Mike Kaechele

Tag: motivation

  • How to AI Proof your PBL Project

    Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

    The AI Problem

    Years ago, in Project Based Learning workshops, I used to say that a good Driving Question shouldn’t be “googleable.” The DQ should not be something answered in a simple search, but students should have to take a deep dive into content before answering it. I would advise teachers to make the context of their project local and/or personal so that students were required to apply the content to themselves and their community.

    Now days teachers are talking about designing projects that AI can’t quickly answer. It turns out that is nearly impossible as AI can be coached into any perspective or format and has access to the entire internet. Remember the writing acronym RAFT that we used to teach students? What is your Role, Audience, Format, and Topic?

    Today RAFT is an acronym for AI prompts rather than scaffolding for actual writing.

    The same advice against “googleable” projects still applies to AI: PBL projects should be community focused and personal to students. Otherwise AI may still be used by students to avoid too much effort when they are not engaged in the work.

    Limit Tech Solution

    One approach is to return to hand written assignments. By restricting tech access, teachers force students to think and write for themselves. In some cases I think that this can be a suitable approach. Teachers can also require students to demonstrate their writing process through outlines and rough drafts.

    The caveat is that if the writing is done outside of the classroom, it still could be AI generated and then copied by hand. Before we start wringing our hands too hard, let’s remember how many students paid other students to write their papers for them in the past. It’s not anything new….

    Art Solution

    Another version of this philosophy of limiting tech is to tie an art element into the final product. This forces students to apply their content learning in a creative, yet fun context. The art can also be shown off to the community sharing the learning more broadly.

    One of my favorite examples of art integrated into the project process is Justin Wells’ Dante’s Inferno Literary Analysis. Rather than being the culmination of the project, the art work happens in the middle of the project deepening students understanding of the epic poem. The art pieces act as scaffolding for the high level literary analysis that the students wrote afterwards. Rather than being just a “shiny” activity, the art is integral to the deep learning.

    Motivation Solution

    I believe the most effective preventative measure to the lure of AI is creating strong motivation in students to care about the project. If a project focus is truly personal and meaningful, students will commit effort toward quality work (as demonstrated in the video). On the other hand, if the project is perceived as disconnected busy work, then students will flock to the easiest path of completion, AI.

    My Honor’s Geometry students are externally motivated and will jump through any hoop, completing any assignment because they care about their grades and competitive standing. They might complain, but they will do the work. Of course, some of them use AI to help with homework, but mostly as a tool to help them understand.

    Some of my Algebra I students won’t do anything that is not graded. They want a purpose for the work and many only care about credit in the class. School is something to be endured until they can graduate and take control of their life. They certainly don’t love math for its own sake.

    In his book Drive, Daniel Pink argues that intrinsic motivation comes from autonomy, mastery, and purpose. I would argue that in education, the order matters. You can’t start with full autonomy (often called student voice and choice) or you might end up with anarchy. The majority of students will not voluntarily choose to learn most content standards. First, the teacher needs to connect their content to a relevant purpose.

    We are still living in an education world that emphasizes content for standardized tests to make sure that all students are at grade level. Standardization is the opposite of agency and purpose. Student tasks needs to be authentic, not isolated skills only. Projects should be tied to academic standards, but not driven by them. It’s counterintuitive, but a project focused on local impact actually leads to deeper learning of content than a pure emphasis on academic standards.

    A relevant project that connects students to their community creates an authentic purpose to the content and inspires student to utilize their own creativity rather than to subcontract their thinking to AI.

    A PBL project that is embedded in the community with a meaningful impact can motivate students to put their heart and soul into their work. Everyone feels a sense of accomplishment when they give to a collaborative effort that makes a difference. That motivation of purpose shifts students away from the shortcuts of AI to giving their best work that they are proud of!

    • What opportunities are there for your students to make a local impact?
    • What businesses, non-profit organizations, or community groups could your students work with?
    • What local problems might your students help solve?
    • Who can your students help?

    One thing that AI can never replace is the spark of human connection that comes from service learning that touches local residents. The best way to combat the negative effects of AI is to emphasize our humanity. Let’s teach our students how our contact can help make their world a better place.

    Learn with me!

    Are you interested in professional development for your school on how to integrate SEL or implement PBL? I would love to have a conversation on how I can help. I am now scheduling summer workshops and book studies. Check out my workshop page or drop me an email at mikejkaechele@gmail.com. I would love to chat and co-plan meaningful PD for the educators at your school.

    Would you like to explore more deeply how to integrate SEL into daily classroom activities? Check out my book below for tons of practical ways that can be immediately implemented in any classroom.

    Pulse of PBL

  • When Students Don’t Work

    Going to school isn’t a job. Students don’t get paid. And yes, they are forced to be there. Therefore I am always hesitant to apply business advice to schools. But more and more I am seeing that project management strategies often do apply to student groups in PBL.

    In 4 Reasons Good Employees Lose their Motivation on the Harvard Business Review, they identify the following causes of a lack of motivation:

    • Values mismatch
    • Lack of self efficacy
    • Disruptive emotions
    • Attribution errors

    In order to help an employee find motivation, the the proper “trap” should be identified leading to applying the appropriate solution. I believe this can be adapted to leading a class of collaborative groups using PBL.

    Values Mismatch

    This trap can be summarized as “I don’t care enough to do this.” I would argue that this is the most prevalent motivational problem that we have in school because of our one size fits all, mandated curriculum. PBL is a great approach because it gives the teacher freedom to customize their class to their students’ interests and abilities.

    The first step in fixing a values mismatch is to know your students. Build relationships with your kids and discover their passions. Then PBL projects can be designed to connect with them. I have even designed an entire class project with only one student in mind, that is struggling to engage in my class. Students will find more value in a class where they have a positive relationship with the teacher and they feel like the content addresses issues that matter to them.

    Lack of Self Efficacy

    In this trap students are saying “I don’t think that I am able to do this.” Except students rarely say this out loud. Instead they avoid the task with disruptive behavior or shut down by sleeping or daydreaming. Oftentimes this student tries to hide the embarrassment of lack of ability or belief in themselves from both the teacher and other students. It is crucial that teachers see through these smokescreens and identify the real cause of student actions.

    Again the first step is knowing your students and then applying the appropriate scaffolds to help them succeed. Have you identified your students who are EL or special ed? What about the students who don’t have an official “label” but need support? Show students quality examples and give them outlines and other scaffolds to get started. Acknowledge when they are successful to help them build confidence. Most importantly remove scaffolds when students don’t need them anymore and point out the growth to students.

    “Remember at the beginning of the year, you needed my help to multiply fractions. Now you can do it all by yourself!”

    Disruptive Emotions

    Sometimes students are feeling that “I am too upset to do this.” One of the reasons that I like to start class by meeting kids at the door is to check on their emotional state when they get there. This goes back to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. If students are angry or depressed, then they will not be able to focus on school.

    Be a caring listener. Have a private conversation with the student and hear out what is bothering them. I often ask students if they would like to talk to a counselor or another trusted adult if I can’t give them the time that they need during class. We rarely can fix whatever is bothering them in the middle of a busy class but students must know that we care about their well being more than the content that we teach. Ask students if they think that can do the tasks of the class that day. Once they have been truly heard, most students can focus on what they need to.

    Attribution Errors

    This trap is when students say, “I don’t know what went wrong with this.” I think in schools this is usually an avoidance ploy of the above, Lack of Self Efficacy variety. Students (and adults too) don’t want to admit failures or weaknesses so they shift to excuses of “I was too busy” or blaming group members for not completing tasks.

    One solution that can help student groups is teaching them to hold each other accountable. I like to use a Student Scrum Board or Trello for groups to regulate themselves. With a clear plan for project management, then students can focus on the actual problem of lack of skills or perhaps a values mismatch as being the real reason that work is not being completed.

    None of these are magic, but it is always important to know our students and to properly assess why they may not be successful on a given day. I also think that it is critical to their growth to acknowledge what has been holding them back and how they have overcome it. Then the next time that they are feeling unmotivated they can learn to self analyze the cause and self correct.