Assignment : Designing a STEM Project$-$Based Learning $($PBL$)$ Experience.

This task provides an opportunity for teacher candidates to research, evaluate, and create an activity designed to show how STEM and PBL can be intertwined.

a$)$ Preparation

Teacher candidates will encounter at least three videos in the classroom about STEM and PBL$.$ Based on observations, they will fully describe the following:

The design of each PBL$/$STEM project.

The grade level targeted.

Motivation: are students engaged and eager to learn during the PBL process.

Launch of the project: pros and cons; student roles: are students fully engaged in the learning process?

Closure: has the learning process led to dynamic learning opportunities $($explain$).$

Learning environment: did it encourage practice, success, and attainability for all students? Is there any evidence that students are helped to overcome the paralysis of failure and learn to grow from their mistakes?

b$)$ Designing a STEM PBL Experience

i$)$ Complete the Inspireteaching

ii$)$ State the problem:

Identify a problem that has a real$-$life STEM application and is meaningful to students. The problem should

be engaging and meaningful to students;

require collaboration and teamwork to solve; and help students master STEM$-$related academic standards.

iii$)$ Design the experience:

Candidates will use a model to design a PBL experience $($see the $9-$step example provided in this assignment$).$ Collaborate and share their solutions. Specifically, they will:

Identify which academic standards and STEM elements are being addressed.

Indicate each step of the project and the student's role in each step.

Provide opportunities for students to collaborate to develop and share solutions.

Provide instances for teachers and peers to praise and encourage; give constructive criticism; or provide ideas to support groups when they are struggling.

c$)$ Assess the project: Candidates will:

Identify the potential academic and social outcomes of the experience.

Plan two assessment opportunities $($i$.$e$.,$ one formative and one summative assessment$).$

Use the identified academic standards and social outcomes to: determine a reasonable number of outcomes to assess; and plan formative and summative assessment opportunities.

d$)$ Reflection on the process

After the design is complete, candidates will reflect on their experiences $($i$.$e$.,$ successes and challenges$)$ in designing a STEM PBL experience.

What are your thoughts on integrating STEM and PBL$?$

What are the pros and cons of using an integrated STEM$/$PBL approach?

How is this similar to or different from the role you normally play in your classroom?

What expectations would you have for yourself and your students during a PBL experience?

How do you think this learning activity will help your students?

What role should the teacher play in fostering student learning during this experience?

Which part of designing a STEM Project$-$Based Learning experience do you think will be the easiest$/$most difficult? Why?

Provide several practical strategies for using Project$-$Based Learning to enhance STEM instruction.