Book Review Using 6 THINGING HATS

Ekaterini Drakaki-Peterson 4/16/2015ETEC 594Professor: Dr. Dondlinger

This book review of Project-Based Learning, Differentiated Instruction for the 21st Century by William N. Bender is completed using the Six Thinking Hats approach. Included with this review is a table of how I would organize the project-based learning processes under the ISTE Standards for Students.

Blue HatWhat is the subject?The subject of this book review is project-based learning as described by William N. Bender in his book Project-Based Learning, Differentiated Instruction for the 21st Century. Project-based learning (PBL) methods demand a teacher who becomes a facilitator or for learning versus the focus for learning. Using planning that folds in today’s technology, teachers enhance projects, incorporate curriculum standards, and make students instruments of their own learning. Throughout his book, Bender specifically walks a novice to project-based learning through examples of each stage of the process and references the research that supports this approach to teaching and learning. Someone unfamiliar with PBL could read

this book, study this book, and carefully extract applicable steps in building a project based on research documenting the success of PBL. This is a “how-to” book.

What is the goal?Bender states there are two standout advantages. First is increased student motivation and interest in learning. The second is student achievement increases. As this happens teachers become more confident in the PBL process as students construct meaningful knowledge and become adept at finding, evaluating, organizing, and presenting information as they employ technology.

What have we done so far? We are past the days where a software program limits the presentation of project information.

What do we do next? The giant step forward is the ability of the educator to comfortably exploit the tools available today that stimulate student’s motivation to learn as well as actually liking to learn.

What decision have we reached?Educators must confront their discomfort with how to employ technology and fortify themselves with determination to develop competence as they become the example of the “learner who never stops learning”.

White Hat

Evaluating. The book provides the blueprint from an expert of the vernacular and components of the PBL process. More importantly, it is substantiated by research and applies the process in terms of the latest technologies.

What do we know? Teachers used PBL before the internet. Lesson plans of today are an evolution of the capability ties of the digital age. PBL makes these lessons come alive as they encourage and motivate students to dig, find, and evaluate, and select material to construct a mastery of content.

What is missing? What is not in this book is a process to disqualify information. Students do prioritize artifacts and decide the importance of what they include in their projects.

What info would we like to have?A strong book would be stronger if it included some process for identifying primary from secondary and lesser useful sources.

How to get this info? Teachers could conduct a minilesson on quality control of sources.

What is relevant? This book is packed with relevant information: the vernacular of PBL, the breakdown of thePBL process with examples. There is nothing superfluous in this book.

What is most important?There is no downside to using this PBL process because it is easily applied in an interdisciplinary manner with accommodations for all learners.How valid is it? The author supports all the aspects of the PBL process with research.

Red Hat

Intuitive or instinctive gut reactions.The book immediately presented an example of a PBL project and the vernacular of the process, the components of the process, and the importance of the process and what it means for student achievement. How does a teacher who must spend inordinate amounts of the school year teaching to a testing system which itself is used against them to determine their effectiveness and professional standing and perhaps even their longevity in the profession. How do I feel?Will this make my work harder, more complex? Will I be releasing control of my classroom?How do I learn and apply this Web 2.0 technology? What does Web 2.0 mean? Will this really deepen student understanding, enhance their retention, teach effective use of instructional technology, and improve their problem solving skills. Do I use PBL full-time or as an adjunct to teacher-directed learning?

How am I reacting to this?Can I learn the uses of technology I need to model in my teaching? Will I look incompetent to my students who have grown up with the technology but have yet to apply it as I will need them to do?

Black Hat

Negatives.Will enough of my students have enough of these Web 2.0 skills (wikis, blogs, visual and audio media, and the ways to maximize computer applications) or would the teacher need to spend class time teaching the technology which is at the heart of the PBL process? How does the teacher acquire the technology skills who lacks them?

Is it true?Bender is confident in this PBL process because it is substantiated in research results throughout his book.

What are weaknesses?Bender suggest that teachers concept map common core standards or state standards for the academic year tied to PBL projects. In other words, the school year would be one continuous PBL-driven project. It would be useful to address this in a book about this. What is wrong with it?This may be beyond a new teacher’s skill set. While the teacher may be equal to the technological task, and have the requisite content skills, other aspects like classroom management and district admin requirements take time to master. Going from being the education student to being the educator would be less stressful when accomplished under the tutelage of a mentor. Will it work?A major cornerstone of the PBL success story is increased student engagement and higher levels of motivation to complete assignments.

Evidence? Not only is the author a respected expert in PBL, he leads his explanations of the process with research at every step in his book.

Consequences?Textbook publishers beware. Logic? The PBL process is a natural extension of planning and executing curriculum using 21st century technology tools. All teachers have made lesson plans. It would be head-in-the-sand posturing to remain mired in teacher-led instruction when technology exists to multiply teacher effectiveness while students enjoy using devices for educational purposes which they spend hours using for social purposes daily.

Assessment?PBL can make learning an adventure.

Yellow Hat What are the good points?

Students get a voice and some control over their learning. What are the benefits?

Research proven increases in student achievement. Practice at collaboration with students in groups and wisely use the strengths of

each. PBL multiplies effectiveness of teacher. Deeper understanding and enhanced retention. Develop problem solving strategies. Increase expertise in using technology. Effective with lower-achieving students.

Why will this idea work?When approached with confidence and appreciation for potential gains in student motivation and achievement, an educator would not want to revert back to the teacher-centered classroom. Why is it worth doing?Transitioning to PBL exploits today’s high technology world which occupies so much of student’s timeout side of school. Students are expected to take charge of their learning with the teacher becoming a facilitator. Students get a voice and a choice in this shift away from the lecture method of instruction.

How will it help us?The sooner this becomes a predominant approach, students become powerful agents in their learning. They learn how to approach a relevant real-world problem and organize what they need to know, how to find it, how to present it for the most powerful impact for a particular audience. Teachers are no longer expected to dominate the learning environment. Why can it be done?Technology is involved in most aspects of our lives and is only limited by the imagination of the educator. Students today can often be more proficient than the teacher and as a result, have less respect and place less credence in a teacher who is uneasy in using it. With some effort, the motivated teacher becomes a respected learning leader. This leader guides the classroom and channels student’s energy thereby building a confident problem-solver. Optimism and sunshine. The technology is there. Why are we not exploiting it?

Logical positive view of things. The optimism of the teacher transfers to the student.

Feasibility. Feasibility is not a question in wealthier school districts. In poorer school districts, all things are not possible. Feasibility is also limited to the imagination of district leaders and appreciation of gains. Budgets cannot be ignored as any appreciation for the benefits of PBL rest on ready availability of 21st century technology. There must be internet connections.

Green Hat

Ways to solve the problem.For teachers, determine whether to begin using PBL full-time or part-time along with teacher-centered instruction.

New, different ideas. Using PBL requires accepting the new role of learning facilitator. Suggestions.Confidence in the power of PBL derives from confidence in using the tools of Web 2.0.Identify the specific Web 2.0 tools and set out to perfect use of these tools.Take an example of common core standards and make concept maps.

Proposals. Take a lesson plan and tie it to a concept map. Take the concept map and build a PBL

project. Set up Web 2.0 training at the school level to let teachers not feel alone when it

comes to developing proficiency and confidence which they can transfer to classrooms

The Bender’s 6 PBL process steps as I would interpret and cross-reference to the ISTE Standards for Students

PBL Steps ISTE Standard for Students

Step 1. Introduction and Team Planning Standard 2. Communication and Collaboration

Step 2. Initial research Phase: Gather information Standard 2. Communication and CollaborationStandard 3. Research and Information LiteracyStandard 5. Digital citizenship

Step 3. Creation, development, initial evaluation of presentation, and prototype artifacts

Standard 1. Creativity and innovationStandard 2. Communication and CollaborationStandard 4. Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision makingStandard 5. Digital citizenship

Step 4. Second research phase Standard 2. Communication and CollaborationStandard 3. Research and Information LiteracyStandard 4. Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making

Step 5. Final Presentation development Standard 2. Communication and CollaborationStandard 6.Technology operations and concepts

Step 6. Publication of product or artifacts Standard 1. Creativity and innovationStandard 2. Communication and CollaborationStandard 4. Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making

Note that I interpret ISTE Standard 2, communication and collaboration, to be involved at every step of the PBL process.

There are numerous iterations of xxxxx-based learning. This table from website Edutopia takes the two PBL acronyms and draws distinctions between the two.

From http://www.edutopia.org/blog/pbl-vs-pbl-vs-xbl-john-larmer