8 Steps To Design Problem-Based Learning In Your Classroom What Is Problem-Based Learning? by TeachThought Staff What is problem-based learning? One definition, if we want to start simple, is learning that is based around a problem. That is, the development, analysis, and thinking towards a problem drives student learning forward. We’ve been meaning to write a kind of beginner’s guide/primer to problem-based learning for, oh, about 18 months now and haven’t yet, so Mia MacMeekin’ss graphic here is going to have to do. The graphic eschews Mia’s usual squared, grid approach for something a bit more linear and comprehensive–an 8-step sequence to designing problem-based learning in your classroom. 8 Steps To Design Problem-Based Learning In Your Classroom 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. You can read more about learning models and theories in our 21st Century Dictionary for Teachers. 8 Steps To Design Problem-Based Learning In Your Classroom
A Project-Based Learning Cheat Sheet For Authentic Learning A Project-Based Learning Cheat Sheet by TeachThought Staff Like most buzzwords in education, “authenticity” isn’t a new idea. For decades, teachers have sought to make student learning “authentic” by looking to the “real world”–the challenges, technology, and communities that students care about and connect with daily. We’re going to take a closer look at progressive approaches to teacher planning whenever Terry Heick can be convinced to finish that series. The function of this image is to act as a kind of brainstorm–to help you get your own creative juices going to decide what’s most important when designing an authentic project-based learning unit–audiences, technology, habits, purposes, and so on. You obviously don’t even have to use these categories; they are just a sampling of the kinds of thinking that can help you make the shift from academic to authentic learning. 3 Questions To Guide Authentic Project-Based Learning What role is the learner taking on?
Project-based learning moves into classrooms Project-based learning is gaining support in education circles Students at The Ellis School use the Hummingbird Robotics Kit to explore STEM. When it comes to classrooms today, students want more than the lectures and quiet classrooms of the past. Through project-based learning (PBL), students achieve a deeper understanding of lessons as they investigate and attempt to solve real-world problems. Educators across the country are integrating PBL into their classrooms. “It’s about getting away from the ‘perfect experiment,’” said Gary Garber, a physics instructor at Boston University Academy. (Next page: How Garber, and two other educators, leverage project-based learning)
Cómo construir Rúbricas o Matrices de Valoración ¿QUÉ SON LAS RÚBRICAS? Una Matriz de Valoración (Rúbrica – Rubric, en inglés [1]) es un instrumento que facilita la evaluación del desempeño de los estudiantes, especialmente, en temas complejos, imprecisos o subjetivos. Este instrumento podría describirse como una matriz de criterios específicos que permiten asignar u otorgar un valor (valorar), basándose en una escala de niveles de desempeño y un listado de aspectos que evidencian el aprendizaje, los conocimientos y/o las competencias alcanzadas por el estudiante en un tema particular. Le invitamos a conocer el esquema básico de una Rubrica y algunos ejemplos de Rúbricas. Esquema de una Rúbrica De acuerdo con la definición antes expuesta, una Matriz de Valoración o Rúbrica sirve para establecer o consultar cómo va el proceso de aprendizaje del estudiante. Promueve expectativas sanas, pues clarifica cuáles son los desempeños que los estudiantes deben alcanzar. Partes básicas de una Rúbrica Analítica Fase 1: Reflexionar. Rubistar
How to use Google tools in Project-Based Learning When you think about some of the key features of Project-Based Learning (PBL), what do you think of? PBL should be student-driven, with a real-world connection. It should be core to learning, include structured collaboration, and have a multifaceted assessment. Giving students a real problem to solve, getting them engaged in their work, having them work with others, and assessing their work with more than just a grade sounds a lot like how many things in the ‘real world’ work, doesn’t it? Many of the tech tools used in classrooms are made especially for classrooms. Google tools and project based learning Planning: Where do you start when deciding on a project your students will spend significant time on, have some say in, that will address a number of learning goals and be meaningful and relevant? Inquiry: Once you’ve decided what the students will be focusing on, they’ll need more information on the topic. Connecting and Collaborating: Student Voice:
What's Next for PBL? Editor's note: The following is an excerpt from Reinventing Project-Based Learning, 2nd Edition, by Suzie Boss and Jane Krauss. The revised and expanded edition was just published by ISTE. As part of Connected Educator Month, the co-authors are hosting an online Reinventing PBL Book Club. (Join the conversation here.) We don't have a crystal ball, but there's ample evidence to suggest that we're at a PBL inflection point. There's also a groundswell of teachers making the transition to PBL on their own -- sometimes despite less-than-ideal school cultures. As we move toward more widespread adoption of PBL, we imagine further reinvention of this powerful method of teaching and learning. Forecast: Deeper Learning through PBL We expect the phrase "deeper learning" will continue to gain traction to describe the multifaceted outcomes of project-based learning. New Tech Network, Expeditionary Learning, and others. Forecast: Achieving Scale - Thoughtfully Forecast: Developing the PBL Mindset
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. I have heard from many teachers new to PBL that a large, eight-week integrated project was a mistake. 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
What Project-Based Learning Is — and What It Isn’t Screenshot/High Tech High The term “project-based learning” gets tossed around a lot in discussions about how to connect students to what they’re learning. Teachers might add projects meant to illustrate what students have learned, but may not realize what they’re doing is actually called “project-oriented learning.” Terronez, who teaches at High Tech Middle, a public charter school in San Diego, Calif says that when an educator teaches a unit of study, then assigns a project, that is not project-based learning because the discovery didn’t arise from the project itself. “If you inspire them to care about it and draw parallels with their world, then they care and remember.” For Terronez, the goal is to always connect classroom learning to its applications in the outside world. It takes a lot of diligent planning by the teacher to design projects that give students space to explore themes and real-world resonance to make it meaningful for them. Related
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. 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"
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. 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). But that's the thing about collaboration -- you are never in a place where your ideas are the only ones, so you must be able to contribute without being too attached to the outcome. Little and Big Pictures This year I am a part of a new design team for AP biology. Collaboration with my peers has certainly pushed my thinking and my attachments to cherished methods.
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 generally teacher-directed, universal, and tangent to the learning, while project-based learning is student-centered, personal, and the learning pathway itself. 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