Reflections on PBL

Many of you reading this may wonder what does PBL stand for?  I, too, once wondered what in the world this was.  Going through school not too long ago, this was not something I had heard of.  Since teaching in Cobb County schools, I have heard more and more about PBL.  PBL stands for Project-Based Learning.  Many of the lessons the county has provided for teachers to use, that were made up by other teachers or people from the county, are project based lessons.  I have found through using PBL in my classroom that the students are more engaged in their learning.  They actually understand the material so much better because of the problems they solve while learning a certain skill.  PBL allows for students to apply concepts to real life.  This helps them to see the importance of the concepts and why they need to learn them.  Many students like working on projects instead of reading from a text book.  I am now realizing through the readings in this class how much technology can help with the PBL.  I have been using PBL in my classroom for 3 years, but have not always applied technology to the lessons.  This would add a whole other degree of interest and engagement for my students in the classroom.