Make a model of this, make a video of that, create your own thing-a-ma-jig, and turn it in on time. Why??? Why would either a student or a teacher want to add one more time consuming activity to an already full schedule?
The answer is simple:
Adults have to actively solve problems every day. We don’t go to the office to read about a problem and fill out a worksheet re-telling the prescribed answer, yet that is how we (often, unconsciously) think our children should learn. We tell them in fancy ways, “Here is the problem – this is the solution that was discovered by someone else – now memorize it.”
That’s not very realistic is it? No, in real life we are involved solving highly complex problems that require much more than reading analysis. Research skills, planning, time management, utilization of technology and other mediums, public speaking, and critical thinking are skills that can only be developed when students actively engage with their education, rather than just reading about it.
We aren’t talking about busywork here. Busywork is something that requires time without much thought. A truly great project is a self-directed, in-depth, extended investigation of a topic utilizing diverse hands-on skills to reach a goal. It gives kids the opportunity to come up with their own questions, discover their own answers, and then present the results in a way that is meaningful to them (which can be very valuable for our kids with learning struggles or who have test anxiety).
Projects like our physics playground don’t feel like “real school” and that is the hidden beauty of them. Our kids feel as if they are getting away with something. They are coming up with their own ideas, sourcing their own materials, asking for advice from others, and putting in far more effort than they ever would on had they been assigned a simple paper.
Homeschooling allows us to do so much more than assign tasks. Are you using that opportunity?
Next week I’ll give you a how-to guide for drawing your kids into designing meaningful projects. Stay tuned!
