Brittany Ramos

ECS 325

<Date>

D. Payne

“Schools can greatly benefit from partnerships with business and organizations in the

community.” (D.Payne, 2019) Through these partnerships, our students are able to grow, adapt

and learn in ways they would have not been able to prior to the partnership with the businesses

and organizations of their communities. One of these partnerships is called PBL which stands for

Project Based Learning. 

Even as adults, our lives are filled with ‘projects’. It could be a work assignment, home

improvements or party planning. When we make a plan, we may discuss it, research it,

collaborate with others before we ever set it into motion. In a classroom setting at most schools,

their teaching methods are not “hands-on.” Instead of a hands-on teaching and learning

approach. the child will be provided the worksheets, reading materials and provided the

questions in which they are to answer. The issue with this method of teaching is that while the

students may learn it and be successful on assignments, the information will not be retained, and

the students will forget what they have learned by the weekend.

However, through the use of Project Based Learning, we set the children on a project. It

will be a scenario that may be based in real life, yet still reflects the topic they should be learning

in class. For example, a science teacher that is teaching students about micro-organisms may

presents the project/problem of “How to Prevent Sickness in Elementary School”. The students
would be responsible for creating their teams to work in, they will complete their own research

on how germs are spread, carried and they will come up with a productive way to problem-solve

and find the solution to the project or problem. By using this method, it causes students to use

critical thinking skills, problem solving skills, encourages team-work and self-management. By

having the students solve these real-world scenarios, problems and challenges, they will develop

skills that will help them going forward in life to make their own decisions, do the research

required of them to complete their task they may be working on as well as learning to work

efficiently amongst others as they will do in their future jobs as well as reviewing the work of

their fellow classmates or future collogues and understanding of the same work and their

progress. 

Through Project Based Learning, it allows children to do their own thinking. They are not

limited to what they can research or how they go about solving the problem as long as the work

is completed. Students will be able to complete projects that are relative to them. This is a

partnership that is inclusive of those from all backgrounds and cultures because of how diverse

the learning can be. Those completing the project may be from different backgrounds and

beliefs, both come up with different answers and solutions and no person would have the “right

answer” over the other student.

Project Based Learning promotes respectful, reciprocal relationships with families by

giving the students the tools they need to make thought-out decisions, problem-solve and work

together. This is the way a classroom functions best and the same is true of family scenarios.

Things should be handled delicately and by taking all things into consideration, just like

research. 
 Through this model, students have a drive to learn. Sitting in a class can be boring and

lack the enthusiastic approach that some students need to keep their focus. PBL is also more

enjoyable for staff because we get to discover more about the interests of our students as well as

about ourselves. It is working without the feeling of it being “work.” 

Project Based Learning encourages reaching out the community and getting to know the

businesspeople of the community so that we may complete projects and educational tasks that

relate to our assignments. “One way for school officials to lay the groundwork for partnerships is

to get to know local businesspeople, particularly when many of these businesspeople are also

parents of children in those schools. There are usually several organizations in every city that

provide networking opportunities for businesspeople.” By schools involving themselves in the

community, learning about our students is the best way to fill their needs.” By asking the

question of what a student wants to learn about, where their families work and asking those of

the community if they have an interest in furthering the education of the youth in their

community, we are able to put Project Based Learning into full force. Students will be able to

learn and grow as well as the members of their communities and their families who help them do

so, tying them all together as one.

References

Project Based Learning. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://educatorsusa.org/our-

programs/professional-development/project-based-learning/.

http://www.nhscholars.org/School-Business%20How_to_Guide.pdf