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A review by inthecommonhours
Project-Based Homeschooling: Mentoring Self-Directed Learners by Lori McWilliam Pickert
5.0
I've been following Lori Pickert's blog for years, and been wishing for a way to share her ideas in book form. Alleluia, it's here!
Some of the main things I've taken from Lori's writing:
1. Project-based learning is based on trust.
Traditional classrooms rely on the teacher knowing exactly where students will be (or at least hope to be) by the end of the quarter---the answers are already known. In trying to implement Lori's process into our school's honor program, I learned how essential trust was in allowing children an authentic say in what they learn and how they learn it---trust in our children's eagerness to do real work and in their love of meaningful learning.
2. Project-based learning doesn't have to be all or nothing.
I'm guilty of taking a lot of ideas to the extreme as a way to discount them. Yes, PBL is child-led, but that doesn't mean the teacher is just passively following along. I love the way Lori clearly paints the significant role parents or teacher play in supporting and mentoring their students. I'm a big believer in memorization, both math facts and poetry---and my kids aren't going to choose that on their own. But I find that by allowing the majority of their home-learning to be self-led projects, they are much more receptive and enthusiastic about my pet projects.
3. Setting matters.
I love the way Pickert stresses the role of environment in a child's learning. Everything from observing their parent as a reader or someone who creates, or FINISHES projects to the table space and wall display and quality art materials---it all communicates what we value to our chidren much more loudly than anything we could say in words.
The book spells out the different steps in implementing student-directed project, and every chapter has an inspiring list of specific ideas/formats. My only complaint is I want more--- I can't wait to read what Pickert publishes next.
Some of the main things I've taken from Lori's writing:
1. Project-based learning is based on trust.
Traditional classrooms rely on the teacher knowing exactly where students will be (or at least hope to be) by the end of the quarter---the answers are already known. In trying to implement Lori's process into our school's honor program, I learned how essential trust was in allowing children an authentic say in what they learn and how they learn it---trust in our children's eagerness to do real work and in their love of meaningful learning.
2. Project-based learning doesn't have to be all or nothing.
I'm guilty of taking a lot of ideas to the extreme as a way to discount them. Yes, PBL is child-led, but that doesn't mean the teacher is just passively following along. I love the way Lori clearly paints the significant role parents or teacher play in supporting and mentoring their students. I'm a big believer in memorization, both math facts and poetry---and my kids aren't going to choose that on their own. But I find that by allowing the majority of their home-learning to be self-led projects, they are much more receptive and enthusiastic about my pet projects.
3. Setting matters.
I love the way Pickert stresses the role of environment in a child's learning. Everything from observing their parent as a reader or someone who creates, or FINISHES projects to the table space and wall display and quality art materials---it all communicates what we value to our chidren much more loudly than anything we could say in words.
The book spells out the different steps in implementing student-directed project, and every chapter has an inspiring list of specific ideas/formats. My only complaint is I want more--- I can't wait to read what Pickert publishes next.