Project-Based Learning: A model for empowerment and authentic learning for students and leaders
For my primary action research project, I wanted to focus on an initiative that would have direct impact on student learning within the elementary art room. Based on educational research in the field of project-based learning, I decided to implement a pre-existing recycled sculpture unit in a new way- focusing on the key points of project-based learning with the hopes of improving student engagement, excitement, and overall impact on learning. I believed that by altering my instruction method and types of engagements that student learning would benefit. My hypothesis was that introducing this unit through the PBL model would enhance student creativity and autonomy. Through an entry event, student-driven inquiry interspersed with plenty of class and small group discussion, reflection and planning, I rolled out a PBL unit challenging students to create something useful for travel out of nothing (recycled or found objects and materials). Students worked in groups to develop plans, test supplies and ideas, and create a functional carry on item that would enhance their travel (a very relevant problem assignment given the frequent travels of our student population). To round off the unit and authentic learning experience for students, I called in an authentic audience in two forms for the students to pitch their ideas to. First, an expert from the airline industry (a parent at our school) came to assess and test the products. He was able to give students genuine feedback based on his many years in the airline industry and gave the students a valid audience which caused them to work even harder on creating a useable product. Secondly, parents and teachers were invited to come to the finale PBL project fair where the airline products and their learning were displayed and presented by the groups. This culminating event had tremendous community turn out and really got the kids excited about what they were doing.
Upon reflection after the successful completion of this AR plan, I realised that not only does this form of student-driven project-based inquiry lead to greater creativity and autonomy with students, but that this could make an excellent model for developing and fostering teacher leaders in a school as well. The key components of real-world problems, authentic audiences and learner-driven investigations and learning paralleled many key components of the development of educational leaders and led to the same excitement, autonomy and empowerment of adult leaders as well as students. I believe as educational leaders and part of our school teams we should be addressing issues that are relevant and meaningful, considering problems collaboratively to find better solutions and presenting (or implementing) our findings and goals with a very real expert audience- often our students or school community members. This AR project not only gave me valid data and experience in my own classroom to improve teaching and student learning but revealed to me an essential component of leadership that forms the basis for my beliefs in educational leadership today: empowerment. When a learner is empowered, they are motivated and inspired to continuous improvement and learning driven by personal passions and interested and actively contribute to the collaborative improvement of the group or school community.
Upon reflection after the successful completion of this AR plan, I realised that not only does this form of student-driven project-based inquiry lead to greater creativity and autonomy with students, but that this could make an excellent model for developing and fostering teacher leaders in a school as well. The key components of real-world problems, authentic audiences and learner-driven investigations and learning paralleled many key components of the development of educational leaders and led to the same excitement, autonomy and empowerment of adult leaders as well as students. I believe as educational leaders and part of our school teams we should be addressing issues that are relevant and meaningful, considering problems collaboratively to find better solutions and presenting (or implementing) our findings and goals with a very real expert audience- often our students or school community members. This AR project not only gave me valid data and experience in my own classroom to improve teaching and student learning but revealed to me an essential component of leadership that forms the basis for my beliefs in educational leadership today: empowerment. When a learner is empowered, they are motivated and inspired to continuous improvement and learning driven by personal passions and interested and actively contribute to the collaborative improvement of the group or school community.
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