STEM, PBL, Common Core, and 21st Century Learning
Just a few weeks ago, I was asked by our Governing Board if some students and teachers could share about Project Based Learning at the next Board Meeting, and it was easy to say yes because PBL has found a home at AJUSD. Solar exploration in Mrs. Hamman's 5th grade class This STEM project was student driven. They researched problems and solutions on their own, and concluded that solar energy could help solve problems with purifying drinking water and eliminating the health hazards and environmental damage of cooking fires. Here's an overview of their project, created by the students: Listen to this insightful student reflection (also inside the Popplet above): I loved how their reflection captured the authenticity of the learning driven by their interests, the rigor of the project, the relevance to them and others, their responsibility and commitment to their learning, and the insight gained from this PBL. Water quality in Mrs. Go