The Essence of Projects

My earlier thinking was that if anybody was to get learners to engage in project work, it should be scheduled outside the school program on the assumption that it needed a lot more time than could be accorded it on a school time table. Secondly, I assumed that apart from being time wasting, the learners can be easily distracted and at the end of the learning time nothing would be achieved. All this has changed because I have come to realize that when learners are engaged in something that requires a hands-on experience, their interest will definitely be aroused and they will do a bit more learning than they would otherwise have done. From the videos that I have watched in this lesson, I have seen that the learners instead get to focus on the project at hand and everyone is actively involved. They even go ahead to share ideas and build/create something beautiful at the end. The excitement on their faces all the time shows they are enjoying the learning process and this is how learning should be.
The strongest arguments to using Project Based Learning include;
·         The learners are effectively engaged and direct their own learning
·         They learn to work together and exchange/ share ideas
·         They are better prepared for higher levels
·         They learn well and remember better
·         The presentations they make help boost their confidence and communication skills
·         They develop creativity that later helps them in improving their communities
·         The learners are more likely to meet the more demanding standards.
In short, Project Based Learning promotes critical thinking, collaboration, communication and creativity.
Implementing this approach has its challenges. For instance in our country today, the curriculum is rigid, and the resources are not available because of financial constraints. Getting learners to have personal tools they could use such as digital cameras, laptops etc. is a challenge in itself. Most of them come from families that are either average or living below the poverty line and cannot afford such luxury.