Phaidra,
I am a Secondary Social Studies Helping Teacher for a large school district in Texas. Our school district is in the process of training some of our teachers on the implementation of TBL at the secondary level as well. In our school district, I am hearing similar complaints. From my experience with TBL over the last couple of years, I have tried the following to address some of the same issues:
1. The preparation or background readings can be done in class, and then students can be weened off in-class readings and complete background readings at home once they have been given the tools that they need to interact with the text on their own. For example, in my earlier modules, we complete collaborative reading activities or whole group reading activities and readings are shorter, but later modules require students to read at home and complete a graphic organizer or note-taking structure on their own and readings are longer. Additionally, I also use video clips. Crash Course World History, Discovery Streaming, Teacher-created videos on YouTube, and/or Hollywood produced movies serve as great preparation activities as well.
2. The expectations that we set for our students have a lot to do with our motivation. If you do not begin the year with high, clear expectations then you cannot expect students to function properly in the TBL process. In order to introduce TBL, I start out with a simple module on Why Study History. As we go through the TBL process, I take the time to explain why they will be learning in this manner over the course of the year. Additionally, I have incorporate a variety of Kagan Structures in order to hold individual students accountable throughout the group process. Moreover, every module has an individual evaluation at the end ranging from an exit ticket to a processing activity (i.e. wanted poster).
3. I encourage teachers in our district to keep the same groups for the duration of the semester. Groups must go through the processes of forming, storming, norming, and performing. Immature students need more time to get to the level of performing than adults do. I think that is why it is critical that teachers stick with groups. Additionally, group participation is a privilege and not a right. Alternative assignments are produced for the chronic nonparticipant or disrupter. These assignments are extremely difficult and their very nature discourages students from wanting to do them.
4. The teachers in our district that have tried the peer evaluation system don't use them for grades, but rather use them to give the students a voice. They are only done 2Xs in each semester.
5. World History has by far been the most challenging to create modules for, but it has also been the most rewarding. The biggest complaint that teachers give is that they don't have time to do TBL because there is too much material. When teachers truly learn the art of Backwards Design and learn how to chunk the material, TBL works perfect. It allows teachers to look at the big picture and enduring understandings and not individual historical events in isolation. For example, instead of looking at individual River Valley Civilizations, TBL could be used to determine which River Valley Civilization has had the greatest impact on modern society.
I have some lessons on the Middle Ages that I would be willing to share.
LaTonya Amboree
Secondary Social Studies Helping Teacher
Fort Bend ISD
281-620-6045
> On Mar 25, 2014, at 1:15 PM, "Phaidra Ruck" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> RE: Difference between PBL & TBL
>
> Currently I am teaching social studies 11 & 8 on my BEd practicum, where I had hoped to implement TBL at the secondary level. Immediately I found the prospect much more difficult than one-class applied skill PBL scenarios which can build on previous knowledge & skills. There are several reasons why PBL appears more appropriate in this particular class set than TBL which I'll share with you.
>
> One large barrier I faced that is different from post-secondary is that secondary schools appear to be largely against the flipped classroom and assigning homework is increasingly being frowned upon as taking up 'leisure time' or even promoting plagiarism, when work can be assuredly original when supervised in-class (especially for writing).
>
> Another barrier I faced is the low functionality or intrinsic motivation of high school students. I usually only think about going as far as the RAT stage for the SS11 provincial exam content. They lack the focus and self-discipline to work in groups and stay on task as easily as university students. SS8 may lend itself better, though I don't see much more motivation happening, with 4 more years of highschool to look forward to.
>
> Some teachers are against keeping students in one permanent or semi permanent group, preferring to expose younger students to a greater variety of work conditions, attitudes, and people. This was the primary reason a TBL unit was rejected by my supervisor.
>
> Although I haven't tried it, I have some doubts as to the feasibility of the peer-review accountability system in TBL in high school. Hard feelings might arise if the identity of reviews becomes known, especially in jr. grades for students who will continue to be in the same cohort for years. I have heard teachers support the idea of personal reflection but feel uncomfortable with peer review of already sensitive teenagers.
>
>
> As it stands I have only been able to implement shorter, compact PBL scenerios that lend themselves to the broad, survey scope of the secondary school social studies curriculum. Having to cover 1000 years of world history in SS8 and Human Geography, Politics & Government, and Canadian History in the 20th century in SS11 (with a provincial exam) means an enormous amount of data to cover, with little time for in-depth analysis.
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> I would be happy to try TBL for either of these class topics (high middle ages 2 weeks, 1900-1939, one week per decade), if any examples are available,
>
> Phaidra Ruck
> about.me/phaidra
>
>
>
>
>> On Tue, Mar 25, 2014 at 12:00 AM, TEAMLEARNING-L automatic digest system <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
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>> TEAMLEARNING-L Digest - 20 Mar 2014 to 24 Mar 2014 (#2014-36)
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>> Table of contents:
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>> the difference between TBL and PBL (8)
>> difference between TBL and PBL
>> Team Learning On-Line
>> TBL vs. PBL
>> New interesting tool - videoscribe
>> the difference between TBL and PBL
>> the difference between TBL and PBL (03/24)
>> From: Sandra Schonwetter <[log in to unmask]>
>> Re: the difference between TBL and PBL (03/24)
>> From: "Sibley, James Edward" <[log in to unmask]>
>> Re: the difference between TBL and PBL (03/24)
>> From: Larry Michaelsen <[log in to unmask]>
>> Re: the difference between TBL and PBL (03/24)
>> From: Swapan Nath <[log in to unmask]>
>> Re: the difference between TBL and PBL (03/24)
>> From: Dee Fink <[log in to unmask]>
>> Re: the difference between TBL and PBL (03/24)
>> From: Dee Fink <[log in to unmask]>
>> Re: the difference between TBL and PBL (03/24)
>> From: "Parmelee, Dean X." <[log in to unmask]>
>> Re: the difference between TBL and PBL (03/24)
>> From: Chris Burns <[log in to unmask]>
>> difference between TBL and PBL
>> difference between TBL and PBL (03/24)
>> From: Karen Milligan <[log in to unmask]>
>> Team Learning On-Line
>> Team Learning On-Line (03/24)
>> From: Deborah Roebuck <[log in to unmask]>
>> TBL vs. PBL
>> TBL vs. PBL (03/24)
>> From: Larry Michaelsen <[log in to unmask]>
>> New interesting tool - videoscribe
>> New interesting tool - videoscribe (03/24)
>> From: "Sibley, James Edward" <[log in to unmask]>
>>
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