Organizing and managing a PBL requires pre-planning and continuous monitoring to ensure the success of a project. In my class room, I see open communication as a helpful tool to manage my students progress in their projects. In class discussions, either with full class participation or sitting with individual groups should be done on a regular basis. Online blog pages or other like pages would give students the opportunity to ask questions they don't want to ask in class or perhaps thought about after school hours. One should not be used exclusively over the other. Both methods have value.
Organizational tools are necessary for both the teacher and student. As a teacher I would need to do advance pre-planning to make sure the process is clear. But I also need to allow for change and adaptation as the students work through the driving question. Flexibility is helpful not only for me as the teacher but also for my students. We should feel comfortable with following the exploration and discovery. However, in the organizational guidelines, students should also understand the checkpoints and deadlines that will keep them moving towards their end result.
Helping students keep their research organized and to follow the organization of the project will make managing the project much easier. Students can again use web 2.0 applications that let them keep their work where the group can easily access it. Google docs provides an easy to use site where all of the material collected can be shared and organized. Clear procedures will help alleviate any behavioral issues that arise and those that do can be handled quickly by diligent monitoring of students.
Project Based Learning will provide students with a marvelous opportunity to discover, explore and learn. It will be a better experience for all if the project is organized and managed by careful pre-planning by the teacher.
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