Project Based Learning (PBL)

1. Project Based Learning (PBL) An Innovative Model for Learning

2. Characteristics of PBL • Organizes curriculum around a problem or project • Engages students as stakeholders • Creates a learning environment where teachers coach, guide inquiry and facilitate deeper levels of understanding

3. Project Based Learning • concentrates scenarios that provide rich learning opportunities • involves students in problem-solving investigations and other meaningful tasks • allows students to build their own knowledge • concludes with realistic products

4. Project Based Learning • Establishes connections to life outside the classroom • Addresses real world concerns • Develops real world skills • Many of the skills are those desired by today's employer such as: • the ability to work well with others • make thoughtful decisions • take initiative • solve complex problems. • Allows for a variety of learning styles • Accessible for all learners

5. Project Based Learning • shifts away from the classroom practices of short, isolated, teacher-centered lessons • emphasizes learning activities that are: • long-term • student-centered • integrated with real world issues and practices and have compelling questions • To facilitate student integration of content to teach students to: • Use their minds, apply what they learn, be technologically literate, acquire 21st century skills and self-confidence

6. Project Based Learning • Encourages: • Group process skills • Life skills • Technological skills • Cognitive process skills • Self-management skills • Positive Attitudes

7. Methodology • Guide on the side • no longer sage on the stage • More coaching and modeling • less telling • More finding out with students • less being the expert • More cross disciplinary thinking • less specialization • More performance-based assessment • Less knowledge-based assessment

8. The Students Move • from following orders . . to carrying out self-directed learning activities • from memorizing and repeating . . To discovering, integrating and presenting • from listening and reacting . . To communicating and taking responsibility

9. The Students Move • from knowledge of facts, terms and content . . to understanding processes • from theory . . to application of theory • from teacher dependent . . to empowered

10. Project Based Learning in an IT Environment • Students make effective use of IT as they produce a product, presentation, or performance • IT is integrated into the learning – students are NOT learning IT skills in isolation • There is a “reason” to learn the IT skills

11. How • Look at what is relevant and current in your students lives • Look at the major content ideas you need to cover in your curriculum • Teachers need to select driving questions carefully so that the students learn the content stipulated in curriculum frameworks. • Let the instructional content drive the activity • Look at big problems facing the world today and historically • Start with a lesson you already have and adapt it

12. How • Give up the idea that you have to become experts but realize you have to be there for support • Teachers need to learn how to questions student's thinking and challenge students to support their conclusions • Remember to assess the meaningful skills – assess student thinking • Try it – evaluate what you have done and adjust for the next year

13. Differences in Project Based Learning and an activity based lesson

14. Examples

15. Upper Elementary/Middle School Science • Goal: understand the various types of environmental pollution that exists • Essential Question: Is our world healthy? • Project: Students will take on a role of an environmentalist and research an environmental problem that exists in their area. The group will devise a presentation (video, PPT, brochure, etc.) to inform others about the problem as well as present a plan for combating this problem

16. Middle School Biology • Goal: to learn about organisms and in doing so develop a new food • Essential Question: Can I create a scientific breakthrough? • Project: Students grow a variety of cultures, evaluate existing food products and develop a marketing plan for a new food product.

17. Fourth Grade Science • Goal: understand how rocks are formed, learn about the sources, properties and mineral composition of indigenous rocks used in building materials • Essential Question: Where does this rock in my hand fit into my life? • Project: Students became geologists in their town planning initiative whereby they are responsible for what kind of native materials planners might use to create streets, buildings, pathways, and other structures

18. Middle School Math • Goal: students will understand how math is used in the real world • Essential Question: How can I get what I want? • Project: Students will research a career, be given a salary, search for a house, figure out their mortgage, budget their money, draw their house to scale, keep up a check book, and furnish their house. Time permitting, scale models of selective houses will be completed for the development of a community

19. Middle School Language Arts • Goal: utilize the skills of argumentation and critical thinking • Essential Question: Do we always say what we mean and mean what we say? • Project: students play the role of different community groups/members participating in a public forum on a controversial local topic

20. Upper Elementary/Middle School/High School Math • Goal: Students will understand how the stock market works and the effects on those involved • Essential Question: How should I invest my money? • Project: Students will form companies, become investors and or brokers, develop a plan for investment and track investments for a year

21. Upper Elementary/Middle School Science • Goal: Understand the different weather phenomena that exist around the world • Essential Question: What do we fear? • Project: Students will become weather forecasters informing the world about different weather phenomena and plans for being safe if these phenomena are encountered.

22. Elementary School Math • Goal: understanding of simple economic principles • Essential Question: Who owns what and why? • Project: students create a simple retail store within their school. They develop a plan where they decide what to sell, for what price, manufacture the items, market them and keep track of profit and losses

23. Elementary Reading • Goal: to understand the elements, the functions, roles, and components of staging a play • Essential Question: Why do we perform? • Project: students will translate stories they have read into plays and perform these plays for other children at their school

24. Let’sTry One

25. Let’sTry One

26. Summary • PBL makes school learning more like real-world learning • PTL helps students learn the same content, only in a different way • Besides learning content, PBL incorporates components like collaboration, problem solving, presenting, communication with others • PBL motivates students to dig deeper as they get hooked on different issues

27. References Friedman, P.D. & Wilhelm, J.D.(1988). Hyperlearning. New York: Stenhouse Publishers. Trowbridge, L.W. & Bybee, R.W. (1996). Teaching Secondary School Science. New Jersey: Prentice Hall Vermillion, R.E. (1991). Projects and Investigations. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co.

28. Online Sources • http://www.ericfacility.net/ericdigests/ed368509.html • http://www.uoregon.edu/~moursund/Math/pbl.htm • http://www.jordan.palo-alto.ca.us/students/connections/pbl/pblplan.html • http://eduscapes.com/tap/topic43.htm • http://pblmm.k12.ca.us/PBLGuide/PBL&PBL.htm • http://www.iste.org/research/roadahead/pbl.htm • http://www.glef.org/PBL/whypbl.htm • http://www.bie.org

29. Online Sources • http://college.hmco/education/pbl/background.htm l • http://www.bie.org • http://www.mcdenver.com/useguide/pbl.htm • http://www.cord.org/lev2.cfm/56