Project Based Learning

PBL on the Menu? Innovative Leadership Fosters Success (2 Hours)

(District Leaders and Teachers Grades K-12)

This course focuses on the integration of Project-Based Learning (PBL) within educational settings, highlighting its importance as a transformative tool in modern education. It requires leaders to demonstrate visionary leadership, engage in thorough strategic planning, and commit to fostering an environment of innovation and collaboration. This comprehensive approach is crucial for effectively implementing PBL, ensuring that it becomes a central and impactful part of the learning experience. 

Leaders will learn to navigate through challenges, encourage a growth-oriented mindset, and respond adaptively to the evolving demands of the educational landscape. Emphasizing the importance of celebrating successes, valuing input from teachers and students, and providing continuous support, the course aims to equip leaders with the skills necessary to sustain and grow PBL initiatives. 

FOUNDATIONAL CONCEPTS

The Ambiance and Nurturing Modern Skills in the PBL Classroom (3 Hours)

(District Leaders and Teachers Grades K-12) 

This course introduces the essentials of an effective Project-Based Learning (PBL) environment, aimed at creating a diverse and stimulating educational experience. It focuses on nurturing an atmosphere of diversity, openness, and respect, essential for vibrant learning. Teachers will learn to design spaces that foster curiosity, creativity, and collaboration, reflecting the spirit of an inclusive learning environment.

Central to the course is the development of a culture based on mutual respect and collaborative norms, valuing each student's input. It also emphasizes cultivating a growth mindset in students, viewing challenges as opportunities and valuing effort to build resilience. The course encourages student empowerment through self-directed learning and exploration of personal interests, underlining the importance of diversity and inclusion. Overall, the course integrates the 4C's – Collaboration, Creativity, Critical Thinking, and Communication – to foster a dynamic, engaging, and diverse educational experience in a PBL framework.

Small Bites, Big Learning: Unpacking Standards to Shape Learning Objectives & Outcomes in PBL (2 Hours)

(District Leaders and Teachers Grades K-12)

This course addresses the implementation of Project-Based Learning (PBL) as an instructional strategy. It guides educators in breaking down educational standards into focused, manageable components for targeted and effective learning experiences. The chapter emphasizes the distillation of these standards into essential elements, forming student-friendly learning objectives that serve as the basis for lesson planning and instructional strategies.

This course also incorporates these objectives into the inquiry-driven approach of PBL, advocating for a progressive introduction of objectives to build a cohesive learning journey. It highlights the importance of connecting different objectives, reflection, metacognition, and assessment in the learning process. Students are guided to reflect on their learning, understand how each objective fits into the larger educational picture, and demonstrate their understanding through various assessments. This comprehensive approach ensures a thorough and integrated learning experience, aligned with broader educational goals.

Diverse Instructional Flavors: Crafting a PBL Feast (4 Hours)

(Grades K-12)

This course emphasizes diverse teaching methods in Project-Based Learning (PBL) to meet students' unique needs. It covers the 5E Model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate), direct instruction, workshops, small group work, and differentiation. These methods enhance PBL's inquiry-based nature and student engagement.

The 5E Model aligns with PBL's stages, incorporating engagement, exploration, explanation, application, and evaluation. The course also highlights the benefits of varied learning experiences through explicit direct instruction, small group work and workshops.

The importance of differentiation is underlined, encouraging teachers to tailor content and learning environments for diverse student needs, promoting inclusivity and diversity. This course provides foundational knowledge on using differentiation effectively in PBL.

Crafting Delectable PBL Dishes: Designing and Planning for Success (3 Hours)

(Grades K-12)

This course explores the essential elements of crafting effective Project-Based Learning (PBL) experiences, emphasizing thorough planning and thoughtful design. Using the "EcoHeroes" project as a case study, the course offers practical advice for educators to create engaging and meaningful PBL projects. It highlights the importance of aligning educational standards with real-world applications, understanding student strengths and weaknesses, and cultivating a supportive learning environment.

The course introduces eight critical questions to guide educators in the PBL planning process, covering standards, real-world relevance, outcomes, student capabilities, timelines, resources, technology integration, and the learning environment. This approach ensures comprehensive planning and integration of all aspects of the PBL project, aiming for a fulfilling educational experience.

Additionally, the course emphasizes the creation of storylines and driving questions as key elements in giving PBL projects direction and context. The "EcoHeroes" project demonstrates how a well-crafted storyline can generate an engaging driving question, sparking students' curiosity and guiding their exploration. The concept of turning points within PBL projects is introduced, segmenting the project into smaller, manageable parts and allowing for moments of reflection, assessment, and celebration of progress. This structure enhances the PBL experience, making it more approachable and enriching for students.

KEY ELEMENTS OF EFFECTIVE PBL

PBL Tapas Design Element: A Taste of Driving Questions & Public Products (2 Hours)

(Grades K-12)

This course is for any teacher, any grade, any class. PBL Tapas is designed to break down highly effective elements of PBL into small portions so teachers can choose to use the elements in isolation with no project attached, or comprehensively in a full blown PBL experience.

Driving Question & Public Products:

A thought-provoking DQ is the catalyst for any PBL experience. It captures and communicates the purpose of the project/product in a succinct question. When reading the driving question, the teacher and student should be clear on what the overall project/product is as well as its purpose. In short, students answer the driving question or solve the problem through their public product. The public product is used to display learning.

Through this course teachers grades K-12 will explore how to generate driving questions that can lead to public products. They will also determine the degree that they would like to bring these elements into their classroom.

PBL Tapas Design Element: A Taste of Sustained Inquiry (2 Hours)

(Grades K-12)

This course is for any teacher, any grade, any class. PBL Tapas is designed to break down highly effective elements of PBL into small portions so teachers can choose to use the elements in isolation with no project attached, or comprehensively in a full blown PBL experience.

Sustained Inquiry:

Authentic work needs to be wrapped up with many opportunities for sustained student inquiry. In order to provide this opportunity for students, teachers have students  continually asking meaningful questions, finding answers to their questions, and applying the information they have gathered. Planning for this type of inquiry takes patience, flexibility, and intentionality around helping students develop good questions and gathering relevant information to answer the questions.

Through this course teachers grades K-12 will explore different techniques and strategies to promote sustained student inquiry.  They will also determine the degree of student inquiry  they would like to bring into their classroom.  

PBL Tapas Teaching Practice: Building Culture (2 Hours)

(Grades K-12)

This course is for any teacher, any grade, any class. PBL Tapas is designed to break down highly effective teaching practices of PBL into small portions so teachers can choose to use the practices in isolation with no project attached, or comprehensively in a full blown PBL experience.

Building Culture:

Teachers explicitly and implicitly promote student independence and growth, open-ended inquiry, team spirit, and attention to quality.

Through this course teachers grades K-12 will explore different techniques and strategies to build the culture.

PBL Tapas Teaching Practice: Managing Activities (2 Hours)

(Grades K-12)

This course is for any teacher, any grade, any class. PBL Tapas is designed to break down highly effective teaching practices of PBL into small portions so teachers can choose to use the practices in isolation with no project attached, or comprehensively in a full blown PBL experience.

Manage Activities:

Teachers work with students to organize tasks and schedules, set checkpoints and deadlines, find and use resources, create products and make them public.

Through this course teachers grades K-12 will explore different techniques and strategies to manage activities.  

PBL Tapas Teaching Practice: Scaffolding Student Learning (2 Hours)

(Grades K-12)

This course is for any teacher, any grade, any class. PBL Tapas is designed to break down highly effective teaching practices of PBL into small portions so teachers can choose to use the practices in isolation with no project attached, or comprehensively in a full blown PBL experience.

Scaffold Student Learning:

Teachers employ a variety of lessons, tools, and instructional strategies to support all students in reaching project goals.

Through this course teachers grades K-12 will explore different techniques and strategies to scaffold student learning.  

PBL Tapas Teaching Practice: Assess Learning (2 Hours)

(Grades K-12)

This course is for any teacher, any grade, any class. PBL Tapas is designed to break down highly effective teaching practices of PBL into small portions so teachers can choose to use the practices in isolation with no project attached, or comprehensively in a full blown PBL experience.

Assess Student Learning:

Teachers use formative and summative assessments of knowledge, understanding, and success skills, and include self and peer assessment of team and individual work. Teacher also use alternative real-world public products to assess student learning. 

Through this course teachers grades K-12 will explore different techniques and strategies to assess student learning.  

PBL Tapas Teaching Practice: Facilitate Learning (2 Hours)

(Grades K-12)

This course is for any teacher, any grade, any class. PBL Tapas is designed to break down highly effective teaching practices of PBL into small portions so teachers can choose to use the practices in isolation with no project attached, or comprehensively in a full blown PBL experience.

Facilitate Learning:

Teachers engage in learning and creating alongside students, and identify when they need skill-building, redirection, encouragement, and celebration.

Through this course teachers grades K-12 will explore different techniques and strategies to facilitate student learning.