So…What is PBL, Again?

Welcome to our “Projects” blog! We will be using this page to showcase some of our current and past projects. Please feel free to comment below!

First, a little about project-based learning (PBL): According to the Buck Institute for Education (BIE)–one of the most reputable authorities on PBL–project- or problem-based learning is “a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an engaging and complex question, problem, or challenge.”

At TES, we believe that children, even as young as 3 years old, have the capacity to develop creative problem-solving and critical-thinking skills (among myriads of other skills necessary to succeed in the information age). We strive to design projects that incite inquiry, necessitate teamwork, and encourage communication of their learning. By so doing, we hope to lay a foundation for and sow the seeds of learning that will eventually and successfully meet the social and economic demands of the 21st century.

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If you’d like to learn more about PBL, you can access their website at http://bie.org/

 

Doctor’s Orders, Part 2 (November 2015)

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Circle Time was planned in coordination with Art Studio to strengthen the theme by introducing the said medical tools, featuring songs related to the body and healthcare, showing videos about doctor’s check-ups and of doctors who fly to Eskimo villages in Alaska. Then on the third day of the unit, Ms. Elda demonstrated a doctor’s check-up using “Penguin the Patient” during Circle Time, gloved and goggled and everything! (Barriers first! Let’s not get sick while treating a patient, you know what I mean?) At the end of the demo, one of the children Continue reading

Doctor’s Orders, Part 1 (November 2015)

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When children walk into school with runny noses in various hues of green and yellow, you know flu and cold season is upon us or at least right around the corner.

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I Can Be Myself (October 2015)

The Mixed-Up Chameleon

The Mixed-Up Chameleon

As part of the “All About Me” unit, Ms. Nancy’s class started with the idea that “it’s okay to be me”, that we should be happy with who we already are, and that trying to be like someone else doesn’t necessarily make us happier. She kicked off the topic by reading Eric Carle’s The Mixed-Up Chameleon to her group to impress the children with the thought that even though we see desirable traits in others, we each have individual characteristics that make us unique and special.

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March of the Penguins (January 2015)

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Expecting students to enjoy learning in one way is like expecting everyone to like artichokes. There’s nothing wrong with liking artichokes, just as there is nothing wrong with wanting to learn in solitude…and there’s nothing wrong with hating artichokes or wanting to learn socially. Any educator understands the importance of accommodating children’s diverse ways of learning and discovering understanding. This is perhaps of supreme importance when it comes to early childhood education when the foundations of learning are being established.

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Our Good Earth (December 2014)

In an effort to help our children appreciate and recognize the uniqueness of our earth, Mr. David led them on a journey into the solar system. The hope was that by understanding the individual characteristics of each planet, the children would come to the conclusion that the earth is also special, possessing its own particular features that make it distinct.

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