Problem-Based Learning

The students at Auburn Early Education Center seem genuinely excited about learning because they were fully involved in the process. When children are able to guide their learning and participate fully in the process, they seem to be more motivated and engaged. It was inspiring to watch the excitement on the students’ faces. The entire time I watched the video clip, I kept thinking “I want to teach there. Where is this place?”

The technology they use at Auburn Early Education Center was purposeful and gave concrete experiences to otherwise abstract ideas. The children were able to experience places from all around the world in their own classroom. The learning they experienced was applicable to their lives and helped prepare them for a bright future. To hear the students talking about passports and talking like airline pilots was amazing. So many people are not even exposed to these things until their adult lives, yet this young children are acting out the roles as though they are experienced travelers.

Problem-based learning is incorporating projects into the classroom, along with technology, to fully engage students in learning about things that apply to their lives. The students are involved in the problem-solving process and help design and guide the learning experiences. The environment is non-threatening because assessment is continual and trial and error is encouraged. Student reflection adds to the in-depth learning experiences practiced in problem-based learning.

If only all classrooms could, or were, as engaging and fun as this, wouldn’t education be entirely different? Students would look forward to school and would be independent thinkers able to function as individuals. Teacher burnout rates would probably decrease. All parties involved would find a new appreciation for technology and for education in general. Learning would expand far beyond the typical classroom of lectures and desks to hands-on discovery in a variety of atmospheres. I am a big proponent of problem-based learning.