim that you can't apply the term to individual subjects — e.g., either you are an unschooler or not an unschooler, but you can't say "We use textbooks for math, Latin, and grammar, but we unschool history and science." (I would disagree with that, but I know it's a sentiment that many unschoolers would express.) I think most PBL-supporters would not have a problem with the idea of doing some subjects in a PBL way, and others in a more traditional way. Also, PBL tends to be (by definition) project-oriented, whereas an unschooled child could do nothing but read (or watch TV or play video games all day, depending on parental beliefs).

 

Also, Pickert's book just describes her interpretation & implementation of PBL; others use it to mean different things, just as WTM reflects one person's implementation of "classical education," but it's certainly not the only one. As I mentioned in my post in the other thread, I think this book is of limited use for people who are already doing this sort of thing. But clearly PBL is not "just what [most] homeschoolers do," so for parents who would like to move in that direction, but have no clue how to do it, Pickert can provide some useful suggestions.

 

I'm sure there are also people who read WTM and think, "well, isn't that just what rigorous homeschoolers do anyway?," but for people who don't already take that approach, SWB provides lots of detailed suggestions and guidance. And whether a parent is exploring classical education, interest-led learning, PBL, unschooling, or any other approach, it makes sense to incorporate the bits that work best for each child, and leave the bits that don't.

 

Jackie

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Well, some unschoolers claim that you can't apply the term to individual subjects — e.g., either you are an unschooler or not an unschooler, but you can't say "We use textbooks for math, Latin, and grammar, but we unschool history and science." (I would disagree with that, but I know it's a sentiment that many unschoolers would express.) I think most PBL-supporters would not have a problem with the idea of doing some subjects in a PBL way, and others in a more traditional way. Also, PBL tends to be (by definition) project-oriented, whereas an unschooled child could do nothing but read (or watch TV or play video games all day, depending on parental beliefs).

 

Also, Pickert's book just describes her interpretation & implementation of PBL; others use it to mean different things, just as WTM reflects one person's implementation of "classical education," but it's certainly not the only one. As I mentioned in my post in the other thread, I think this book is of limited use for people who are already doing this sort of thing. But clearly PBL is not "just what [most] homeschoolers do," so for parents who would like to move in that direction, but have no clue how to do it, Pickert can provide some useful suggestions.

 

I'm sure there are also people who read WTM and think, "well, isn't that just what rigorous homeschoolers do anyway?," but for people who don't already take that approach, SWB provides lots of detailed suggestions and guidance. And whether a parent is exploring classical education, interest-led learning, PBL, unschooling, or any other approach, it makes sense to incorporate the bits that work best for each child, and leave the bits that don't.

 

Jackie

 

:iagree: Thank you Jackie, for chiming in. I am a classical homeschooler and while I certainly give my kids the free time to do what they like, I dont think I have ever really given them the time AND MY ATTENTION when it comes to doing things they want in a project based way. Of course, my older has an interest in sharks and so I took him to the library and we did reserach and he created a lapbook and it was GREAT, but I didnt think of it as a project, exactly. I just thought "this is GREAT~" but then I didnt know how to duplicate it. I didn't know what "it" was, exactly-it was my son being totally into something of his own volition, which was always what I'd hoped for, and me being able to help him in a way _I_ understood...books, research etc.

 

But for me, PBL is different. It has allowed me to see that my son's interests havve value even when I do not see the value (i know this is an obvious thing for most of you, but not for me). He is very interested now in tanks and weapons, and I have zero interest in that, and haven't encouraged it at all. But I wonder if I am doing him a disservice, and, if so, how I can remedy that without promoting or encouraging violence or an interest in violence persay. The other day we were at Barnes and Noble and I caught him holed up in the corner with an encyclopedia of weaponry and I was upset (didnt tell him that but did say "ugh, do you really want to read that?" Supportive, huh) And he is interested immensely in journaling right now, but doesnt want to share it with me...how do I support that other than allowing him the space to write privately? Younger has always wanted to design and create clothes for women, and I have zero knowledge there, and am reluctant to buy him a sewing machine or expensive fabric *which he loves* when I feel he will just "waste" it (non-PBL-brain talking here)....and we'll spend hours on something which will frustrate him so i will need to take over whihc of course is not the way to encourage independence...

 

 

anyway, i am ramblling, but it's a fine line for many homeschoolers, or at least for me, between encouraging independence and maintaining a strong curriculum focus. I want to encourage my kids to think freely about things, but then I want them to buckle down and learn their latin pronouns whether they are "enjoying" themselves or not, kwim?

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Very cool!

 

See, this is the kind of stuff my kids do all the time, organically. I don't feel a need to formalize it or set aside a special time for projects like this. This is exactly the kind of project that would evaporate if I showed too much interest in it. :lol: Then there are other types of projects that take off like a rocket if I pay attention. It is a balance.

 

This is exactly how it has always been in our home as well. I tried to formalize their projects and it was a flop. It works much better for me to schedule math, reading, writing, etc. and to give them lots of free time (and support and, when asked, advice) for their projects.

 

I LOVED the idea of PBL but it was not the right fit for our family- though projects of their own making happen all the time here.

 

I think we've come to a good place on this.

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As far as projects go, I have one ds who naturally does quite a bit and another who does not. Also, one who will often use his free time to wander around the house aimlessly, ask to play video games, and wait.......for what? Something to happen ,something fun, me to take him somewhere, etc. Pbl is at least giving him some direction.

 

Also, for the one who already does projects, I am finding my attention and support are enabling him to take it to the next level. In the past, for both dc,some interests and projects would just fizzle out pretty quickly. That is fine, if they have really done all that they want to do with it, but it is nice to be able to help them do more if that is what they want.

 

My kids have always had plenty of free time (time to do projects) but that does not mean that the time was used well. They do still have free time, but I also make sure they have some project time. I think it is helping me to make the time to give their work more attention, but also helping my ds find other things to do with free time.

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First, thank you to the OP for starting this thread! After reading about it first here, I bought the e-book and read it over the weekend- I loved it! I also joined the PBH forum and found lots of guidance there.

 

Some key elements that I got from the book (that in my mind differentiate the PBH method from unschooling and free time):

 

1. Establishing consistent Project Time where I am holding the space, and am available to support/help/guide the child. The author suggested in a post on her forum that this is best done daily, for 3 hours or so, and separate from any skills based work and curriculum. This was huge for me in understanding how to implement the method.

 

2. Parent journals/documentation of the child's project, including ideas the child has expressed, interests he's shown, personal thoughts and ideas on how to go about deepening the interest and thus, the project, supply lists to find/pick up for the child, etc.

 

3. Recalling and mentoring the child through the project, gently reminding them of their ideas, questions, etc. asking them if there is anything more they would like to know, make, find, do.

 

I think all of these elements will make PBH a success in our family. I've been thinking about how to support my third grader's interests more, but the truth was, by the time I'd led main lesson work (we've used a Waldorf inspired program since starting academics with him in first grade), and circle time for my youngest, and math movement and practice work/skills work with my oldest, and taken him to his weekly activities that he loves, there was very very little time left over to help him work on interests he'd been expressing over the last few months (the presidential election and how that works, maps and geography, Harry Potter, etc).

 

Our children have always had plenty of daily downtime during our afternoon quiet time, but I noticed they both still had lots of questions about their interests that would come up while in the car, or at the dinner table, or even in the middle of a totally non-related mom-led main lesson!

 

Anyways, after reading the book and researching the Reggio method a bit further and asking lots of questions on the forum, we have decided to keep our circle time/movement, and skills/practice work in the afternoons, but we are replacing our main lesson work period with Project Time every morning from 9-11:30 or 12, depending on how long they need. I'm really excited about it. Today was day 1 and I was nervous about how to approach this new way of working together, but it turned out great. Lori suggested that I go slowly so I don't turn my 3rd grader off from an interest and scare him by making it sound like I'm going to turn his interest into work.

So, I started a journal and made list of my boys' interests that they'd been expressing recently. This morning I set out a bunch of diorama building materials (they both love making dioramas) and I said that I know they like making shelters in the yard, so how about building model shelters? I also had a book of different types of shelters on the table for them to look at if they wanted.

 

It went great for today, but it was still obviously mom-directed. My oldest was thrilled to not do main lesson work though. And both boys love building. So, when they were finished, I told them we still had more Project Time and asked them if we should spend the rest of our time brainstorming about some ideas they might have for future projects to work on during Project Time. I mentioned to my oldest that he seems to really be enjoying Harry Potter and I asked him if he knew that the author had created a website called Pottermore. He didn't know that so we took a look at the website and signed him up (his choice). I then asked him if he had any ideas about things we could do to explore Harry Potter during project time. I mentioned that I'd read about others making potions, Hogwarts maps, etc and he was really into all of it, so we wrote it down and pinned it up. We'll come back to Pottermore and our ideas tomorrow.

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Suddenly it occurred to me that I see some similarities in this "method" and that of the Moore family. I haven't read all their books but from what I did read it really resonated with me that a large portion of their lives were devoted to working on various projects. They seemed to really encourage their children to develop interests of their own and put those interests to use in building up their own small businesses, service projects and general projects to help around the house.

 

As to how useful that is to this discussion I don't know but as I'm further forming in my mind what I want our lives(and education) to look like, what are our goals and such it makes me think of what value I see in projects and how I'd like to see that play out in our lives (regardless of the definition of what makes anything a proper pbl experience).

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Can you expand on this? Because this is my current thought--there are some things I just won't give up, like structured math, Latin, writing, memory work and literature (read alouds). So how to combine the top-down model of structured learning for some areas, with a child-led pursuit in other areas. I am beginning to think that I am comfortable letting content areas like science, history, and geography be interest led, but I am unsure of how to switch gears between the two modes.:bigear:

 

I just finished the book (but not this thread, ahem) and it apparently doesn't have to be all or nothing. The author states that a family can start small and only allot a few hours a week to projects. It is a matter of finding the right balance for each family (or school).

 

I think there are so many things to like and appreciate about this approach and I am interested in allowing time in the schedule for this type of independent, self-directed learning. However, I disagree with the author that pure project-based homeschooling is "enough". Yes, I realize all children have gaps but I can see huge gaping holes without any parental direction or skill based learning going on. I think it really depends on what the parent thinks is important overall in their homeschool. Sure, a child could learn to read by focusing on projects and wanting to learn how to read so they can pursue their projects. But I want my children to have a solid base in phonics, grammar and have decent penmanship, not just be able to read. I don't know many kids who willingly pursue those subjects on their own yet I find that they are still very valuable and important in the long run.

 

I DID get some great ideas from this book including creating an area for each of my children that is their very own and stocked with age-appropriate materials so they an pursue their interests when they wish. Right now we really just have a community school room space and I do have most of the craft supplies on a bookshelf in another room. The author stated being willing to always restock the supplies so they are always at the ready and well, I don't know how I feel about that. If a child work their way through an entire pack of construction paper in one sitting I would not be feeling very happy about filling it right back up again. Learning that supplies are costly and run out and should be used judiciously seems to be a better lesson to learn. She touched on this but said it would eventually come with time but still - I don't think I am going to be giving my 2, 4 and 7 year old children that kind of autonomy with the craft supplies. :tongue_smilie:

 

So, I guess I am still pretty much a WTM'er with an interest in adding project-based homeschooling into our rotation.

Edited by drexel
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The author states that a family can start small and only allot a few hours a week to projects. It is a matter of finding the right balance for each family (or school).

 

I think there are so many things to like and appreciate about this approach and I am interested in allowing time in the schedule for this type of independent, self-directed learning. However, I disagree with the author that pure project-based homeschooling is "enough". Yes, I realize all children have gaps but I can see huge gaping holes without any parental direction or skill based learning going on. I think it really depends on what the parent thinks is important overall in their homeschool.... But I want my children to have a solid base in phonics, grammar and have decent penmanship, not just be able to read. I understand that other parents have different goals for their children. I don't know many kids who willingly pursue those subjects on their own yet I find that they are still very valuable and important in the long run.

 

I DID get some great ideas from this book including creating an area for each of my children that is their very own and stocked with age-appropriate materials so they an pursue their interests when they wish. Right now we really just have a community school room space and I do have most of the craft supplies on a bookshelf in another room. The author stated being willing to always restock the supplies so they are always at the ready and well, I don't know how I feel about that. If a child work their way through an entire pack of construction paper in one sitting I would not be feeling very happy about filling it right back up again. Learning that supplies are costly and run out and should be used judiciously seems to be a better lesson to learn. She touched on this but said it would eventually come with time but still - I don't think I am going to be giving my 2, 4 and 7 year old children that kind of autonomy with the craft supplies. :tongue_smilie:

 

So, I guess I am still pretty much a WTM'er with an interest in adding project-based homeschooling into our rotation.

 

:iagree: This is how I felt after reading the book too. I plan to allow room for some PBL, but the basis for our homeschooling will remain much as is.

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I just took a look at Lori Pickert's book and website today because of this thread.

 

I like the concept and guess I have been doing this for quite some time, but we call it "personal pursuits". I am going to post what we do in hopes it will help someone else who feels the need to combine pbl with a more classical education approach.

 

We do structured school lesson time in the mornings, with all the typical subjects: language arts, math, science, history, etc. We tend to get finished with the "checklist" around lunchtime. The afternoons are reserved for "personal pursuits" where the children direct their own learning. They may read about a subject, experiment, observe, create a model, a craft or project related to the topic du jour.

 

I am involved in a few ways: I do require that they spend some afternoon hours on their personal pursuits, but they decide the topic and the way they will explore. I help them brainstorm topics that may interest them and keep a running list. I help them find resources and supplies for their pursuits. I allow them to pursue an interest as long or as short as they desire (although for the older children with more expensive interests, I make sure they want to stick with it for long enough to justify the cost.)

 

I have been amazed to see their knowledge, skills and enthusiasm blossom with this style of learning.

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:iagree: This is how I felt after reading the book too. I plan to allow room for some PBL, but the basis for our homeschooling will remain much as is.

 

THis is how we are using it. I amtrying to devote one full day a week to PBL stuff, but it hasnt really happened 100%.

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Is this project based or interest led? (And is there a fundamental difference between the two?)

 

I read the book when it first came out. Really liked it and felt very enthusiastic about pursuing this path. But I know I get very enthused about things very easily and can go overboard so I put the book on the shelf. I did not touch it again or read more about PBL for several weeks. I wanted to give what I read a chance to run through my brain without influence of others. After a few months of everything jelling and deciding whether I thought we could make it work without sacrificing other educational goals I decided to give what I came up with a try.

 

Here is what it looks like in our home with my going on 8 year old son.

He picked a topic he is interested in learning. Right now it is tigers. He found a spiral bound notebook, designed a cover and added pages with the information he knows about tigers, what he wants to know about tigers and what he's learning about tigers. He asked me to help him look up books about tigers at online retailers and he checked the library catalog on his own. He reads and records information in his notebook.

The only guideline I have set is that when he is done with studying tigers he has to create something to show what he has learned. A book, a picture, a craft, a story, a display, a puppet show, a presentation etc etc. What ever he wants. He loves to write so I have a feeling it will be a story but we will see.

He is free to work on this whenever he wants after (or before) we are finished with our "formal schoolwork" and we are setting aside a large chunk of time once a week where I am available to him to help in anyway or just to listen to him etc.

 

But, I am not sure if this is really PBL? PBL seems to include a lot of hands on stuff. Creating and crafting etc. My son much prefers to spend his time reading and writing.

So, is what I described above PBL or just interest led learning? or neither? Just curious what you all think.

 

Oh, and one more thing. My son was reading a book and found directions for making paper boats and floating them down a river. My son has pursued this by making boats and asking/learning about currents and hypothesizing where his boats will go, if they will float etc etc. (We are taking the boats to the creek later today.)

I count all this as school because he is learning and creating boats. This was never in my lesson plans but it is learning just the same.

Again, PBL or interest led or just having fun and learning?

 

Thanks.

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