Five Keys to Rigorous Project-Based Learning Voiceover: How will today’s children function in a dangerous world? What means will they use to carve the future? Will they be equipped to find the answers to tomorrow’s problems? Teacher: When you think about traditional learning you think of a student sitting in a classroom and being talked at. Teacher: Now I imagine a lot of you are still thinking... Teacher: They are supposed to be a sponge. Peggy Ertmer: So there are a lot of different ways to approach PBL, a lot of different ways to implement it, but really it all boils down to five essential keys: real-world connection, core to learning, structured collaboration, student driven, and multifaceted assessment. Student: One of the problems in the ocean is that with the higher amount of CO2 calcifying organisms are decreasing and we’re testing to see how well life in the ocean lives without calcifying organisms. Student: --four by eight feet. Peggy Ertmer: So the second commonality is the PBL unit provides academic rigor. Student: Yes.
PBL login info Time to Debunk Those PBL Myths What are the myths you hear most often about project-based learning? Here are some PBL misconceptions I encounter with surprising regularity: "Projects may be fun, but they'll never prepare students for ____ [fill in high-stakes test of your choice]" "If kids work in teams on projects, one or two will do all the work and the others will coast" "PBL won't work with my students because they are ____ [fill in the challenge of your choice]" "I'll never have time to cover all my content if I spend time on projects" "Projects just aren't rigorous" "Parents will wind up doing most of the work" "We can't do PBL because we don't have ____ [fill in the technology of your choice]" Once you start listening for PBL myths, you'll hear them in the most surprising places. During a long flight recently, I was reading to pass the time. If we dispel the myths, we can concentrate on helping teachers and students achieve the meaningful learning that's possible through high-quality PBL. Projects versus PBL
Who Knows About PBL? | Chantellemorrison's Blog When I was having a professional coaching chat with a colleague today, she asked about the research behind PBL. As it turns out, she decided to make it her goal to research and find out more information on PBL. Firstly, what is PBL? PBL can be known as 1 of 3 things: 1. 2. 3. For the purposes of this blog, I’m going to squint in on Project-based Learning. What are some websites I can read about Project-based Learning? 1. 2. 3. Helpful Articles? 1. 2. 3. Who Can I Follow? New Tech Institute – @NTInstituteHigh Tech High – @hightechhighAlec Patton (HTH) – @AlecPattonBriony Chown (HTH) – @brionychownAdam Bellow – @adambellowMark Burgess – @matonfender Enjoy PBL :) Like this: Like Loading...
How to Get High-Quality Student Work in PBL “I thought the project was going well… but by the end, I felt that the work my students produced was not as good as I imagined it would be. I was a little embarrassed and almost wanted to dial back the audience’s expectations on the night of the presentations!” This is a common concern of teachers who are new to Project Based Learning. 1. Simply telling students that you want them to do high-quality work is not enough, nor is giving them a checklist that tracks completion, not quality. To have students practice using a rubric, find some exemplars of the kind of work required in the project. Another tip for clarifying high expectations: Depending on what kind of product the project requires, bring experts in to class, or visit them in person or online, to hear about the criteria used to judge the quality of a similar product in their work. 2. One of the 8 Essential Elements of PBL is “Critique and Revision.” 3. Maybe it’s hard to imagine adding another few days to your project calendar.
Viewpoint on PBL: What Students Say We are Miles, Gaby, Ethan, Lauren, Madison, and Aiden from Novi Community Schools District, in Michigan. What we do we have in common? We were really lucky to have Project Based Learning teachers. Some of us are still in Project Based Learning classrooms and love it. Some of us have moved to more traditional classrooms. Individually, we answered a simple question “Why do you like PBL?” Shhh…It’s a secret! “Need to Know” Nibbles by Gaby, 6th grade In PBL we had “Need to Knows” that gave us a nibble of what we were going to discover in our projects. In a traditional classroom, I wasn’t motivated to talk about school past the classroom walls. PBL spells F-U-N! I felt like I learned more about the topic through a project than doing worksheets. In PBL, you get to work with new people and have collaboration. More-than-just-a-grade Production by Ethan, 6th grade PBL is hands on. It’s also more than just a grade. PBL is a very REAL life way of bringing REAL learning into a classroom.
3 Ways To Use Vine In The Project-Based Learning Classroom - Project-based learning (PBL) — an educational approach in which students work together to solve real-world problems — is redefining how many kids learn. Vine, a social video app purchased by Twitter, is growing in popularity — and fast. What happens when the two collide? What Is Vine? Recently we took a more general look at Vine in the classroom, but in short, Vine is video’s answer to the popular photo-sharing app Instagram, with a bit of tumblr and twitter thrown in. This deceptively simple application allows users to capture and share six-second video clips–rather than pure gif animations–through social media. This is precisely some teachers have adopted Vine as an educational tool, especially in the PBL classroom. 3 Ways To Use Vine In The Project-Based Learning Classroom Vine and project-based learning classrooms might be a match made in pedagogical heaven–or at least #edtech heaven. How are teachers using Vine? 1. This approach lends itself well to simple how-to videos. 2. 3.
Project-based learning done right With traditional learning, students memorize information for upcoming tests and don’t retain what is learned, said John Larmer, editor-in-chief of the Buck Institute for Education, a nonprofit that helps teachers use project-based learning. When students focus on projects, the learning “really sinks in” and it becomes easier to transfer their knowledge to new situations, Larmer said. Eight teachers from grades K-3 at Parkside participate in The Compass. Students often work together and collaborate on projects. Project-based learning emphasizes 21st century skills such as the ability to think critically, work in teams, and solve problems, Larmer said. The Compass often partners with community members and organizations for projects. This year, learning expanded to regions of Florida and ultimately branched out to the United States. One day, Schulson saw the YouTube music video “Tour the States” and wondered how she could apply it to the classroom.
The Project-Based School: Transforming an Underperforming Campus - edWeb As a teacher, Todd Nesloney was active on Twitter and as a blogger. Based on his social media presence, which showcased his love of project-based learning, Navasota School District offered him a job as principal at an underperforming fourth- and fifth-grade campus, along with the rare opportunity to transform the school from the ground up. In this webinar, Nesloney, Principal at Navasota Intermediate School (TX), discussed how he hired his staff over social media, how his summer learning sessions intended for a handful of teachers reached a worldwide audience, and how he plans to use the flipped classroom and project-based learning to turn around his new school. Earn your CE Certificate for viewing this recording: Join the free EdTech Innovators community on edWeb.net and take a quiz to receive a CE Certificate for viewing this webinar. EdTech Innovators presents a series of webinars with educators who are exceptional in their use of technology to support teaching and learning.