After our discussion in our last class, I was a little confused on what our expectations were for the Challenge-Based Learning project. However, after reading this article it is more clear of what Challenge-Based Learning entails. The article introduces us to the generation of secondary students where they aren't learning as much in school, because they aren't challenged and some students simply don't care. Many of the reasons why students don't care about education is because they have no way of connecting the content of what they are learning to real life. Challenge-Based Learning is a way to connect students to real life problems while involving them in the process of finding solutions.
There are key components on how to implement Challenge-Based Learning in the classroom and I really enjoyed reading about the component of implementing the plans. Students are given so many assignments where the end result is a grade. By including implementation, students are actually applying their solutions to the real-world. They get to see their efforts put into action. What better way is there to engage students in their own learning than having them totally involved in the process and the implementation of a plan. Students get to see how their efforts have made a changed and how important their roles are for their community. I also like how this kind of learning challenges the students. Students are not just given a boring topic where they have to read about it and then write a paper on it. By using Challenge-Based Learning, students are learning about global issues and working with others to find solutions on how to fix or reduce those problems. Students are challenged in real-world problems where there are people who are currently working to resolve those issues. They become a part of the action team and are involved in the problem solving process. This is such a great tool for learning and I can't wait to use it with my future students!
I also was confused about this project until I read the article, but now that I know more about it I think it is a great idea. I think it such a great way of taking away from the pressure of just doing work for grades and allow the student's to be exposed to real world problems. Instead of just having them write a paper or make a powerpoint on a subject that they will forget about the next week, this is an activity that will be meaningful and build skills that are useful in the future. I am also excited to use it with my future students. Great post this week Courtnee!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. My favorite thing about Challenge based learning is that students are able to focus on things they are interested in and care about. I like that at the end of this the final product is not for a grade, but for students to make changes in an area they care about. The students really helps the students to see the result of their effort. This was a great response to the article. This also made me think about when I took social studies and how Bruce Larson pushes this same idea.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with your post! I also didn't know too much about what Challenge Based Learning entails until I read this article. It seems very interesting and engaging for students. I think it is great that students get to see their solutions applied to the real world. Assignments can seem silly and irrelevant to students when they don't see how to use them outside of the classroom. Through Challenge Based Learning, students learn new skills and use them in actual beneficial ways.
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