se/ecting an effective method, students could practice teamwork and communication skills to develop a training video that teaches others about effective salon bookkeeping. Project-Based Learning Requires Students to Construct Their Own Knowledge Knowledge construction is critical to effective learning. Known as constructivism, strategies that involve students in constructing their own knowledge are compatible with what educational researchers have learned about higher-order thinking skills, multiple intelligences, learning styles, and brain functions. When students gather, evaluate, and synthesize information to learn answers for themselves, they are more likely to use critical-thinking strategies to gain a deeper understanding of the subject matter, and remember the important information. 14 0 e 0 O o Instead of our salon bookkeeping students being told what to do and how to do it (which is the traditional way to present an assignment), you would simply challenge student teams to investigate salon bookkeeping systems and recommend the best system to use in a specific type of salon. You would then let them struggle, if necessary, to identify the steps needed to carry out their assignment. In this case, their next step would involve learning enough about the system to train others to implement it and their final step would be to develop a training tool that would help others learn about their recommended bookkeeping system. You might need to ask open-ended questions to help students get started and/or to get re-started if their efforts get stalled. Project-Based Learning is a Student-Centered Method That Encourages Students to Work Autonomously When working on projects, students generally work in Suggestions for self-directed teams. They are responsible for identifying dividing students the tasks needed to accomplish project-related goal(s) into teams are and for determining and carrying out the steps needed to provided on accomplish the project goals. By giving students pp. .3.3-35. opportunities to work without direction from the teacher, projects help students develop many SCANS skills, including problem solving, project planning, resource allocation, interpersonal communication, teamwork, and time management. Once projects are designed and assigned, the teacher is not the central activity director. (This concept was illustrated in the previous salon bookkeeping project example.) Instead, the teacher's role is to facilitate learning in a variety of ways including: Modeling appropriate behavior and attitudes (e.g., researching the Internet to find needed information, explaining his/her own problemsolving strategies). Coaching students through the project activities (e.g., sharing observations, providing input on team plans, asking open-ended questions*). *One of the strongest strategies for guiding student learning is to ask open-ended questions. For each project taught, you can prepare questions that require students to think critically. Your questions can** students to: , 47,;\ - Explain what they have observed (e.g., "Why is it important that...?" or "What are the facts and limitations?") BEST COPY AVAILABLE: .15 - Synthesize (summarize) what they have learned (e.g., "What have you learned about...?") - Make predictions (e.g., "What would happen if...?" or "What precautions should be considered?") - Apply what they learned to other situations (e.g., "How would...work in a different type of salon?") . -- tate what they havelearneCiand make a recommendation (e.g., roce'ss' do 'you Why" ) , Observing students as they interact and conduct project-related activities. Assessing student learning. After you assign the bookkeeping project, you should do the following: Circulate among teams during the in-class project time. Ask probing, open-ended questions to help students clarify their strategies and synthesize what they have learned. For example, you might ask: Why did you choose this bookkeeping system over the others? What makes this system better than that one? What is your plan for developing a training tool? What is your time line? Suggest resources (when asked). Observe students as they interact, and use a rubric to assess their performance as team members. BEST COPY AVAILABLE 16 0 oo o 0 0 Project-Based Learning Culminates in Authentic Products, Which Are Assessed Using a Variety of Strategies If you have not taught using projects, it is recommended that you read through the Salon Business Plan project. Pay special attention to the procedures and the assessment strategies. This will help you understand why specific assessment tools are suggested for specific projects and what options are available for using them. Assessments for project-based learning are, most often, different than assessment strategies used in traditional