Project Approach Coffee Chat Slides.pdf
Supporting High Quality Inclusion: The Project Approach
Sallee Beneke & Michaelene M. Ostrosky October 12, 2021
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The Project Approach for All Learners: A Hands-On Guide for Inclusive Early Childhood Classrooms
The go-to guide for implementing the Project Approach, a child-centered approach to reach and teach all learners in your early childhood classroom—regardless of background or ability.
bpub.fyi/Project-Approach
Topics for Today
- Identify Phases and Key Features
- Project versus Theme
- Project Approach & Diverse Learners
- Review Resources
What We Know: Inclusion
- Research shows that inclusion benefits all children
- We need curriculum approaches that support all learners in inclusive classrooms
- Practitioners do not feel well prepared and want PD
- Supports for fidelity of implementation are needed
What is a Project?
An in-depth investigation of a topic worth learning more about, usually undertaken by a group of children within a class.
What Is the Project Approach?
- An approach to teaching
- Facilitates in-depth study of high interest topic
– Children investigate first-hand
– Children are researchers and collect data - Capitalizes on children’s natural curiosity
What is the Goal of Project Work?
The goal of a project is to learn more about a topic rather than to find answers to questions posed by a teacher.
Knowledge Versus Understanding
- Children who learn facts in isolation may:
– Memorize and soon forget
– Lack interest in further learning
– Not connect facts with prior learning
Building Understanding
Project Work & Understanding
- Children who do project work are more likely to:
– Understand how things work
– Understand the implications of new information
– Make connections with prior learning
– Want to learn more
– Know some strategies for learning more information
– Know some strategies for analyzing new information
Phases
| Phase | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | Children’s Work: Select a topic to investigate (with teacher). Discuss what they know about the topic. Represent what they already know. Dictate questions they want to answer. Predict answers they might find. |
| 2 | Investigation is Underway: Preparing for field work, Field work, Research, Guest Experts, Representing what has been learned. |
| 3 | Children’s Work: Comparing what they knew with what they now know. Deciding how to share what they learned. Helping teachers create displays and constructions to share findings. Inviting guests to a presentation about their project. |
Knowledge
- Strengthens children’s interest in learning
- Children learn how their world works
- Children develop confidence in their own ability to figure things out
Skills
- Many opportunities for children to apply skills
- Opportunities to use strengths to benefit the group
Dispositions
- Children learn to work collaboratively with peers
- Children develop confidence in their abilities
- Strengthens disposition to persist
- Strengthens intellectual dispositions
Feelings
- Project work allows children to use their strengths
- There is something for everyone to do in project work
- Children feel pride in their accomplishments
- Children feel a sense of belonging
What might be the potential impact of the Project Approach on a teacher’s ability to teach children with disabilities?
Fidelity of Implementation
- Fidelity of implementation is defined as “the implementation of a practice or program as intended by the researchers or developers” (The IRIS Center, 2014, p. 1).
How Can I Learn the Project Approach?
Use the Checklist for Your Own Professional Development
- Source of ideas for implementation
- Basis for discussion with colleagues
- Basis for discussion with a mentor or coach
Topics: Thematic vs. Project
| Thematic Unit | Project |
|---|---|
| Abstract-a concept | Concrete-a thing or group of things |
| Not tangible | Tangible-can be touched, measured, drawn, acted out |
| Preplanned-Themes often develop sequentially | Emerges from child’s experiences and interest |
Identifying a Good Topic
| Thematic Unit | Project |
|---|---|
| Nutrition | Bread |
| Transportation | Boats |
| Friendship | |
| Manners | Restaurants |
How Do I Pull a Topic From a Theme?
- Look for aspects that can be:
– Touched
– Counted
– Measured
– Discussed
– Researched
– Represented in a variety of ways (e.g., dramatic play, drawing, and/or construction)
Consider Children’s Interests
- Children are motivated to learn about interesting topics
- Consider topics of casual teacher/child conversation
- Actively observe, listen to, and reflect on child/child conversation
- Talk with or survey family members
Twelve Criteria for Topic Selection
- Directly Observable
- Within Most Students’ Experience
- Field Site & Experts are Available
- First-hand Investigation is Feasible
- Good Potential for Representation
- Parents Can Become Involved
- Sensitive to Culture
- Potentially Interesting to Many Children
- Related to Curriculum Goals & Standards
- Provides Opportunities to Apply Basic Skills
- Not Too Narrow, Not Too Broad
- It is Interesting to the Teacher
The Younger the Child…
- Select topic close to child’s immediate environment
- Topic that child can observe again and again
- Consider topics in classroom, on school grounds, within short walking distance
Topic Selection for Children with Limited Language Abilities
- Observe play behaviors
- Families of DLLs can help identify topics related to home culture
- Families can program topic-related vocabulary into Augmentative and Alternative Communication devices so child can participate in discussion
- Scaffold discussion
THE PROJECT APPROACH FOR ALL LEARNERS
A Hands-On Guide
Implement project-based learning in inclusive early classrooms
Sallee J. Beneke Michaelene M. Ostrosky Lilian G. Katz Foreword by Susan A. Fowler
Includes a complete package of training and implementation materials!
- Project Approach Implementation Checklist
- 38 video clips
- 22 PowerPoint presentations
- 6 sets of training materials
Learn more and order: http://bit.ly/Project-Approach
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Thank You!
Dr. Sallee Beneke
BenekeSalleeJ@sau.edu
Dr. Michaelene Ostrosky
ostrosky@illinois.edu