Project Based Learning – The World is the Stage The best educational decision I have made in the past 26 years was introducing Project-Based Learning (PBL). As a secondary school principal, I witnessed first hand the disengagement of students in their schooling coupled to their inability to see the relevance in what they were being taught. Like all school principals, I wanted to provide the best educational opportunities for my students and teaching staff, in an attempt to arrest this disconnection of interest. I believe that PBL has been the answer for Parramatta Marist High (PMH) in Sydney, Australia. The inspiration for Parramatta Marist’s move to PBL came in 2005 when I met with New Tech Foundation (NTF) staff in Napa, California. At Napa New Tech High, I observed relationships between staff and students, built on trust, respect and responsibility – as described by the students themselves. At PMH, we promote the importance of managing pedagogical change with all stakeholders. There is growing global consensus that PBL works.
International Project or Partner Place - Homepage Welcome to iPoPP iPoPP is a place for educators and youth worldwide to find global learning projects and partners. iPoPP combines the best offerings of GlobalSchoolNet and eLanguages, to improve academic achievement, encourage workforce readiness, and give youth skills to become responsible global citizens. iPoPP News and Social Media Please join the iPoPPulation conversation, and share your iPoPP news and ideas via Twitter and Facebook. Our Vision Globally connect every student and every educator through iPoPP by 2020. Our Mission Provide a multi-lingual, online collaborative learning place for educators and youth; Deliver education programs in collaboration with companies, NGOs and governments; Evaluate projects, learning outcomes, academic skills and competencies; Connect learners worldwide to improve themselves, their local communities, and humanity. Join the iPoPPulation
What the Little League World Series Can Teach Us in the Classroom | Laur Educational Consulting If you didn’t follow this month’s Little League World Series, you missed out on some amazing baseball and really great kids. I live in Lewisberry, PA. We are located approximately 100 miles from Williamsport, PA, the home to the Little League World Series. The close proximity makes it a given that I will pay attention to the series each year. Not to mention, it is just good old fashioned fun. This year, however, there was an added incentive to draw my attention. My real reason for writing this blog is because school just started in our part of the county this past week. Little League Baseball ”is designed to develop superior citizens rather than superior athletes.” The Red Land team spent the last several weeks perfecting their teamwork. In the classroom, developing projects or learning experiences that require teamwork, don’t necessary promote collaborative skills. The LLWS is about authentic as you can get for a stakeholder audience!