Monday, June 13, 2016

Day One... My head is spinning!

As I sit down to reflect on my experiences today I'm overwhelmed with excitement after the small taste I've been given of PBL World. During the opening session I was brought to tears numerous times as I watched students, teachers and PBL facilitators share their experiences and journey towards a deeper and purpose filled learning.  I'm so excited to see what the rest of the conference will provide but I can already tell that this opportunity is life changing, not only for the teachers but most importantly the students who have been fortunate enough to experience PBL World. 

My mind continues to race but here are some initial thoughts and questions after today:
  • PBL can provide an opportunity for students to realize that their work has meaning
  • We as educators want our work to have purpose. That's how we feel fulfilled and energized so why aren't we providing that for our students?
  • If we want change to happen we have to be courageous and be willing to take chances
  • We need to be willing to overcome the fear of being judged by our peers and instead embrace the opportunity to cultivate an environment of honest feedback and transparent classrooms
  • We as educators should be inspiring kids to do more than they think is possible
  • PBL can provide the opportunity to inspire, develop and strengthen young people to go and change the world
  • We need to challenge traditional teaching, classrooms and schools not because we need something new to try but because we owe it to our students
Miki Tomita, from the Polynesian Voyaging Society, said today "you don’t know what you need to learn until you find your teachers”. I'm hoping PBL will help me develop into that teacher that provides opportunity for purpose filled learning and brings my students closer to finding their purpose and way in life.



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