Week 6- Role of the Facilitator

In reviewing my learning log I realized I never posted my week 6 reflection. Here it is below!

1. Will my role in the teaching/learning process change?

I don’t believe my role in the teaching/learning process will change very much. My normal

teaching relies heavily on the the implementation of student-centered activities. My primary task is to

develop curriculum that allows students to be self-directed learners. I must creatively think of how to

create more manageable tasks that hold real world value and keep students engagement. These

components allow students to develop mastery learning. That mastery learning comes from hands

on/do-it-yourself (DIY) mentality of learning. I see my job in the classroom as

guiding students in the right direction, asking higher-level thinking questions to drive their

understanding, and facilitating learning. My job also requires that I assess the classroom climate to

meet the needs of all students and develop differentiation when necessary. 

2. What are the skills of effective facilitation?

Effective facilitation requires that the teacher be organized. It demands that students understand

the norms of the classroom along with the expectations of the assignment. For teachers to trust

students in collaboration students must demonstrate a level of maturity that comes through effective

teacher modeling and classroom management. I think a huge component in facilitation is allowing

students to struggle and not giving in when they simply want to be told how to do what the task

requires. I know when I feel fatigued and frustrated it is easy to fall back into the default mode of

explaining to students the steps they should take rather than guiding their thinking process. When

teachers stay patience and guide students through questioning and providing appropriate resources it

puts the responsibility of learning on the student. The road to self-discovery is often more

challenging, but the fruit produced is far more meaningful. 

3. Will the students develop the competencies and skills needed to be successful?

I believe students will develop the skills they need to be successful. The thing I like about my

PBL is that each of the formative assessments is a result of a purposeful lesson that is taught so that

students are exposed to a specific skill that will be required in the culminating activity. The goal is

that through managing the amount of information students are introduced to in each lesson that they

will develop a depth of learning. Moreover, each activity requires that students engage in critical

thinking skills and in some work with others to solve problems. As a result, students will find

themselves having to dig into the meat of the content through the application of the desired skills. It is

through application and evaluation that students find themselves engaging in higher-order thinking. 

4. What changes will you need to make in order to become an effective facilitator in your PBL

unit?

       One of the biggest changes I will need to make in my PBL is creating a list of guiding questions

for students. I think by creating a set of questions that can easily be accessed at any time to facilitate

informal, impromptu classroom discussion will allow me to be proactive in the facilitation process.