In our last post we talked about the first three of Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and how they relate to Project Based Learning (PBL). Today, we’ll briefly go through the last 4 together.
Habit #4 – Think Win-Win
Project Based Learning cannot be a rigid demand of results from the teacher. By its very nature, the student owns the work and the results. If the teacher has laid out a set of guidelines for providing a finished product for assessment, he or she should realize that they are just that: guidelines. Allow the student to offer tweaks to your expectations that relate more directly to his own interests, learning style, or abilities. Compromise. Make exceptions. Believe me, you will enjoy the finished product so much more.
Habit #5 – Seek First To Understand, Then To Be Understood
Hand in hand with Habit #4 comes this nugget of wisdom. As the student is working her way through the steps of the project, make it a priority to understand what her concerns are, where her limitations lie, and where her knowledge needs broadening. By understanding where your students are, you will more powerfully propel them to success. There is no need to pound your rubric into their heads if they genuinely need help or guidance.
Habit #6 – Synergize
This is a powerful habit. It is the power of 1 plus 1 equals 3. We have greatly abilities working together than we could ever have working alone. Project Based Learning should be a community effort. Students need to work in pairs or small groups. They will need your guidance and direction certainly in order to stay on task, but the lessons they will learn about life far outweigh the possibilities of being off task.
Habit #7 – Sharpening the Saw
It is imperative that an assessment be done of the total project when you are finished. Get feed back from the students. Write your own notes as you move along through the project. Think about what is working and what isn’t. What would you change? How would you change it? This summative assessment piece is crucial to future success.
Project Based Learning can be a wonderful experience for students, teachers, parents, and other stakeholders. It can be the greatest of experiences when handled with the right guiding principles. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective PBL will help.