Project-Based Learning: Why and How? EducationWorld is pleased to present this article by Aimee Hosler, an OnlineSchools.com contributor and mother of two who writes about education and workplace news and trends. She holds a B.S. in journalism from California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. "Learn by doing." This is the type of experience that great teachers strive to facilitate for students. Many educators have heard about, or maybe even witnessed, how project-based learning (PBL) can engage a broader range of learners and promote workplace skills. PBL is an instructional strategy in which students work cooperatively over time to create a product, presentation or performance. estion. Despite the buzz PBL has generated in academic journals and at teaching conferences, most modern classrooms still rely on teacher-led, paper-based learning. Scholastic's Administr@tor Magazine notes that while there are no official statistics on PBL's increasing popularity, a rash of new PBL-based schools have emerged. 1. 2. 3.
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. Below are 10 apps for more organized project-based learning. 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. 6. 7.
Over 25 Links Uncovering Project Based Learning Resources On The Web Welcome to this first in a series of PBL Mania Posts. For the next few weeks I am celebrating Project Based Learning by hosting a webinar at Edtech Leaders Online, and by presenting a PBL session at the NICE Conference in Chicago. In this post I will introduce you to some awesome places on the web containing some of the very best PBL resources. Before reading, please take a moment to subscribe to this 21centuryedtech Blog by email or RSS and also give me a follow on Twitter at mjgormans. Welcome to the land of PBL knowledge. BIE – BUCK Institute BIE – Also known as the BUCK Institute for Learning. BIE Videos – What Is PBL Video – A great collection of videos that demonstrate PBL and its best practices. BIE Tools – PBL Project Search – Here you will find a collection of 450 proven lesson plans to set any PBL desire into action. BIE PBL Research Library – Here you will find a wonderful collection of research summaries, full papers, and presentation materials. West Virginia Teach 21 PBL
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. 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 When PBL teachers engage in designing a PBL project, they are looking to create an engaging experience for all students. 4) PBL Teachers are Student-Centered PBL teachers know it isn't about them. 5) PBL Teachers Honor 21st Century Skills Through instruction and assessment, PBL teachers honor 21st century skills through true leveraging. 6) PBL Teachers Really Plan
PBL Tools Many people have requested a source for the management tools that are used in the Project Based Learning plans on Teach 21. Here is the place. You will find rubrics, checklists, task management charts, learning logs and other documents that will help your PBL planning and delivery. Most of the documents were created by West Virginia teachers and used in the PBLs on Teach 21. Rubrics Learning Logs and Journals Presentation Tools Self and Peer Assessments Task Management and Student Contracts WVDE Template for Project Based Learning Design WVDE Project Design Rubric Lowell Milken Center Return to PBL Page Return to Teach 21 Home
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
¿Qué hacen los mejores profesores? Ken Bain es el director del "Center for Teaching Excellence" de la Universidad de Nueva York. Su libro Lo que hacen los mejores profesores universitarios (2004) ha sido traducido por la Universidad de Valencia y repartido entre sus profesores. Más allá de las valoraciones positivas o negativas de esta iniciativa, el libro es muy interesante y responde a la pregunta que plantea el título. Teodoro Álvarez Angulo, profesor de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid, especialista en temas de comprensión lectora, hace una reseña del libro y sintetiza las características que Bain ha encontrado en los mejores profesores de la siguiente manera: (i) Conocen su materia extremadamente bien, lo que implica un sentido agudo de la historia y de los problemas que se ha planteado y se plantea su disciplina.(ii) Son eruditos y pensadores, que se centran en el aprendizaje, tanto en el suyo como en el de sus estudiantes, lo que supone que esperan siempre "más" de los estudiantes.
Bringing Parents and Guardians into Your PBL Projects Providing your students with a public audience is not only a critical part of the project-based learning process, but it's also a great strategy for building authenticity into assignments to create work that matters. We often leverage our students' parents and guardians in this process because 1) they are easily accessible, and 2) they are our partners in their children's learning plans. Why not then continue and build this partnership in PBL? John Larmer wrote a great blog about how to build parent support for PBL, and one of the best ways he mentions is to keep them involved in the PBL project you launch in your classroom. Here are some strategies to consider as you leverage parents for your next PBL project. Use Technology I know many teachers use technology tools like Edmodo in their PBL projects, and Edmodo has a way to set up parent accounts. Parents as Experts Parents as Assessors Parents as Planners Thank You! It's easy to forget this part. see more see less
Project Based Learning Introducing an irresistible project at the beginning of a unit of study can give students a clear and meaningful reason for learning. Plus, they end up with a product or result that could possibility make a difference in the world! In project based learning students are driven to learn content and skills for an authentic purpose. PBL involves students in explaining their answers to real-life questions, problems, or challenges. It starts with a driving question that leads to inquiry and investigation. Technology can be helpful throughout a project, whether students use iPads, Chromebooks, Android tablets, laptops, or desktops.