How to Buy a Car 101 is an article about the instructional strategy called problem-based learning, or PBL. PBL is based on the primary concept of relating the curriculum to an real-life situation. The explanation of the PBL design is given, beginning with the teacher asking the students an engaging question. The explanation continues to through the process as students are comparing possible solutions and researching the best option. The PBL that was described was about how to buy a car. The benefits of PBL were given. The benefits of PBL are numerous. There are also many adaptations that can be made to PBL for special needs learners and ESL students. Finally, the author gave tips for teachers that were attempting PBL for the first time.
In the article, under the adaptations section, the author stated that a way to adapt PBL for special needs kids is placing them in a group with students who do not have special needs. This could cause more problems for the special needs student. They may work slower and the other students may just do the work for them. This does not allow the special needs student to benefit from PBL. The article did a great job of maintaining a constant theme of buying a car throughout the entire article. I thought a strength of the article was that it included tips for teachers using PBL for the first time. Many teachers are intimidated by PBL. It is scary to think that you are only a guide and the students are making their own decisions. Another strength of the article is that it includes the rubric used for the PBL. It helps understand how PBL can be assessed.
Flores, C. A. (2006). How to buy a car 101. Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, 12(3), 161-164.
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