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Problem Based Instruction: Making

Learning Real

Violet Harada and Linda KimAASL ConferenceKansas City, MOOctober 25, 2003

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Essential question:

What makes learningreal for students?

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What makes learning real?

• Deals with a problem or issue with which kids can connect.

• Allows for students making choices.• Involves hands on and minds on

tasks.• Requires problem solving in teams.• Results in sharing new knowledge

with real audiences.

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This type of learning can be achieved through problem based teaching.

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Session goals

• What is involved in problem based teaching and learning?

• What does it look like in practice?

• How can you and your teachers transform “research topics” into problem based projects?

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What is involved in problem-based teaching and learning?

• Identify the problem or issue.• Link to content standards.• Discuss the reasons and

implications presented by the problem.

• Discuss how to solve or improve the situation.

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What is involved in problem-based teaching and learning?

• Identify the big questions addressed by the problem.

• Find out what students already know.

• Agree on how to assess final solution.

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What is involved in problem-based teaching and learning?

• Brainstorm what information is needed and how to find it.

• Collect and organize information.• Create product or performance.• Continually assess and evaluate

work.• Consider next steps.

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About the School

• Mililani Waena Elementary Schoollocated in Central Oahu

• Current enrollment is 680 students

in grades Pre K (SP ED) to 5• Certificated staff of 43 plus 2

administrators

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Teacher

• Leila Robello, 5th Grade Teacher– 21 years as a 5th grade teacher– 16 years at Mililani Waena– Language Arts Cadre member for

2 years

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LMS

• Linda Kim, Librarian– 19 years as a librarian, K-12– 14 years at Mililani Waena Elementary– Elementary teacher for 13 years– Standards Implementation Design

Leader and Language Arts Curriculum Chair for last 3 years

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Collaboration

• Background: Worked together on the Language Arts Cadre for 2 years

• Planning: Met after school, on the fly, at recess, email, phone calls

• Goal: Make learning ‘real’ and ‘authentic’ for our students.

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Roles

• T/LMS/Students: Identified the problem• T/LMS:

- Developed unit- Devised assessment tools- Connected with content standards- Co-taught the unit- Co-assessed the work

• Teacher strength: knowledge of students• LMS strength: knowledge of resources

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What’s the

problem?

• Students wanted fresher cafeteria lunches with more variety.

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What’s wrong with the

lunches?

• Food is cold.• Food tastes ‘old.’• There isn’t enough variety.

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What do students do as a result?

• Students throw away a lot of food.• Students bring home lunches.• Students go hungry.

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What can we doabout this

problem?

• We can create new school menus that are nutritious AND delicious!• We can present the menus to the cafeteria manager and principal.

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What questions do we need to answer?

• What makes a nutritious lunch?• What foods appeal to kids?

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What do we already know?

• What is the food pyramid?• What does a balanced meal look like?• What makes a meal nutritious?• What steps do we take to solve our problem?

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How will be know if our menus are good enough?

• It must include foods from each food group.• It must be something that students want to eat.

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What do we want to find out?

•What are students’ favorite meals? • How does our cafeteria manager create the menus?• How can we create a balanced lunch?

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How are we going to find the information?

• Interview the cafeteria manager.• Survey students. • Search the Internet.• Watch a video.• Find recipe books for healthy meals.• Read food labels.• Interview chefs, cooks, nutritionists.• Look at menus from restaurants.

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How are we organizingour information?

•Use graphic organizer for food pyramid.•Tabulate survey data on favorite lunch foods.•Create menus that are both nutritious and appealing.

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How do we know if we are doing well?

• Take pre-post tests.• Keep logs.• Assess menus using ‘met/not met’ checklist.

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What could we tackle next?

Work on a healthy and tasty lunch menus for our own families. Study how exercise helps develop a healthy body.

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How can you and your teachers transform “research topics” into problem based projects?

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Today’s challenge

• Work with an elbow partner or two.

• Pick one of the suggested research topics--or select your own.

• Complete the brainstorming organizer.

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Sample topics

• Life cycle of the butterfly (lower elementary).

• 50 states (upper elementary).• Biography of a famous person

(middle school).• World War II (high school).

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Brainstorm the following:

•Transform the topic into a related PROBLEM or ISSUE.

• Identify a BIG or ESSENTIAL QUESTION for this problem.

•Decide how students might PRESENT their findings.

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EXAMPLE

•Transform the topic into a related PROBLEM or ISSUE.

•Topic: Water• Issue: Quality of drinking

water in our community

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EXAMPLE

• Identify a BIG or ESSENTIAL QUESTION for this problem.

•Essential question: How safe is our drinking

water?

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EXAMPLE

•Decide how students might PRESENT their findings.

•Culminating product: slide show presentation on the quality of water in the community for the local board.

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Topical vs. Problem Based

Topical Problem Based

Students regurgitate information.

Students solve problems.

Teachers dispense information.

Teachers guide and coach.

Information is through textbooks.

Information is accessed globally.

Learning focuses on answers.

Learning focuses on questions.

Information is the goal. Knowledge is the goal.

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Benefits

•Higher levels of comprehension.

• Improved teamwork skills.•Greater content mastery.• Increased self-direction and

motivation to learn.

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To contact us. . . .

• Linda Kim, Library Media Specialist, Mililani Waena Elementary E-mail: Linda_Kim/MILWAENA/HIDOE@notes.k12.hi.us

• Violet Harada, Associate Professor, University of Hawaii, Library & Information Science E-mail: vharada@hawaii.edu