The customized standards-based approach that I have been developing in recent school years has resulted in a clear increase in student engagement. However, I was interested to see how things would go if I opened things up a bit more for students. Thus, the PRP was born.
The PRP is based on pedagogy I saw in action at a Providence, RI high school called The Met. As part of the school's program of study, students undertook ongoing research projects of their own choosing. Periodically, students presented their learnings to peers, teachers, administrators, and family members. The audience members were more than just listeners. They raised questions of their own, revealing the next steps of the research journey. As time progressed, so did each student's research as the cycle continued to repeat itself. In this way, a simple research question became a long term research program.
My students are still in the early stages, but their enthusiasm for PRPs is through the roof. I've already witnessed multiple cases of students setting aside their other work from my class to do some work on their PRP when they thought nobody was looking.
Also, check out some of these research questions (remember, these came from the students):
- Could Mayan apocalypse predictions prove accurate?
- Is nursing a worthwhile career to pursue?
- Which dogs make good sled dogs and why?
- Will slavery ever vanish from the planet?
- How do people become famous?
- How does someone become a professional athlete?
- What will the features of the Earth be like in the future?
I look forward to working with the students as they explore these questions along with the correlating questions that will arise along the way.
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