In the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms online course, we had to generate a unit plan using either Project Based Learning (PBL) or Understanding by Design (UbD). According to PBLWorks, Project Based Learning is “a teaching method in which students learn by actively engaging in real-world and personally meaningful projects.” It takes place over an extended period of time in which students gain content knowledge and skills such as collaboration and critical thinking. In Understanding by Design, the teacher constructs the unit utilizing a backward approach, starting with the overall learning goals, followed by the feedback and assessment tools, and ending with the specific activities and instruction. According to Edutopia, “The goal of a unit planned this way is enduring understandings.” These are big ideas that students can use in the real world.
I actually carried out my Global Education Unit Plan during the online course since I thought my orchestra’s preparation for and performance at Kimchi Day, an annual community event focusing on the fermented Korean food, would make for an appropriate learning unit on Korean culture. I utilized the PBL approach with the intention of creating a richer, more informed musical experience and worldview through connections to various disciplines and fields beyond music.
Uyehara in Uruguay 