- Watch this video, and try to make a post based on these questions: 

• What makes a problem “ill-structured” in PBL?

• How is learning organized differently compared to traditional teaching?

• What is the teacher’s new role in this model?

• Which 21st-century skills (communication, critical thinking, collaboration, creativity) are strengthened through PBL?

- Also:

• After studying this class/lesson, how has your understanding of Problem- Based Learning changed or expanded?

• How might the role of English itself (as a tool for communication and problem-solving) change in a PBL environment?
  

- And finally, I invite you to share more information, videos, ideas on the topic, and (if possible) react or answer to your colleagues´ posts.

We are going to share this next week, so let´s get started...

Learning is student centered giving them the abilities to analyze, explore and find a solution.

teachers are facilitators and help students to activate their prior knowledges.

in this way, students develop 21st century skills such as critical thinking, collaboration and efective communication.

I'd like to share a video about PBL. hope you like it. https://youtu.be/RGoJIQYGpYk

• Teachers shift from lecturers to learning designers, presenting students with real-world problems that require critical thinking and creative solutions.

• Educators act as facilitators, guiding inquiry, supporting collaboration, and encouraging reflection rather than delivering direct instruction.

• Students take ownership of their learning, constructing knowledge through exploration, teamwork, and self-directed investigation.

What challenges would you face? What benefits can you foresee?

Let´s get started... 

Unlike traditional teaching, where the teacher presents information and students memorize it, learning in PBL is organized around inquiry and teamwork. Students identify what they need to learn, divide tasks, and share findings. The classroom becomes more dynamic and student-centered.

The teacher’s role changes completely. Instead of being the main source of knowledge, the teacher acts as a facilitator or guide who supports students’ reasoning, asks questions, and encourages them to explore ideas deeply. This helps learners become more independent and reflective.

PBL also develops essential 21st-century skills:

• Communication, because students must discuss, explain, and justify ideas.

• Collaboration, since they work in groups to find solutions.

• Critical thinking, as they analyze problems and evidence.

• Creativity, when they design innovative responses to complex issues.

After studying this topic, my understanding of PBL has expanded. I now see it not only as a method to make learning more active, but also as a philosophy that values curiosity, cooperation, and real-world relevance. It turns the classroom into a small laboratory of inquiry.

In a PBL environment, English becomes a real tool for communication and problem-solving. Instead of only studying grammar or vocabulary, students use the language to negotiate meaning, express ideas, and work together toward a goal. English becomes both the medium and the purpose of learning.

As regards the video:

An ill-structured problem does not have a clear solution. In this kind of problem, we have more than one possible answer, and the result depends on the problem solver.

If we think of PBL, learning is organized differently because it allows students to work with real-life problems, and it positions them as an active builder of their learning. The teacher’s new role in PBL is to function as a guide or advisor not as a knowledge giver.

As students work with PBL, they develop and practice skills like communication because they have to effectively share their ideas with their teammates. Critical thinking because they have to decide what is the most viable solution to a problem. Students also learn how to collaborate.

After learning about PBL, I can now understand their implications. I realized that it is something that I have been using without realizing it. And I am eager to keep generating PBL environments for my students.

English in PBL can be the tool students use to discuss the possible solutions for their problem.

I would like to share this video that summarizes what we have been studying during this part of the module: https://www.tiktok.com/@maastricht_fpn/video/7091959276507254022?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7545179292016985605

Learning is organized differently. The process is student-centered.The teacher acts as a guide, providing support and resources rather than a traditional lesson. Teachers are facilitators, they present students with authentic problems and provide an environment where students can explore their ideas through research, discussion and reflection.

Students develop 21st century skills like communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking.

I'd like to share a short but interesting video about PBL, hope you like it.

https://youtu.be/3yzuzrlBKA8?si=Xs_djZGUs4xqLLDA

Learning is organised in a way that’s different from traditional. PBL students actively construct knowledge while working through complex,

Instead of delivering content, the teacher guides students as they explore, question, and construct their own understanding.

PBL strengthens all four 21st-century skills by engaging students in authentic, team-based problem solving that mirrors real-life challenges — they communicate to collaborate, think critically to analyse, and create to innovate.

Some students at your school have reported feeling anxious, excluded, or even bullied. Teachers have noticed that conflicts often start because students don’t know how to express or manage their emotions.

How can we create an emotionally safe and supportive school environment that helps prevent bullying and promotes mental health?

Purpose of the Unit:

To help students explore the causes and consequences of bullying and mental health issues, while learning to use emotional intelligence skills and English communication strategies to propose real solutions for their school community.

Learning Goals:

By the end of this unit, students will be able to:

• Identify and analyze situations of bullying and their emotional effects.

• Use English to express emotions, opinions, and suggestions appropriately.

• Apply emotional intelligence strategies to real-life problems.

• Collaboratively design a realistic solution to improve school well-being.

Language Focus:

Grammar:

• Modal verbs for advice and suggestions (should, could, might want to...)

• First conditional for consequences (If we support each other, bullying will decrease.)

• Reported speech (They said they felt isolated.)

Vocabulary:

• Emotions: anxious, confident, empathetic, frustrated

• Mental health: stress, resilience, self-esteem, peer pressure

• Action verbs: support, prevent, encourage, report, express

PBL Stages

1. Problem Presentation (Week 1)

• The teacher presents a short real-life case (e.g., article, video, or anonymous testimony).

• Students discuss: What’s happening? Who’s affected? Why is this a problem?

• Identify what they need to learn (emotion vocabulary, causes of bullying, etc.).

• Output: Mind map of the problem and initial hypotheses.

2. Investigation (Week 2)

• Students read texts such as “The Emotional Cost of Bullying” (McLean Hospital) or “School Bullying and Mental Health among Adolescents” (PMC).

• They collect key information, vocabulary, and statistics to understand the issue deeply.

• Output: Group notes or short summary posters on causes and effects.

3. Solution Design (Week 3)

• Groups brainstorm practical solutions (e.g., emotional check-in boxes, peer support program, kindness campaign).

• They create an action plan and prepare short English messages, slogans, or infographics.

• Output: Draft of the “Emotionally Safe School Campaign.”

4. Presentation & Reflection (Week 4)

• Each group presents their proposal in English (poster, digital brochure, short video).

• Class feedback session using emotional intelligence tools (empathy, constructive comments).

• Final Reflection: Each student writes a paragraph:
  “How can understanding our emotions help us build a more respectful school?”

In this activity, students will be working with different topics: social problems, environmental problems, and farming.

The idea is to let the students research the main environmental problems in Mendoza (pollution, lack of water, etc.).

Once the students have gathered all the information, they will be asked to find out which fruits and vegetables can be planted in a garden.

They will learn about the benefits of cultivating their own food and reducing CO2 pollution caused by transportation.

Once they have studied the context, the students will learn about community gardens, and they will have to propose how to develop one in the institute’s garden.

At the same time, students will discuss how they can help homeless people.

They will research poverty and homelessness in Mendoza and how they can help people who live on the streets.

The final activity of the project will be to create a presentation and a tour where students show the results of their research and how they managed to grow a community garden.

This project has many subjects like literature in order to write the menu, maths because of the prices and biology because students work with food.

So, students analyze their favorite foods and dishes for presentations about select recipes.

Each student should choose a main course, two sides and a dessert. They must then create and deliver presentations about how to make the dishes. The focus is nutritional values – calories, carbohydrates, daily vitamin intake and so on – based on the ingredients and then they have to include all of this information in a menu including prices for the school buffet.

Thinking about the challenges, i can mention lack of vocabulary and date about the nutritional values that can be discussed in Bilogy. I think that it is a good activity because they can cook new recipies at home taking into account a good diet.

This project combines English, Tics, Language, E.P and Math. And the most important of this PBL, is that it helps students practice teamwork, creativity, and communication. And reflect on what they learned about. At the end each group will present their website to the class and in the "open school" they will present the project to the whole school and their parents, and relatives.

° In PBL, learning is based on real projects and problems that matter. Students work in groups and explore topics on their own, instead of just memorizing contents. This way, they learn by doing and applying what they learn, which makes it more interesting and useful.

° The teacher acts more like a guide or facilitator. Instead of just giving information, the teacher supports students and encourages critical thinking and autonomy.

°All of these 21st-century skills (communication, critical thinking, collaboration, creativity) get stronger. Students improve how they communicate, think carefully about problems, work well with others, and come up with new and creative ideas.

°After learning about this, my understanding of PBL has grown. Teaching is also about helping students develop important skills like teamwork, problem-solving, and creativity. This makes learning more real and fun, and prepares students better for real life.

°In a PBL setting, the role of English changes. It becomes a tool for students to communicate, share ideas, and solve problems. Instead of just learning English from books, students use it actively to work with others and think critically. This makes learning English more useful and connected to real-world situations.

Driving Question: How can we use the power of audio and visual storytelling to bring awareness to issues we care about in our community and beyond?

Students will work in teams to research, develop, produce, and distribute a podcast or short documentary film on a topic they are passionate about. 

First, they will choose the idea. They will think about one thing they like a lot or a small problem they want to fix. (Examples: sports at school, taking care of plants, music in your town). Then, they will find information and make a list with the most important ideas they want to talk about in their audio or video.

Second, they will write what they are going to say, find people to participate (friends, a teacher, a neighbor) and record.

Finally, they will review, fix and show the final version to others. They will present their work on the school website or make a special show!

Challenges I would face:

Students might choose topics that are too broad, too sensitive without proper handling, or difficult to research within the project timeline.

This is a multi-faceted project with many stages (research, scripting, recording, editing, mastering). Students (and I) might underestimate the time required for each phase.

Benefits I can foresee:

Students choose topics they genuinely care about, leading to intrinsic motivation and deeper engagement with the subject matter. 

They will develop 21st-dentury skills (Storytelling and Communication. Research & Critical Thinking. Technical & Digital Literacy. Collaboration & Teamwork. Problem-Solving).

Students have a platform to express their opinions and share their perspectives. They learn that their voice has power.

This project integrates elements of English (scriptwriting, narrative), Social Studies (research, current events, civics), Technology, and potentially even Music (sound design) or Art (visuals for documentaries).

At first, students will find out why water is important to Mendocinians. They will watch a video or read a simple text about it. They will make a wordwall with the new vocabulary.

Then, students will investigate where students and teachers use water at school, they can create a pictograph using numbers in english.

Once they have researched about this, students will design a water-saving campaign. They will plan a short play to teach others how to save water, using slogans like “Turn off the tap!”, "Don't waste water! As the final product, students will present their work on a water fair at school.

As regards the benefits of using this, I can foresee that students can connect classroom English to their local reality (it would be Mendoza’s dry climate and need to protect water,) they can practice all four skills and make use of their creativity.

However, some students may not have enough English to express complex ideas.

Theme: Electricity Project

Level: Secondary School

🎯 Project Objective

Students will design a poster in English to present during the “Escuela Abierta” event. The poster will showcase their work in technical subjects, especially focusing on electricity and home design.

🧩 Poster Requirements

1. 🛡️ Shield

   • A visual emblem representing the identity of the group.

   • Should include symbols related to electricity, teamwork, and innovation.

2. 📛 Group Name (in English)

   • Creative and relevant to the technical theme.

   • Examples: The Electric Minds, Power Builders, Tech Sparks

3. 💬 Slogan or Short Description

   • A brief phrase in English that reflects the spirit of the group or the project.

   • Examples: “Lighting up ideas”, “Smart homes, bright futures”, “Powered by innovation”

4. 🏠 House Plan

   • A drawing of the house designed in their technical classes.

   • Must include:

     • English labels for each part of the house (e.g., Living Room, Kitchen, Bathroom, Garage)

     • Clear layout, either hand-drawn or digital.

🛠️ Next Steps

• Next class: Students will create the final version of the poster.

• Focus areas:

  • Correcting and polishing English text.

  • Improving visual design.

  • Integrating all required elements into a cohesive and attractive presentation.

  YESTERDAY, MY STUDENTS MADE THE POSTERS .

Challenges:

Some students might be shy to speak in English, or have some problems with their pronunciation, or have little experience recording audios. Also, sometimes it can be hard to have quiet spaces at school to record (if we can work at school).

Benefits:

This activity would help students practice speaking, teamwork, and creativity. It would also make English more fun and give them confidence to use the language in real situations.

Creating a Podcast or Documentary

I would like to adapt this idea to my English class. My students could create a short podcast using their cell phones. They would choose a topic they like, such as music, friendship, or taking care of the planet. They would write a short script, record their voices, and share their podcast with the class.

Challenges:

Some students might be shy to speak in English, or have some problems with their pronunciation, or have little experience recording audios. Also, sometimes it can be hard to have quiet spaces at school to record (if we can work at school).

Benefits:

This activity would help students practice speaking, teamwork, and creativity. It would also make English more fun and give them confidence to use the language in real situations.

The teacher is not the only source of knowledge anymore. Instead, the teacher becomes a guide who supports and helps students when they need it. I think this is a nice change, because it gives students more responsibility and makes them feel more confident and active in their learning.

PBL also helps develop important 21st-century skills like communication, critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. Students learn to work in groups, share ideas, and use English to express their thoughts and find solutions.

Now I understand that PBL is not just about solving problems, but about learning through the process of solving them. It changes how students learn and how English is used , not only as a school subject, but as a real tool for communication and problem-solving.

I also share a video with you.

Compared to traditional teaching, in PBL, the teacher is no longer a provider of knowledge, but a facilitator, who engages students introducing a problem, asking questions, and inviting them to reflect and find out ways to solve such problem. This way, learning becomes more active and student-centered, instead of teacher-centred.

This approach supports several 21st-century skills such as communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity, since students have to discuss ideas, work together, and come up with their own solutions.

I used to see PBL just as group work with a bigger task. But I can see now it os a more intentional process where the problem drives the learning, and the teacher steps back to let students take control.

English can be a good tool for solving the problem and become more functional. Students don’t just “learn English”; they use it to communicate, understand the task, and present their solutions. It makes the language feel more connected to real communication, which is often what we try to achieve in the English classroom.

Here is a videos on how PBL looks like step-by-step:

This works well as PBL because the task is open-ended and students learn by researching, planning, and creating, rather than by following fixed instructions. Since it is an English class, the focus remains on using the language to communicate ideas and guide visitors.

The main challenges would be time, access to technology, and keeping all students equally involved. However, the benefits are strong: students usually enjoy film-related projects, they use English for real purposes, and the activity naturally builds teamwork, creativity, and communication. It also connects learning with the local cultural context through FilmAndes, which makes the project feel more meaningful.

Attached is an outline of what the final product could look like.

Activities:

• Students research what bullying is and its impact on teenagers' lives. They explore the school community reality and local history related to cooperation, respect, and empathy. They collect ideas for mural content.

• Then, they interview classmates, teachers, or community members about experiences with bullying. Survey peers on what values they want the school community to reflect.

• Students write sentences about what they learned from their research.

• Brainstorm mural ideas. Assign roles and responsibilities. Students discuss key messages, images, and symbols.

• Draw a draft version of the mural on paper or digitally.

• Clean and prime the wall. Work in small teams to complete sections. Encourage students to help each other and discuss artistic choices. Take photos or videos of the process to share later.

• Present the mural to the school or community. Students explain the mural and its message at a special event.

• Make videos about the process and the final creation with messages and opinions about the school community regarding the main theme.

Creating a collaborative mural about bullying can be challenging for several reasons. It requires time for planning, researching, and painting, and students have different skill levels, which can make collaboration more difficult. Teachers also need to ensure that the mural conveys a positive message to everyone. Also, permission from the school authorities is necessary to make it possible. Despite these challenges, students learn to work together and share their inner ideas. They can use their creativity to communicate important messages about respect and kindness. The project also helps them to think about ways to make their school a safer place. Finally, the mural serves as a visible reminder of their effort and teamwork, something the whole school can appreciate and be proud of through the years.

Students will:

- Visit the food bank (in person or through a virtual meeting).

- Interview staff or volunteers.

Learn how the food bank collects and gives out food.

- Create posters, videos, announcements, or social media messages (posted by adults) to encourage donations.

- Share information with classmates, families, and the school community.

- Students will work together to...

...produce simple, clear messages asking others to donate food.

...talk about ways we can help people in our community

Possible Challenges:

- Students might be nervous to interview adults or ask questions.

- Getting enough donations might be difficult, especially if people are busy or don’t know about the food bank.

- Working in groups might be challenging because we all have different ideas.

- Creating posters or videos can take time, and we might have to check them if they are clear enough or do them again.

Possible benefits:

- Learn how to help their community and understand what some families go through.

-Can practice speaking, listening, and asking good questions.

- Feel proud helping others and working in

teams.

- Teach other students and families about kindness and giving.

Some challenges we might face include organizing ideas, managing time, and feeling confident while speaking . However, the benefits are even greater: teamwork, fluency, pronunciation improvement, and learning to express opinions in a real context.

Before sharing in class, they will send me their drafts so I can make the necessary corrections. Once polished, all podcasts will be presented in a special class where everyone will share their work and enjoy a snack together.

First, they formed groups of 3 or 4 members.

Second, they chose a place and they designed a tour.

Third, they got the permissions in those places.

After that, they created the tour for students so ithad to do attractive for students.

during this process they investigated about the places, the history and some interesting facts in relation to the place and write a report,

Finally, they play the rol of touristc guide and they organize the tour in three languages english, portugues and spanish.

it last one year, I mean the group must be collaborative and creative.

One challenge could be students' limited English level, especially when explaining scientific concepts. Another challenge might be coordinating group work and managing time. To overcome these difficulties, I would provide vocabulary support, clear guidelines, and regular feedback throughout the project.

The benefits would be significant. Students would use English in a real and meaningful context while developing communication, collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving skills. They would also connect language learning with their technical knowledge, making the learning experience more engaging and relevant.