A HAMILTON DISTRICT CHRISTIAN HIGH PUBLICATION SUMMER 2023
Vol. 16 Issue 3
Project Based Learning
Submitted by: Harry Blyleven Technologies Coordinator, Computer Science & Technologies Teacher Finding meaningful learning opportunities for kids is a rewarding part of Harry’s work. At HDCH, staff and students create memorable learning experiences using and participating in Project Based Learning (PBL). HDCH students and teachers have been actively engaging in PBL for over a decade. What is Project Based Learning, and why does it fit well in a Christian School? Have you ever thought about the HDCH mission statement, “Cultivating character through learning for a life of service to God?” Often times mission statements are aspirational, something to strive for. At HDCH, our goal is to provide opportunities for students to live out and practice our mission statement. The book Transformational Education defines rich learning as an experience that caters to the varied needs and interests of each student using teaching methods that help students explore God’s world and Word. Project Based Learning is a method and practice of teaching that uses a project as the central context or reason for learning and makes community connections. As learners, many of us have traditionally completed a project after all the learning and the lessons. The traditional project was used to summarize or demonstrate what we had learned and remembered. The path of a project in PBL starts with a Driving Question and has students engage in a real-world problem or task. All of the learning, lessons, and assignments continue to point and focus on the project in an attempt to answer the question. Upon completing the project, students present and celebrate their learning in a variety of ways: sharing with community partners, presenting findings, hosting an event or tournament, creating a product, opening a gallery, performing, etc. continued...
Smiling Students in Biology Class
hhh Think about a few of your favourite learning experiences from your elementary or high school years. (Some of us may need to really dig back into the archives of our minds for this!) What made these experiences memorable: working with friends in a group, a teacher’s interest, a unique task or product, sharing your work with others, connecting multiple subjects, or something else? hhh