Math, PBL and 21st Century Learning for Students

In a normal educational setting, a classroom with rows of desks and a teacher in the front,
there is a need for structure to maintain the order needed to accomplish the established
educational goals. There are fortunately more designs to be followed for the educational
process, designs in which the child can become more important and more central in guiding
the process.
A virtual classroom is one, in which education is not confined to a limited space or confined
by four walls. In a virtual classroom, the world is available for the students to explore by
making their own choices about, what it is important to learn. Child-Directed Project Based
Learning allows the student to decide what he needs to know, and to work toward goals
that are important to him.
Project-Based Learning (PBL) is an innovative approach to learning that teaches a
multitude of strategies, critical for success in the twenty-first century. Students drive their
own learning through inquiry, as well as work, collaboratively to research and create
projects that reflect their knowledge.
From gleaning new, viable technology skills, to becoming proficient communicators and
advanced problem solvers, students benefit from this approach to instruction. Project
based learning is hands-on, real world experience that is invaluable for children from
kindergarten through twelfth grade. It is a method that has been proven to help students
have a better understanding of what they have learned and to retain the information. It
also increases a student’s ability to apply what he has learned and engages the student in
the learning experience. Students get excited about projects and this motivates them to
study and learn the information that is needed to complete the project.
Project based learning is defined by the Buck Institute of Education as:
“…a systematic teaching method that engages students in learning essential knowledge
and life-enhancing skills through an extended, student-influenced inquiry process
structured around complex, authentic questions and carefully designed products and
tasks.”
 Now, considering project-based learning, as a way to teach 21st century competencies? Or
perhaps you might have already used PBL in your schools and want to support for your
discussions with administrators, parents or board members etc., In either case, it might be
helpful to know about the strong research evidence that PBL, when supported by good
professional development, can, in turn support the teaching and learning of 21st century
skills, significantly compared, is far more better than traditional and conventional
alternatives.

Sometimes skeptics will argue that for certain subjects (e.g., mathematics) for some types
of students (e.g., low performers) are harder to teach using PBL. Which is not true. The
main aim of PBL itself, is to improve performance and skills.

Students might enjoy video of building a house, in a classroom, say as an example of good
teaching -- but not necessarily the example taken or given need not be followed
compulsorily, it may or may not, there might be better alternates that could or should be
followed. Paul Lockhart in his Mathematician's Lament, suggests that applying math to
real world situations could actually sometimes hurt creativity in an individual.

Math teachers and teachers of low-performing students, do have unique challenges for
teaching 21st century skills. However, research analysis demonstrates, those who use PBL
are much better and are able to deliver more than traditional teachers in teaching and
developing these skills.

Here are three videos showing students using mathematics while conducting projects,
Students working in groups, to create original products or presentations.

Watch the videos using the below links:

 My Restaurant Project
 Elementary Projects from Worms to Wall Street
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bomjNY25dM

These videos provide vivid examples of PBL helping math teachers promote 21st century
learning, But
How do we know, and
How do we convince others that they aren't just anecdotal and are isolated examples?

What about the concern, that PBL cannot be used with low-performing students?
Teachers of low performing students who used PBL, taught and assessed 21st century skills
much more than non-PBL teachers. This was true even for teachers of high-achieving
students, but they more often taught these skills to high-achieving students without PBL
as well. This means, PBL is important, specific for low-performing students, who get less
opportunity of a chance to imbibe these specific skills.
Are you convinced that PBL can improvise, help, enhance the skillset and promote 21st
century learning, with a special focus on maths with low-performing students?
Based on your experience/knowledge, would you suggest/recommend trying to teach 21st
century knowledge and skills in your classrooms using PBL, or rather try a different
methodology ‘n’ approach?
Please feel free to share your innovative ideas/thoughts in the comments section.

Suggested Resources:

 WVDE research brief WVDE full study Edutopia post by Suzie Boss on 21cs

 PBL in West VA (Edutopia post by Andrew Miller on PBL & Math

Mathalicious Association for Middle Level Education (formerly National Middle School
Association)

 Math projects from the BIE library this blog is part of a series sponsored by Autodesk

 www.academia.edu/1999386/Research_Brief_Extended_professional_development_in_pro
jectbased_learning_Impacts_on_21st_century_teaching_and_student_achievement 8

 www.academia.edu/1999374/Extended_professional_development_in_projectbased_learn
ing_Impacts_on_21st_century_teaching_and_student_achievement 9

 www.edutopia.org/blog/21st-century-skills-pbl-suzie-boss 10

 www.edutopia.org/blog/project-based-learning-math-standards 11

 www.mathalicious.com/ 12

 www.amle.org/Research/ResearchSummaries/ProjectBasedLearninginMath/tabid/1570/De
fault.aspx 13

 www.bie.org/project_search/results/search&project_search_channel=32&ps_search_one=
102&category=102/ 14 students.autodesk.co