P B LP B L

(Project Based Learning)(Project Based Learning)

The ThemesThe Themes

Using technology effectively in the Using technology effectively in the classroom to promote 21st century skills.classroom to promote 21st century skills.

Identifying ways students and teachers Identifying ways students and teachers can use technology to enhance learning can use technology to enhance learning through research, communication, through research, communication, collaboration, and productivity strategies collaboration, and productivity strategies and tools.and tools.

The ThemesThe Themes

Providing hands-on learning and the Providing hands-on learning and the creation of curricular units and creation of curricular units and assessments, which address state and assessments, which address state and national academic and technology national academic and technology standards.standards.

Facilitating student-centered classrooms Facilitating student-centered classrooms that encourage student self-direction and that encourage student self-direction and higher-order thinking.higher-order thinking.

The ThemesThe Themes

Collaborating with colleagues to improve Collaborating with colleagues to improve instruction by problem solving and instruction by problem solving and participating in peer reviews of units.participating in peer reviews of units.

21st Century Skills21st Century Skills

Learning and Innovation SkillsLearning and Innovation Skills

1.1. Creativity and InnovationCreativity and Innovation

2.2. Critical Thinking and Problem SolvingCritical Thinking and Problem Solving

3.3. Communication and CollaborationCommunication and Collaboration

Information, Media and Information, Media and Technology SkillsTechnology Skills

1.1. Information LiteracyInformation Literacy

2.2. Media LiteracyMedia Literacy

3.3. ICT (Information, Communications ICT (Information, Communications and Technology) Literacyand Technology) Literacy

Life and Career SkillsLife and Career Skills

1.1. Flexibility and Adaptability Flexibility and Adaptability

2.2. Initiative and Self-Direction Initiative and Self-Direction

3.3. Social and Cross-Cultural Skills Social and Cross-Cultural Skills

4.4. Productivity and Accountability Productivity and Accountability

5.5. Leadership and Responsibility Leadership and Responsibility

21st Century Skills for Teachers

VIDEOVIDEO

PBL ( Project Based Learning )PBL ( Project Based Learning )

In-depth and rigorous classroom projects In-depth and rigorous classroom projects to facilitate learning and assess student to facilitate learning and assess student competence. competence.

Use technology and inquiry to respond to Use technology and inquiry to respond to a complex issue, problem or challenge .a complex issue, problem or challenge .

Focuses on student-centered inquiry and Focuses on student-centered inquiry and group learning with the teacher acting as a group learning with the teacher acting as a facilitator. facilitator.

PurposePurpose

Instruction relating questions and Instruction relating questions and technology relative to the students' technology relative to the students' everyday lives to classroom projects. everyday lives to classroom projects.

Students form their own investigation of Students form their own investigation of their own group which allows students to their own group which allows students to develop valuable research skills.  develop valuable research skills. 

The students engage in design, problem The students engage in design, problem solving, decision making, and investigative solving, decision making, and investigative activities. activities.

PurposePurpose

It allows students to work in groups or by It allows students to work in groups or by themselves and allows them to come up themselves and allows them to come up with ideas and realistic solutions or with ideas and realistic solutions or presentations.presentations.

Students take a problem and apply it to a Students take a problem and apply it to a real life situation with these projects.real life situation with these projects.

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Project Design Project Design

Imagine a classroom where . . .Imagine a classroom where . . .

A first grader says, “I can’t wait to see A first grader says, “I can’t wait to see sloth bears at the zoo and show my sloth bears at the zoo and show my brochure to the zookeeper. Maybe the brochure to the zookeeper. Maybe the sloth bear at the zoo is four times as big sloth bear at the zoo is four times as big as me!”as me!”

A fifth grader asks, “I wonder if the tulips A fifth grader asks, “I wonder if the tulips have bloomed in Alaska? I’ll send a have bloomed in Alaska? I’ll send a message to our e-pals to find out.”message to our e-pals to find out.”

Imagine a classroom where . . .Imagine a classroom where . . .

A middle school teacher comments, “The A middle school teacher comments, “The organized chaos in my classroom has really paid organized chaos in my classroom has really paid off. My students have shown a deep off. My students have shown a deep understanding of ecosystems and created a understanding of ecosystems and created a newsletter on things everyone can do to protect newsletter on things everyone can do to protect our native species and habitats. They can’t wait our native species and habitats. They can’t wait to see their work displayed at the Community to see their work displayed at the Community Center.”Center.”A high school student remarks, “The A high school student remarks, “The teleconference with Cornell University will really teleconference with Cornell University will really boost the credibility of our research on songbird boost the credibility of our research on songbird migration, maybe we could publish our report?”migration, maybe we could publish our report?”

  Yield high quality results for Yield high quality results for students and a rewarding students and a rewarding experience for teachers. experience for teachers.

With assessment and content standards at With assessment and content standards at the forefront of learning, teachers use the forefront of learning, teachers use project approaches to engage students in project approaches to engage students in authentic work and develop.  authentic work and develop. 

21st century skills of collaboration21st century skills of collaboration

Problem solvingProblem solving

Critical thinking Critical thinking

Student-centered, instructional model.Student-centered, instructional model.

Develops content area knowledge and Develops content area knowledge and skills through an extended task. skills through an extended task.

Promotes student inquiry and authentic Promotes student inquiry and authentic demonstrations of learning in products and demonstrations of learning in products and performances. performances. 

Is driven by important Curriculum-Framing Is driven by important Curriculum-Framing Questions that tie content standards and Questions that tie content standards and higher-order thinking to real-world higher-order thinking to real-world contexts.  contexts. 

Characteristics of Projects Characteristics of Projects

Characteristics of Well-Designed Characteristics of Well-Designed Project-Based UnitsProject-Based Units

Many kinds of projects implemented in Many kinds of projects implemented in classrooms. classrooms.

Effective projects balance the level of Effective projects balance the level of student control with teacher-planned student control with teacher-planned structure. structure.

These characteristics help define effective These characteristics help define effective project-based units: project-based units:

1: Students are at the center of 1: Students are at the center of the learning process.the learning process.

Engage students in open-ended, authentic Engage students in open-ended, authentic tasks.  tasks. 

Empower students to make decisions and Empower students to make decisions and apply their interests and passions to apply their interests and passions to culminating products and performances.culminating products and performances.

Students learn through inquiry and have Students learn through inquiry and have some control over decisions about how some control over decisions about how they complete project tasks. they complete project tasks.

Cont…Cont…

The teacher takes on the role of a The teacher takes on the role of a facilitator or coach.facilitator or coach.

Students often work in collaborative Students often work in collaborative groups, assuming roles that make best groups, assuming roles that make best use of their individual talents.  use of their individual talents. 

2: Projects focus on important 2: Projects focus on important learning objectives that are learning objectives that are

aligned with standards.aligned with standards.    The project has clear objectives that align The project has clear objectives that align with standards and focus on what students with standards and focus on what students should know as a result of their learning.  should know as a result of their learning. 

The teacher defines appropriate The teacher defines appropriate demonstrations of learning in an demonstrations of learning in an assessment plan and organizes learning assessment plan and organizes learning activities and instruction. activities and instruction.

Cont…Cont…

Project work culminates in student Project work culminates in student products and performance tasks that products and performance tasks that demonstrate understanding of content demonstrate understanding of content standards and learning objectives. standards and learning objectives.

Such as :Such as :

Persuasive presentations Persuasive presentations

Informational newsletters Informational newsletters

3: Projects are driven by 3: Projects are driven by Curriculum-Framing Questions.Curriculum-Framing Questions. Essential Questions are broad and open-Essential Questions are broad and open-ended questions that address big ideas ended questions that address big ideas and enduring concepts that humans and enduring concepts that humans endeavor to understand. endeavor to understand. Unit Questions are tied directly to the Unit Questions are tied directly to the project and support investigation into the project and support investigation into the Essential Question. Essential Question. Content questions are more fact-based Content questions are more fact-based and align to identified standards and and align to identified standards and objectives.  objectives. 

4: Projects involve on-going and 4: Projects involve on-going and multiple types of assessment.multiple types of assessment.

Clear expectations are defined at the Clear expectations are defined at the beginning of a project by facilitatorbeginning of a project by facilitator

Multiple checks for understanding using Multiple checks for understanding using varied assessment methods varied assessment methods

Students have models and guidelines for Students have models and guidelines for high quality work and know what is high quality work and know what is expected of them from the beginning of expected of them from the beginning of the project.  the project. 

5: The project has real-world 5: The project has real-world connections.connections.

Relevant to students’ lives and may Relevant to students’ lives and may involve community or outside experts who involve community or outside experts who provide a context for learning.provide a context for learning.

Students may present their learning to an Students may present their learning to an authentic audience, connect with authentic audience, connect with community resources, tap into experts in community resources, tap into experts in the field of study, or communicate through the field of study, or communicate through technology. technology.

6: Students demonstrate 6: Students demonstrate knowledge through a product or knowledge through a product or

performance.performance. Students demonstrating their learning Students demonstrating their learning throughthrough

1.1.   PresentationsPresentations

2.2.   Written documentsWritten documents

3.3. Constructed displays Constructed displays

4.4. Proposals Proposals

These final products allow for student These final products allow for student expression and ownership of learning.  expression and ownership of learning. 

7: Technology supports and 7: Technology supports and enhances student learningenhances student learning

Students have access to different types of Students have access to different types of technology, which are used to support the technology, which are used to support the development of thinking skills, content development of thinking skills, content expertise, and creation of final products. expertise, and creation of final products.

Students have more control over final Students have more control over final results and an opportunity to personalize results and an opportunity to personalize products.products.

Cont…Cont…

Students can reach beyond the walls of Students can reach beyond the walls of the classroom by collaborating with distant the classroom by collaborating with distant classes through email and self-made Web classes through email and self-made Web sites, or presenting their learning through sites, or presenting their learning through multimedia.  multimedia. 

8: Thinking skills are integral to 8: Thinking skills are integral to project work.project work.

Project work supports the development Project work supports the development of collaboration, self-monitoring, analyzing of collaboration, self-monitoring, analyzing data, or evaluating information.  data, or evaluating information. 

Throughout the project Curriculum-Throughout the project Curriculum-Framing Questions challenge students to Framing Questions challenge students to think and connect to concepts that matter think and connect to concepts that matter in the real world.  in the real world. 

Planning ProjectsPlanning Projects

Project-Based Units Require Project-Based Units Require Extra Planning and PreparationExtra Planning and Preparation

At a very basic level, project planning At a very basic level, project planning involves the following steps:involves the following steps:

1.1. Determine specific learning goals by Determine specific learning goals by using content standards and the desired using content standards and the desired higher-order thinking skillshigher-order thinking skills

2.2. Develop Curriculum-Framing QuestionsDevelop Curriculum-Framing Questions3.3. Make an assessment planMake an assessment plan4.4. Design activitiesDesign activities

Curriculum-Framing QuestionsCurriculum-Framing Questions

Using Curriculum-Framing Using Curriculum-Framing QuestionsQuestions

Curriculum-Framing Questions build upon Curriculum-Framing Questions build upon each other. Content Questions support each other. Content Questions support Unit Questions and both support Essential Unit Questions and both support Essential Questions. Questions.

Essential Questions:Essential Questions: Introduce big, enduring ideas that cross all Introduce big, enduring ideas that cross all subjects. They provide a bridge between many subjects. They provide a bridge between many units, subject areas, or even a year’s worth of units, subject areas, or even a year’s worth of study.study.

Have many answers. Answers to these Have many answers. Answers to these questions are not found in a book. They are questions are not found in a book. They are often life’s big questions. For example: Am I, my often life’s big questions. For example: Am I, my brother’s keeper?  brother’s keeper?  

Capture students’ attention and require higher-Capture students’ attention and require higher-order thinking; they challenge students to order thinking; they challenge students to dissect their thinking, apply their values, and dissect their thinking, apply their values, and interpret their experiences.interpret their experiences.

Unit Questions:Unit Questions: Are open-ended and invite exploration of ideas Are open-ended and invite exploration of ideas that are specific to a topic, subject, or unit of that are specific to a topic, subject, or unit of study. Teams of teachers from different subjects study. Teams of teachers from different subjects can use their own unique Unit Questions to can use their own unique Unit Questions to support one common, unifying Essential support one common, unifying Essential Question across the team. Question across the team. Pose problems or serve as discussion starters Pose problems or serve as discussion starters that support the Essential Question. For that support the Essential Question. For example: How can we help prevent and relieve example: How can we help prevent and relieve famine? famine? Encourage exploration, provoke and sustain Encourage exploration, provoke and sustain interest, and allow for unique responses and interest, and allow for unique responses and creative approaches. They force students to creative approaches. They force students to interpret the facts themselves.interpret the facts themselves.

Content Questions:Content Questions: Typically have clear-cut answers or specific Typically have clear-cut answers or specific “right” answers and are categorized as “closed” “right” answers and are categorized as “closed” questions. questions. Align with content standards and learning Align with content standards and learning objectives and support the Essential and Unit objectives and support the Essential and Unit Questions.  Questions.  Test students’ ability to recall fact based Test students’ ability to recall fact based information. They usually require students to information. They usually require students to address who, what, where, and when. For address who, what, where, and when. For example: example: What is famine?What is famine?Require knowledge and comprehension skills to Require knowledge and comprehension skills to answer.answer.

Projects in Action Projects in Action

How the role of the teacher, the student, and How the role of the teacher, the student, and technology shifts and creates challenges with technology shifts and creates challenges with the change in classroom practices to project the change in classroom practices to project approaches.approaches.

Learn how relationships inside the classroom, Learn how relationships inside the classroom, with the community and real world expand and with the community and real world expand and grow with project work.grow with project work.

See how standards and tests, classroom See how standards and tests, classroom organization, and time are viewed from a organization, and time are viewed from a different perspective in a project-based different perspective in a project-based environment.environment.

Student Samples PresentationsStudent Samples Presentations

Quote to NoteQuote to Note

"The illiterate of the 21st century will "The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn." unlearn, and relearn."

Video 21Video 21stst century learner century learner