Week 2 gave us an opportunity to learn more about PBL activities and to view sample projects. It was extremely beneficial to be able to view examples and see the range of possibilities. I remember being particularly impressed
by an expeditionary project created by juniors at Casco Bay High
School in Portland, Maine called “Give Me Shelter.”
For this project,
students interviewed a number of people who had been homeless at various
points in their lives, learning more about its causes and conditions.
By actually going to people’s homes and speaking with them in their
environments, students really got to understand and feel what it was
they were researching.
The students then used multimedia
tools like cameras, video recorders, and digital voice recorders to
capture the sights and sounds of these people. They then used detailed
and specific observation notes to record both the stories and the
mannerisms, the ticks, the unique elements that make each of these
people individuals with their own story, rather than just a class of
people falling under the umbrella of “homeless.”
It was fascinating to learn about the process that went into creating this learning opportunity for the students. As someone who teaches a
journalism class and advises the school newspaper, I was really excited about the idea of having students get out into the community to talk with people
and learn about stories first-hand.
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