Week 7: Brian Crosby's Classroom

Brian Crosby's presentation of his classroom was refreshing. A lot of the ideas we have explored this semester are exciting to me, but many seem so far out of reach. For instance, watching the video about the Project-Based Learning school in Minnesota was exciting. I have to admit I'm envious of the whole program. What an excellent way to learn! I wish I had gone to a high school like that, and I would love to be able to teach in that sort of environment, but I suspect that sort of environment would not work well for many students in the general population.


Crosby's classroom encourages students to be active learners but it provides a more rigid path than the PBL school in Minnesota. It is easy to see that Crosby's students are excited and involved in the curriculum and this undoubtedly results in learning. On the downside, because this version of project-based learning does not leave the planning to the students, it requires a great deal of preparation on the part of the teacher. Crosby is clearly a very dedicated teacher and willing to spend that time; he must also have the experience to build upon previous successes.


Many students, including nearly all of those with whom I have worked as a teacher at a school for students with special behavioral needs, require a fairly high degree of direction. In some cases, this is due to a lack of motivation, but in others it is an inability to maintain focus. When I taught Wood Shop, I had some students who needed step-by-step instructions. For instance, I could not simply tell them it was time to clean up, and expect them to actually put everything away. I had to say things like, "put your hammer and tape measure in the cart." Then, after they finished that I could give them another similar instruction. These are the students who benefit greatly from detailed checklists and I cannot imagine them surviving in an environment like the PBL school in Minnesota, however all these individuals (I am referring to actual students whom I have taught) would also do quite well with a project like the aerial mapping project in the video about Crosby's class. In short, Project-Based Learning must be geared toward the students.