If you read something at my site and are interested or want to know more about something, please feel free to contact me at:
For any of the following:
Professional Development Workshops in PBL for your department
Curriculum writing training and consultation
Speaking Engagements
Consultation on implementation of PBL
Research questions
Inquiries about Problem-Based Learning and its appropriateness for your school
Research partnership correspondence
I came across your website as I was looking to implement a more problem-based approach to teaching Geometry. In looking through your materials, I am intrigued and curious as to how you implement it into your classroom. How do you assess students? Do they take quizzes or tests? Do you collect their homework, or do you go through the problems in class? Is your curriculum aligned with any state standards or Common Core standards? I have been teaching for 8 years, but this is my first teaching Geometry, and am looking for ways to make the course more rigorous and exciting, and think a problem-based approach might do that. Thank you for considering my questions.
Nate – thanks for your comment! I think we’ve corresponded via email, but let’s get back in touch if you still have some questions!
Carmel
Hello Carmel, I also have the same questions as Nate does. ” Do you collect their homework, or do you go through the problems in class?” Can I say that the PBL curriculum is like the flipped classroom? Looking forward to your reply, thank you!
Hi and thanks so much for your question. I believe that the purpose of the problems in PBL is very different from the purpose in a more direct instruction classroom where most homework is for practice. When I teach with direct instruction, I would not go over every problem because the answers are in the back and many of the problems are similar – homework is rather repetitive and students are not learning new material, but practicing what was discussed in class. However, in PBL, the “homework” is basically the discussion for class the next day so it is important to make sure that problems that are assigned to motivate a new lesson or idea are discussed fully. Does that make sense?
Also, I would say that it very different from the flipped classroom because the night’s homework is not a lecture or video that students are watching and absorbing information. It is some type of problem that they must grapple with by applying prior knowledge and building upon their own learning. The flipped classroom is basically direct instruction (in my limited knowledge of it) with students doing practice problems in class instead of for homework and they listen to a lecture (direct instruction) for homework. This may or may not be a better use of class time together, some might argue.
What resources would you recommend for middle school geometry?
Hey Liza!
There are people I know who are doing PBL in the middle years. One woman is at the Applewild School in Fitchburg, MA. She uses a series called IMPACT by Glencoe and does a bunch of add-ons. I just met with her this spring and things are going well too. I also knew of a guy in Buffalo, NY who was writing a similar curriculum to mine, but fell out of touch with him. Email me if you want his email address.
The Buck institute website (bie.org) has lots of projects that are definitely appropriate to the middle school level too.
Carmel
Good afternoon!
My name is Chris and I’m a fairly new teacher. I work at an IB school that is utilizing the Harkness method. I just went to one of the EMIs that Phillips Exeter offers and I was given your name. I was wondering if you know of anyone who is doing that crossover (PBL and IB) and specifically as I head into teaching IB math (SL) for the first time, what problems to use from PE’s math books. I plan to use book 4-5 for the coming school year. Thanks for any help. My email is csimmons@thehagueschool.org
-Chris Simmons