In all honesty, I think I did more problem-, project- and/or inquiry-based learning when I first started teaching. The curriculum seemed more open-ended, or perhaps that was how I viewed it because I had nothing to compare it to. Over the years, I fell into the 'industrial age' methods, although I tried to integrate creative, and sometimes collaborative options and choices into my lessons, yet critical thinking received the raw end of the deal.
My perception and philosophy became jaded over time, especially as we moved into Proficiency Based Learning, standards & targets. I am not placing blame on anything or one...I simply lost my way and didn't realize I needed to see learning (and teaching) through a new lens.
These three types of learning are not new to me, yet incorporating them into some facet of my teaching will be, especially as I better understand the differences and similarities between them. The possibilities could truly be endless when it comes to working with GT students, yet I am going to have to make this more of a priority by discussing with my team leader new approaches to our current GT curriculum. Also, ongoing conversations with classroom teachers and administration need to occur in order to make any of these types of learning work in all of the settings in which students are learning.
As stated in the 'Teaching for Meaningful Learning' article: "Without this additional time and support, extended projects can easily become more about "doing for the sake of doing" than "doing with understanding"..." (p. 12)
The point of implementing any of these types of learning experiences, isn't to start a trend or because something sounds ideal, yet because students deserve every possible opportunity to actively participate in the world they are already living in.
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