Model: Students regularly learn in teams, with clearly defined individual and team expectations, to frame problems and test solutions that incorporate STEM content and/or STEM skills
8.2 - Students Work in Teams
Collaboration and group work are daily events in classrooms around Patriots STEM Elementary. Whether it is a virtual collaboration session or face-to-face, students are learning to solve problems in teams. The format our teachers use to write and evaluate PBLs includes collaborative inquiry as one of the eight components required for successful PBL experiences. Our PBL framework states, "The lesson explicitly incorporates student collaboration and describes how the teacher will scaffold students' 21st century communication and collaboration skills." In order to include this component in PBLs, teachers explicitly describe student roles and expectations in their PBL frameworks. Many of our teachers use activities during the first two weeks of school to teach classroom expectations for collaboration as well as the difference between collaboration and teamwork.
The chart on the right is from the rubric used to evaluate PBLs at Patriots. This piece of the rubric describes expectations for incorporating collaborative inquiry.
This is an example of student group roles during the third grade CSI PBL. Student roles in this PBL are directly related to guest speakers that previously visited students.
Another example of student groups used during PBLs.
Check out this video of some students at Patriots talking about PBL and working in groups.
Kindergarten students showing off their jobs for PBL