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Title of the Experience

A model of a bridge

Name of the teacher

Pepa Dasí Sánchez

Country where it took place

Spain

School typology

Lower Secondary School

Thematic Area

Technology

Experience typology

Teaching in class

Type of contact

Direct

Description of the Experience

Learning difficulties:
Lack of motivation
Difficulty in applying the theoretical concepts
Difficulties abstraction
Lack of autonomy

Main difficulty in teaching:
High ratio of students per group

I think,The strategy of project-based learning is the best method for technology subjects. In this method, the learning of knowledge is as important as the acquisition of skills and attitudes.
The method consists in carrying out a project, usually of a certain size and in groups. Project has been previously analyzed by the teacher to ensure that student has what it takes to resolve it. In its resolution, students will develop all the skills you want. Project development begins with a generating question. This should not have a simple answer based on information but require the exercise of critical thinking for resolution.
One of the first projects I propose that when students are on 1th ESO (12 years old) is to build a model of a bridge.
The project themes are materials, structures and efforts : tension, compression, bending, shear and torsion.
Students should seek a solution according to some models that are attached or propose an alternative solution.
Students must follow the phases of development of a technology project. They work in teams and need to apply their knowledge of technical drawing.
The final results are a model of the bridge and a project report.

Project-based learning helps to model critical thinking and provides scaffolding for students to learn to perform cognitive tasks that characterize critical thinking. Examples of critical thinking are: judge between alternatives, seek the most efficient way to perform a task, weigh the evidence, review the original ideas, develop a plan or summarize the main points of an argument.
Also:
• Increase social and communication skills.
• Enhance the skills to solve problems
• Allow students to do as much to see the connections between different disciplines.
• Provide opportunities to make contributions to the school or community.
• Increase self-esteem. Students take pride in achieving something that has value outside the classroom.

Comments on this Teachers Experience

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Date: 2014.11.05

Posted by Sandis (Latvia)

I believe this to be really good method to teach students to consolidate and work in groups. Group work also leads to one very important things - to learning from each other. By working in group, you can analyse the errors to avaid tham in fuure. Described experience don't show the lack of motivation to learn science-related subjects, but instead, a way to motivate them.There is pways a good result when putting students to work practically. If the result is bad, then the question arises why it is so. On the other hand, if the result is good, then you can start to deduce how and what can be done to improve to excellence. All this encourages student to think and rise interest in the subjects. I can add that also I put the students to work in groups in exercises and sometimes even in tests because of all the above positive qualities.

Date: 2014.10.25

Posted by Elza Gheorghiu (Romania)

I couldn't agree more with your ideas. I also believe in project-based learning for different reasons. First of all, students have already tasted its advantages from other subjects: team-work, its lifelike status, providing opportunities to apply theory into practice, to express oneself, etc. Secondly, it promotes learning by doing, which is one of the best ways of learning for lots of students. Thirdly, it gives students the feeling of satisfaction of achieving something on their own.This will increase their self-esteem, which will have a great impact on their development in general.

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