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WelcomeISTE Innovative Educators' Express Webinar

Reinventing Project-Based LearningYour Field Guide to Real-World Projects in the Digital Age

Wednesday, October 24, 20071:00 Pacific/4:00 Eastern

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Reinventing Project-Based Learning is your guide for maximizing the benefits of project-based learning in today’s technology-rich learning environment.

Look for:Stories from more than 30 classrooms in twelve countries that illustrate a new vision of project-based learning with technology. A guided instructional design process that helps you harness the essential learning functions of digital tools as you create rigorous and engaging projects.

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“Reinventing Project-Based Learning features great examples of extended learning opportunities for students coupled with best practice uses of the Read/Write Web technologies that are changing the world. Suzie Boss and Jane Krauss put the emphasis on learning, not on technology, and their many vignettes show how teachers are beginning to take full advantage of the new global connections we have at our fingertips. This is a journey that every educator needs to embark upon, and this highly readable road map is the perfect companion for the trip.”

—Will Richardson, Author of Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms

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For today’s agenda and links visit the Reinventing PBL Wiki http://reinventingpbl.pbwiki.com

6More than a book - Join the conversation on the Reinventing

PBL Blog http://reinventingpbl.blogspot.com

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More than a book - Contribute to the Flickr Reinventing PBL photo pool:www.flickr.com/groups/reinventingpbl

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Authors

Jane KraussEducator, Curriculum and Professional Development Program Writer

Suzie BossJournalist, Editor

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WelcomeISTE Innovative Educators' Express Webinar

Reinventing Project-Based LearningYour Field Guide to Real-World Projects in the Digital Age

Wednesday, October 24, 20071:00 Pacific/4:00 Eastern

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Why Reinventing?

• New contexts for learning in the digital age

• New contexts for teaching with collaboration and digital tools

• New possibilities for reinvigorating PBL to achieve greater results

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PBL Educators

Discuss:

Are there common characteristics, patterns of behavior among teachers who engage students in project-based learning? What are they like?

º º º For 2-3 minutes º º º Reflect or discuss with colleagues,

add your thoughts to Chat 3

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PBL Educators

• Optimistic - Look beyond restrictions to the possibilities

• Not waiting for all conditions to be perfect

• Lifelong learners, self-directed

• Ambitious and confident - expect a lot of their students

• Connectors who

-learn from, collaborate with colleagues, locally or virtually

-connect students to other students and the larger community

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Key Themes1. Students are changing, context for living and

working is changing, too

2. We can and should learn from actual classroom practice - and from classrooms around the globe

3. A strong instructional design underlies the best, most rigorous projects

4. Shift focus from technology to the essential learning functions technology allows

5. Collaboration is the key to reinventing, mastering a new way of teaching.

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Your Project Your Journey

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4 Major SectionsAnticipationPacking UpNavigating the Learning ExperienceExpanding Your Circle

For a closer look, see: Reinventing Table of Contents in the ReinventingPBL Wiki

www.reinventingpbl.pbwiki.com

Your Project Your Journey

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Stories Help Us Understand

More than 30 examples, each illustrating an important idea

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A few examples…David Fagg: iHistory Podcasts

Jerome Burg: Google Lit Trips

Kathy Cassidy: Young Writers’ Blog

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Projects You AdmireThink: What is a terrific project others should know

about? Discuss: In a few words, what is the project, and what

makes it good?

º º º For 2-3 minutes º º º Reflect or discuss with colleagues,

add your thoughts to Chat 3

Have more to say? Add to www.reinventingpbl.pbwiki.com

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Projects You AdmireAbout this project… what makes it good?Did you say…

Rigorous?Authentic, meaningful?Started a school tradition?Developed skills?Drew on hidden talents? Engaged a community?Made a difference in the world?Connected people in new ways?Learning went “beyond the project”?Inspired love of a subject or topic?Inspired a sense of possibility?Made students feel important?

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So when we talk about technology…

Flip the equation—It’s not about technology but rather what you want to accomplish and how technology helps you do it

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When we talk about technology…

“Technology integration” is OLD SCHOOL

Technology makes profound and new learning opportunities possible, offering functions that fundamentally change the teaching and learning enterprise.

Consider 8 essential learning functions tech allows

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Essential Learning Functions

• Ubiquity • Deep Learning • Making Things Visible and Discussable • Expressing Ourselves, Sharing Ideas,

Building Community • Collaboration • Research • Project Management • Reflection and Iteration

Appendix A: Snapshot and work in progress

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What’s Essential?• Ubiquity • Deep Learning• Making Things Visible and Discussable• Expressing Ourselves, Sharing Ideas,

Building Community • Collaboration • Research • Project Management • Reflection and Iteration

Appendix A: Snapshot and work in progress

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one example Making Things Visible and Discussable

Essential Learning Functions: Making Things Visible and Discussable

Current technologies that make this possible:– Mapping, other geo tools– Web cams– Concept mapping tools– Digital photography, Photosharing sites– Primary-source repositories, “electronic museums”– Virtual manipulatives, modeling software

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Where might “making things visible and discussable” lead?

Google Lit Trips The Interactive Reading Companion

California teacher Jerome Burg uses Google Earth and primary sources (photos, videos, documents) to enhance the experience of reading great “road” literature.

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Where might this lead?

º º º For 2-3 minutes º º º ExamineGoogle Lit Trips

The Grapes of Wrath grades 9-12

As you watch, ask yourself: •What is Jerome accomplishing with this?•How is it different from typical literature study?

www.googlelittrips.com Grapes of Wrath Screencast

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And where else?

Google Lit Trips

Students are contributing

Imagine how higher order thinking is engaged, information literacy and technical skills advanced

Teachers are contributing

Imagine how they grow professionally

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Reinventing Professional Learning

• Technology is key to reframing the professional learning experience.

• Seek out your learning experience, no reason to wait.

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Reinventing Professional Learning

• Learn from blogging educators - edubloggers

• Learn through virtual events• Learn in new social environments- Classroom 2.0- ISTE Island in Second Life

• Learning by doing - Join a project- TakingIT Global- iEARN

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What’s next? Reinventing PBL is part of a larger project

Ways to continue, expand with your participation:• Blog - Join the conversation about PBL

worldwide• Wiki - Contribute ideas about emerging tools

that offer essential learning functions• Flickr group - Show what PBL looks like

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Reinventing Professional Learning

Q and A

We will reply to spillover in the wiki