Project-Based Learning from Start to Finish via Edutopia For this installment of Schools That Work, we chose Manor New Technology High School, a public high school that is part of the New Tech Network of schools. Located just outside of Austin in Manor, Texas, it is an entirely project-based learning school that has consistently achieved outstanding results since opening. We followed a project there for three weeks to find out what makes their model so effective. By Mariko Nobori There is a small town, about 12 miles east of Austin, Texas, where a high school devoted to teaching every subject to every student through project-based learning (PBL) opened five years ago. Related What Makes Project-Based Learning a Success? At one high school in Texas, where every class in every grade is project based, the answer is devotion to a consistent process, belief in relationships, and commitment to relevance… Similar post Apps for Learning Series Gets Interactive In "Collaboration Fluency"
International Journal of Designs for Learning This multidisciplinary, peer-reviewed online journal is dedicated to publishing descriptions of artifacts, environments and experiences created to promote and support learning in all contexts by designers in any field. The IJDL Library of Congress ISSN is 2159-449X. The journal provides a venue for designers to share their knowledge-in-practice through rich representations of their designs and detailed discussion of decision-making. This journal is a publication of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology. Announcements Vol 4, No 2 (2013): Special Issue: Designs for Learning Spaces Table of Contents Invited Feature Articles Articles
10 Apps For More Organized Project-Based Learning Project-Based Learning, by definition, is flexible. It encourages learner-centeredness, provides the possibility of more authentic work, and allows learners to self-manage and self-direct in places they used to have their hands held. But this has its drawbacks. Learning is a capacity-building endeavor that seeks to, well, build capacity will ironically depending on that same capacity to progress, There are a variety of ways to support students in project-based learning, including organized digital learning spaces that support creative thinking, collaboration, and ultimately project management. 1. Platform: iOS How It Can Help: Pure overkill for most classrooms, but if an extremely powerful productivity and project management is what you need and you’ve got a $50 iTunes card burning a hole in your pocket, this could be just what the doctor ordered. 2. Platform: iOS 3. Platform: Android & iOS How It Can Help: 4. Platform: iOS 5. Platform: Android & iOS 6. Platform: Android & iOS 7. 8. 9. 10.
Getting Started with Project-Based Learning (Hint: Don't Go Crazy) Andrew Miller, Educational Consultant and Online Educator AUGUST 6, 2012 www.edutopia.org Before the start of the school year, many of us want to use the remaining weeks of summer to learn some new skills — such as project-based learning (PBL). One of the things we stress for new PBL practitioners is, as I say, "don't go crazy." It's easy to go "too big" when you first start PBL. Start Small As I said, "Don't go crazy!" Plan Now One of the challenges of PBL, but also one of the joys, is the planning process. Limited Technology We love technology, but sometimes we get too "tech happy." Know the Difference Between PBL and Projects This is the big one! We are all learners, and when we start something new, we start small. Related
UDL Universe This is a QR code. A QR Code is a 2-dimensional barcode, which has encoded in it a URL (web address), text, or other information. It can be read by a QR code scanner, including QR scanner smartphone apps. Once you have an app installed on your smartphone, open the app and hold your phones camera over a QR code to read it. Reviewed by members of Editorial board for inclusion in MERLOT. Useful material in MERLOT Click to get more information on the MERLOT Editors' Choice Award in a new window. Click to get more information on the MERLOT Classics Award in a new window. Click to get more information on the MERLOT JOLT Award in a new window. Search all MERLOT Click here to go to your profile Click to expand login or register menu Select to go to your workspace Click here to go to your Dashboard Report Click here to go to your Content Builder Click here to log out Search Terms Enter username Enter password Please give at least one keyword of at least three characters for the search to work with.
10 Practical Ideas For Better Project-Based Learning In Your Classroom By Jennifer Rita Nichols, TeachThought Intern Teachers are incorporating more and more projects into their curriculum, allowing for much greater levels of collaboration and responsibility for students at all levels. Project- based learning is a popular trend, and even teachers who don’t necessarily follow that approach still see the benefit to using projects to advance their students’ learning. Projects can be wonderful teaching tools. They can allow for a more student-centred environment, where teachers can guide students in their learning instead of using lectures to provide them with information. The increase in classroom technology also makes projects more accessible to students. Despite general agreement about the benefits of using projects and project-based learning in general, it must be noted that all projects are not created equal! This may happen fairly often because teachers are wary about being able to assign grades to the final assignments handed in to them by students.
PBL Course Development: Collaboration Among Colleagues Author Jayesh Rao collaborates with his AP Biology design team. Photo credit: Bill Palmer At Sammamish High School, we're developing and implementing a comprehensive problem-based learning program for all of our students. Working closely with my peers during this process has become one of the highlights of my career as an educator. These last two years I've been granted (literally and figuratively) the space and time to exchange ideas, learn from others and feel the satisfaction of knowing that I grow as a professional with each exchange. I have two very different teacher collaboration experiences to relate. Stamina and Momentum Last year, my first experience with a PBL collaborative group was working with six teachers on an integrated biology/chemistry course. This came at a price, however. Attachment and Agreement Another interesting thing about last year's collaboration was the fact that the design group had been formed the previous year (2010-11). Little and Big Pictures
Udacity’s statistics course to offer insights into online learning Katie Kormanik You may have heard of a new development in higher education: MOOCs, or massive open online courses, are challenging traditional notions of higher education. Allowing students to work at any time, any place, and any pace, MOOCs are free and are open to anyone. This is why they’re massive, often enrolling tens of thousands of students. This revolutionary medium of higher education may shift the entire paradigm underlying how education is delivered. So far MOOCs have been an exploration of unknown territory, pushing the frontiers of how we teach and learn. The format of MOOCs makes them especially effective for teaching statistics. Interesting data can easily be shared online for students to analyze in spreadsheets. Many people still doubt that online education can equip students with skills and knowledge as well as or better than traditional in-person schooling, especially in the absence of direct student-instructor interaction.
Six Affirmations for PBL Teachers All great teachers do great work. And not only that, but they also do different work. Great teachers are always looking to improve practice, steal ideas and try new things -- all in order to meet the needs of their students. PBL teachers are no exception. Any teacher who is truly doing PBL would also agree that it's different. There is something about being a PBL teacher that requires different work, and work that is especially capitalized when implementing a PBL project. 1) PBL Teachers Collaborate with Each Other Although PBL teachers often start out with projects in just their own subject area, most create integrated projects with teachers of other disciplines. 2) PBL Teachers Give Power to Students Through voice and inquiry, PBL teachers constantly reflect on how students can have more power in their learning environment. 3) PBL Teachers are Learning Environment Designers 4) PBL Teachers are Student-Centered PBL teachers know it isn't about them. 6) PBL Teachers Really Plan
The Difference Between Doing Projects Versus Learning Through Projects The Difference Between Doing Projects Versus Learning Through Projects by Terry Heick We’ve clarified the difference between projects and project-based learning before. Projects are about the product, while project-based learning is about the process. Projects are generally teacher-directed, universal, and tangent to the learning, while project-based learning is student-centered, personal, and the learning pathway itself. Put simply, it is an approach to learning rather than something to complete. Paul Curtis recently shared this excellent visual on twitter that takes a different approach to clarifying the difference, looking at it from the perspective of curriculum planning and instructional design. Note that this is only one approach. Thoughts, comments, or related resources in the comments below. The Difference Between Doing Projects Versus Learning Through Projects
What's Obvious to You, Is Amazing to Someone Else One of the reasons I sometimes hear people give for not blogging, Tweeting, or otherwise participating in sharing their ideas online is, "I don't have anything to say." To that I often reply, "yes, you do." The great thing about sharing online is that you never know who is going to discover what you share. Something that you think has been said one hundred times over might be brand new to someone else. Applications for Education This message needs to be shared with our students too. Free Resources and Tools for Replicating Project-Based Learning Educators from High Tech High in San Diego, California, and the Whitfield Career Academy's 21st Century Learning Academy in Dalton, Georgia, have provided these resources for you to use in your own school. Students in Whitfield County take on a range of multidisciplinary projects. A middle school science student (left) identifies the parts of a fish before painting it to make a Japanese-style gyotaku print, and students (right) learn math and physics while building an outdoor classroom. Credit: Grace Rubenstein (left); David Markus (right) Click on any title link below to view or download that file. Tips for downloading: PDF files can be viewed on a wide variety of platforms -- both as a browser plug-in or a stand-alone application -- with Adobe's free Acrobat Reader program. To download a free version of the Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer, visit Microsoft's Download Center. Resources On This Page: Back to Top
How to Reinvent Project Based Learning to Be More Meaningful By Thom Markham This is a crucial time for education. Every system in every country is in the process of figuring out how to reboot education to teach skills, application, and attitude in addition to recall and understanding. Helping students be able to grapple with increased problem solving and inquiry, be better critical and creative thinkers, show greater independence and engagement, and exhibit skills as presenters and collaborators is the challenge of the moment. That’s why so many educators are using the project based learning (PBL) model. PBL has proven to be a means for setting up the kind of problem-solving challenges that engage students in deeper learning and critical inquiry. However, it’s also time to reboot PBL. If PBL is to become a powerful, accepted model of instruction in the future, a vocabulary change may be in order — preferably to the term project based inquiry. 1. First, think skills. Think strategically. Use PBL for entrepreneurial inquiry. 2. Let go of theory.
Personal Learning Networks for Educators: 10 Tips - Getting Smart by Dr. Mark Wagner - edchat, EdTech, PLN By Dr. Mark Wagner I often begin my workshop on personal learning networks (PLN) for educators by asking these questions: Who is in your learning network? Who do you learn from on a regular basis? Who do you turn to for your own professional development? Some educators are lucky enough to learn from their coworkers or colleagues at their site. I usually ask these questions at conferences, which are frequently only annual events – and rare treats for many educators. Learning to Network and Networking to Learn 1. 2. 3. 4. Networking Tools and Anecdotes The four tips above are the core activities of building a personal learning network, and they can be applied using various tools to connect with others online. 5. 6. 7. 8. Final Thoughts These final two tips will help keep your initial frustrations in perspective, and help you avoid the temptation to focus on unimportant metrics as you grow your network. 9. 10. Note: I’ve also been writing about this topic for some time.