Over the course of my teaching career, having navigated through 5 very different curriculums, this quote has stood the test of time for both me and my learners. It was often very challenging to make learning fun, meaningful and engaging for my learners when the curriculum was often very prescriptive. This required some very creative thinking and planning. I have definitely found a WINNER in Inquiry-Based Learning! A wonderful and exciting way to ensure that curriculum concepts are covered BUT the learning becomes so much more relevant and meaningful for the learners. Our learners are exposed to much more than exists between the pages of the curriculum AND THEY HAVE LOADS OF FUN WHILE LEARNING! There is absolutely NO WAY that I can revert back to the traditional way of teaching and learning. Our classrooms are a hive of fun and excitement each day, not only for our learners but also for us as teachers!
The Grade 3 learners were anonymously called to an area of the playground via the school intercom. They were met by a crash site where a spaceship had landed in their playground. An alien had lost his memory when the spaceship crashed and he asked the learners to help him find his home planet.
There was a ''manic'' announcement on the intercom to all 3 classes (in a voice that the girls could not identify) for the learners to proceed immediately to a particular area on the playground. The girls had no idea what this was all about and rushed outside.....the teachers, of course, all played along!
A section of the playground was cordoned off with danger tape and there, on their playground, was the most amazing spaceship (the spaceship was created by my colleague's husband......let's get the whole family involved shall we 😂). There were also various clues around this spaceship e.g. bits of ice, etc. You can just imagine the shrieks and screams coming from the learners at this point!
The learners returned to class and were shown a slideshow presentation from the alien who had landed in their playground. He explained to them (in Martian language - with a very clever translation tool ) that his spaceship had crashed and he had no idea where he had come from and needed their help to find his way back home.
Integrated learning activities included
Our Grade 3 team has grown in leaps and bounds. This is our third IBL unit we have designed. We plan one unit each term using the Lifeskills themes as the backbone for our planning. Integration across the curriculum has been key in this process. We aim to have IBL/PBL fully implemented within the next 6 months.
In my pursuit of 21st-century teaching and learning, I am driven by an unwavering passion. I believe in the power of IBL to equip our learners with the skills, knowledge and resilience necessary to thrive in an ever-evolving world. My hope extends beyond my own classroom.… I aspire to inspire fellow teachers to embrace the changes that are required to create an educational landscape that prepares learners for the challenges and opportunities of the future. Together, we can be the catalysts of change, igniting a spark within our profession and transforming the way education is delivered.
Want to learn more about PBL? Want to learn more about PBL? Keen on Design Thinking?
Hop over to LaunchPad and complete our SACE-accredited Power of Project-based Learning and Design Thinking in your Classroom courses.
Or bring us to your school or join us online for our Extreme Project Makeover or Breaking Down the Silos workshops.