As a very hands on and visual learner I have always enjoyed lessons and projects in class that involve making, creating or designing models of concepts. This is also true for my teaching methods and while social distancing and remote learning has been new for many learners and educators the standards and requirements are still the same. We all have learned to adjust, modify and find new ways to promote learning for learners virtually. Being a very project based and hands on instructor I had a difficult time converting what I was suppose to teach into an online format.
Being a biomedical and biology teacher is a very rewarding and enjoyable position. I enjoy setting up laboratory experiments, performing real scientific investigative labs where students get hands on experience with real science lab technology. Rather it's sheep heart dissections, forensic bone analysis or bacterial plasmid transformation many of the activities are best learned when applied with real life applications. The joys of trying to convert these activities and keep the same level of engagement have been a task not many of us were prepared for until forced by the quarantine.
Designing a Project Based Learning Curriculum that is both hands on exclusive with virtual options has became a new passion of mine. In this new age of education I think it is important to create hands on learning curriculum that can be completed with virtual and in person learners that are equitable. Of course there are many virtual simulators and websites for dissections and and most of the activities I mentioned above but I would like to go beyond those and design programs that provide hands on learning for at distance and in person learners.
Here are some videos from YouTube that explain what Project based Learning is and how it works. Also some ideas for project based learning.
