[JustLovelyJenn]

So, while I am working as a para-educator I am also working towards my teaching certification in special education. My goal is to work with the severe needs population in either a life skills or behavior classroom at the middle or high school level. In my past experience working with special needs students as a para and as a volunteer, I have been exposed to many different types of teaching strategies and the one that really interests me for these specific children is a project based learning program.

One classroom I worked with grew and sold garlic, incorporating science and measurements for growing and fertilizing, mathematics for inventory and sales, and English for advertising and reports. A group my brother was involved with received a grant to distribute to a local non profit organization. The class had to write the grant parameters, create an application, interview applicants, and write a news release, they also held an event to present the moneys to the winning applicants.

In my experience these project based programs drew in kids who would have otherwise been unwilling to participate and helped them to achieve academic goals while also feeling like they were part of a group and that what they did mattered, not only to them but to the community as a whole.

I am curious how many of you have worked with similar programs and what types of projects you used. I am hoping to compile and research a number of project based learning ideas before I complete my degree.