Problem Solving and Student Projects

Problem Solving and Student Projects

Problem-solving by definition is finding solutions to difficult or complex issues. Problem-solving goes hand in hand with project-based learning, as students will be given a problem that they must find the solution to. These problems can vary in difficulty but are generally kept to a level at which the students can solve. The projects that students complete can also vary based upon what material the class is currently learning about. By breaking up class material by levels of importance and difficulty in order to build up the problem-solving skills of students. By having my students complete small projects throughout the year on topics related to/using course material students will be able to explore areas of interest while learning the important class material. I hope to use brief projects in my classes to allow my students to learn for themselves as much as possible. I would use these projects to create a larger end of the quarter project. Students will build off of the project that they start at the beginning of the quarter and create a final project that is based on what they have learned that quarter. Also, in the case of a longer-term class, the project may be completed over the course of the school year or simply by quarter. The problem-solving skills that my students gain from these short-term projects would also help them with their long-term SAE projects. While the projects may be different, they will still use the same skills to complete either project.

I have had to create many projects throughout my school career and I have used what I have learned in the course of each project to make the following projects better. One example of this would be in my Wildlife Population Dynamics class. In this class, I needed to create a species management plan on how I would regulate an individual species to help the environment. To complete this project, I had to use the skills that I’d learned from previous research papers to properly write my species management plan. I also had to use my critical thinking skills to determine the best way to manage for the species that I chose to do my project on. This was one of the more in-depth projects that I have completed as well as one of the most recent. Another research project that I worked on in an earlier class can actually be found in an earlier blog. In my blog Rare Marine Mammal on the Road to Extinction, I explain information that I found regarding the Vaquita, which is a small porpoise found only in the Gulf of California. When I wrote this blog it was considered highly endangered and is still on the brink of extinction. If you are interested you can check out this blog post at, https://abbiepsmith97.blogspot.com/2017/03/rare-marine-mammal-on-road-to.html.

Having projects for students to complete is an important part of how they learn. As it allows them to apply what they are learning to information of more direct interest. While projects are not necessary for student learning they will definitely aid in the learning process and help the information to stay with the students.