In recent years, project activities are increasingly used in Russian schools, colleges, technical schools and universities. The undoubted advantages of this learning model are its applied nature, the huge potential for collective creativity, as well as the development of the abilities of each student.
The method of projects as a developmental model of teaching schoolchildren was first announced in the 20s of the last century in the works of the famous American teacher and philosopher D. Dewey. In his works, he insisted that learning should be an active process in which the main burden falls on the shoulders of students. By participating in the development of a project, they will master all the knowledge they need.
In Russia, project activities became the subject of active discussions in the early twentieth century, when a well-known teacher S. Shatsky organized a whole group of specialists to make sure in practicethe appropriateness of using this form of education.
Today, project activity is one of the most popular models for organizing the educational process. It is an individual or collective activity of students, performed independently or under the direct supervision of a teacher, aimed at the creative development of a particular material.
The organization of project activities largely depends on the skill of the teacher and involves very thorough preparation and in-depth analysis of the results. As a rule, this activity includes several critical steps.
Firstly, project activities always begin with a problem statement. Usually, the teacher and the student first determine a certain problem area, and then concentrate on a particular object of study. Also at this stage, the main methods of conducting research and the necessary tools are determined.
Secondly, the main goal of the project and the tasks arising from it are formulated. At this stage, it is already advisable to conduct a mini-research, which will show how relevant this problem is, and also help to highlight a narrower area of research, where the student can maximize his creative talents.
Thirdly, if the project is to create some kind of technical model or stand, then you need to take care in advance to find the necessary consumables and tools. In addition, it shouldcalculate all possible costs in order to understand how realistic the implementation of this project is.
Fourthly, the actual project activity must necessarily be accompanied by constant monitoring and corrective measures. To do this, it is necessary to outline certain control points in advance, based on which this intermediate analysis should be carried out.
All work usually ends with a public defense of the project, after which the student and teacher must carefully analyze the result, paying attention not only to the merits, but also to the shortcomings.
Thus, project activity is the best option for organizing the active work of students and realizing their basic abilities and talents.
