Musings from a Not-So-Master Teacher

For the last two weeks, students in my class have explored multiple facets of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict.  They have analyzed sources for bias, posed intelligent questions, created metaphors for the conflict and developed solutions.  I admit that it is idealistic to assume that 8th graders can solve the world's problems in two weeks.  Yet, some of their solutions were profound.  One group, for example, suggested that the best solution was actually economic.  "If Israeli companies can hire Palestenians and if universities could be integrated, it might work."  Why? "It worked in Ireland.  When things improved for them, they quit fighting so much."  And I thought it was Bono's voice that united them.

I love using the PBL approach, because it begins with higher-level thinking and it forces students to ask hard questions in an authentic context.  Even as they used technology, they were forced to determine which media works best.  For example, some used blogs, others websites and still others wikis in their presentation of the results.  In organizing their research, some chose a simple table, while others transformed the criteria into concept maps and others used spreadsheets. 

Despite the success, I am somewhat skeptical of Problem-based Learning.  I don't believe any method is a magic bullet.  There are always pros and cons to everything. 

What concerns me is that there is an implict danger in the PBL process.  It begins with the presupposition that life is a problem to be solved rather than a mystery to be explored.  Similarly, it can feel mechanical in the process; leaving little room for random questions and brief epiphonies.  I am just now realizing that the emphasis in exploration is not to find multiple perspectives and eventually delve into paradox, but to evaluate multiple sources and create one solid Hegelian synthesis. 

I never had the students assess the dangers of neo-imperialism and the belief that it is America's responsibility to solve another nation's conflict.  (Although many of them explored this question in creating their metaphors) It leaves me with more questions than answers, with no solid solution, with mystery and paradox - the very thing I want the students to explore next time I teach this.