Workshop Goals:(1) Gain an overview and understanding of Project Based Learning

(2) Take away ideas to implement in your classroom

(3) Embrace (calculated) risk taking for professional growth

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“Make language study an experience they can’t get elsewhere”

Lisa Lilley Central High School Springfield, Missourilisalilley10@gmail.com

lisalilley@wikispaces.comNational Board Certified Teacher

2010 ACTFL National Language Teacher of the Year

Engaging Students Through Project Based Learning

Much of today’s session is credited to information available throughThe Buck Institute for EducationThe Buck Institute for Education (BIE) is dedicated to improving 21st Century teaching and learning throughout the world by creating and disseminating products, practices and knowledge for effective Project Based Learning (PBL).http://www.bie.org/

Arguments for Project Based Learning:

--A move away from a curriculum of coverage or “coverage without pity” as described by Dr. Jennifer Eddy of Queens College, CUNY

--A recent report on College Readiness by ACT found that the best predictor of college success is a student’s conscientiousness as measured by their dependability, perseverance, and work ethic. The next best indicator is their agreeableness including teamwork and emotional balance.

--Projects as the “main course, not just dessert”--Projects often have been add-ons that are disconnected from the heart or meat of the curriculum. If used well, they can provide the main course with significant academic content.The Main Course, Not Dessert: How Are Students Reaching 21st Century Goals? With 21st Century Project Based LearningJohn Larmer and John R. MergendollerBuck Institute for Education 2010http://www.bie.org/tools/freebies/main_course_not_dessert

Components of Project Based Learning1. A need to know2. A driving question3. Student voice and choice4. Twenty-first century skills5. Inquiry and innovation6. Feedback and revision7. A publicly presented product8. Teaches significant content

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High-quality, PBL “Envision-Style" includes:• A timeline that is short or long, ranging from a few days to several weeks, so

students learn how to benchmark and manage projects of different sizes.

• An engaging launch to hook students into taking on the project.• Academic rigor and alignment with standards allowing students to master

content knowledge and skills, and to demonstrate or apply that knowledge.

• An inquiry into a student-friendly, provocative essential question that drives the learning. This question often drives the unit or is one of the larger questions in the discipline. For example, “Who am I?”

• A demonstration of key knowledge and skills in which students show evidence through the product that they have mastered the standards outlined in the course map (state standards).

• Applied learning so that students think and do something new with their knowledge or skills.

• An authentic audience that ensures the students take the project, learning, and results seriously and present it professionally (e.g. the class, students from another class, staff, parents, or professionals).

• High-quality products or performance at the end that show the results of inquiry into a question through applied knowledge and skills (presentation, artistic representation, written and performed speeches, poster or video documentation of: simulation, Socratic, debate, defense). A non-traditional product might be an added layer to a traditional product such as an essay or test e.g., students might debate after writing a research paper.

Well-designed projects include one or more of the following:

• Student choice and creativity that empowers and inspires the students to own their own learning and engage deeply in the project.

• Tackle relevant issues and importance beyond the classroom.

• Exemplary models by other students, teachers, or professionals, to set criteria for high-quality work and set strategies to attain them.

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• Incorporates hands-on work, such as: art, technology, or processes- related to the discipline.

• Lasting learning of a deeper learning skill, idea, or way of thinking that is relevant to students’ lives, their futures, and transforms who they are as human beings.

• Mirrors real-world work of professionals in craft, process, or skill (e.g. historians, writers, mathematicians, artists).

• Moves beyond classroom in purpose, audience, or contribution to community.

From: Edutopia: What Does Successful Project-Based Learning Look Like? by Bob Lenz, 7/15/11http://www.edutopia.org/blog/project-based-learning-definition-bob-lenz

Notes: KEY COMPONENTS OF PBLDriving Question:

Assessment:

Timeline:

Kickoff:

Publicly Presented Product:

Reflection:

TIPS:

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PROJECT BASED LEARNING in LISA’S CLASSROOMFollow the development of these and other projects over this next school year at http://www.lisalilley.wikispaces.com (go to the Project Based Learning page) and daily lesson plans at http://www.splessons.wikispaces.com

Exploración de Carreras: The article “High School Studentsʼ Decision to Study Spanish” by Pratt, Agnello, and Santos appeared in the December 2009 Hispania published by AATSP and gives good insights about the factors that drive our students to continue their language study. The authors’ research suggests that among the reasons students continue with language study is because of the possibility of career benefits. This led me to develop a unit for use later in Spanish I or early in my Spanish 2 class to allow students to explore careers that use Spanish.

Viaje a Costa Rica: Students gain an understanding of why Costa Rica is such a popular country for tourists through this project where they imagine themselves as employees for the Pura Vida Travel Agency that is suffering great financial losses. Their team is charged with developing a new market of tourists and designing an itinerary that will appeal to them. Presentations are made to panels of students and language teachers who will determine which team developed the most exciting itinerary that can help the travel agency gain a stronger financial footing.

Glories of the Mayas and Aztecs: Students will learn about the significant accomplishments of the Aztec and Maya civilizations in this unit where they will also gain considerable practice with narration in the preterite and imperfect tenses. The kickoff for this project will begin with the teacher talking about how archaeologists have learned what they know about these civilizations by excavations of pyramids where they study shards of pottery, clues left in statues and carvings, as well as the few examples of written work that are preserved today. Iʼm imagining Indiana Jones visiting my classroom to kick the project off after I was inspired by this article and video clip based on the epic poem Gilgamesh: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/summer-pd-starting-projects-suzie-boss Traveling Art Exhibit: This exploration of how art is used to shape and inform opinions will ask students to explore the message expressed through the works of famous Hispanic artists including Velasquez, Kahlo, Rivera, and Goya. The project will kick off by viewing some of Colombian painter Fernando Botero’s most famous paintings with an explanation about the message contained in many. Students will see examples of Botero’s sculptures as well. They then will then make their own Play Dough sculptures in Botero’s style that will be accompanied by a placard that contains a message using targeted vocabulary or concepts such as commands or hopes and wishes. The project will ultimately ask students to act as a curator who must select a number of important works to include in a traveling exhibit. The chosen work will center upon a message selected by the student. They must defend their selections before the museum’s board which will be composed of fellow students and/or other Spanish teachers.

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Language Promotion for ACTFL’s Discover Languages Month: In January/February, students will be asked to create a product that shows the public, through their own language proficiency, the importance of learning another language. They will have the option of creating videos, posters, brochures, etc. as part of an actual public awareness campaign. Their work will be featured on the school website, in a classroom newsletter, as well as through local media and contact with politicians.

RESOURCES to help you learn more about PBL:Buck Institute for EducationThe Buck Institute for Education (BIE) is dedicated to improving 21st Century teaching and learning throughout the world by creating and disseminating products, practices and knowledge for effective Project Based Learning (PBL).http://www.bie.org/

EdutopiaThe George Lucas Educational Foundations’ Edutopia site has videos and real-life examples around PBL.http://www.edutopia.org/project-based-learning

CALPER's Project Work Website has been created for teachers who are interested in exploring ways of working with projects in intermediate and advanced language courses. It contains background information, suggestions of how to plan projects, and stories by teachers who are experienced in conducting projects.http://calper.la.psu.edu/projectwork.php

Project Based Learning for World Languages Bloghttp://www.edutopia.org/blog/world-language-project-based-learning-education-curriculum-don-doehla

The Partnership for 21st Century Skillshttp://www.p21.org/

PBL-Online is an online laboratory for developing and sharing PB66L resources and project ideas.http://pbl-online.org/

Bloom's Digital Taxonomy: http://edorigami.wikispaces.com/Bloom%27s+Digital+Taxonomy

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Tools for Organization:

wikispacesWikis are simple web pages that groups, friends, and families can edit together. Starting your wiki at Wikispaces is fast, free, and easy. Wiki Projects is a new feature that allows students in teams can do their group work completely independently from other teams.http://www.wikispaces.com

Wall Wisher--Students go to link, create a sticky note that is used for brainstorming; really useful with different classes working on the same topic.http://www.wallwisher.com/

SimplyBox allows you to show pictures of web page. A great bookmarking tool for visual and younger learners. It doesn't just show the link but a screen shot of it because often we remember what a page looks like instead of its name.http://www.simplybox.com/

ProProfs quizmaker--tests how well students themselves taught the lesson to othershttp://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/

Google Docs allows you to upload your files, edit anytime from anywhere, choose who can access your documents share and collaborate online.

Dropbox My favorite new organizational tool that allows me to store and share my files online. Plus it will sync info. on each computer I work on.

And check out this site for descriptions for lots, lots more!http://cooltoolsforschools.wikispaces.com/Collaborative+Tools

TOOLS FOR CREATIVITY AND PRESENTATIONSPowerPoint type presentations:

Ideas to make more effective PowerPoint presentationshttp://www.microsoft.com/atwork/skills/presentations.aspx

Prezi--an alternative to PowerPoint http://prezi.com/

Use an Avatar in your presentation:http://www.voki.com/ http://www.xtranormal.com

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Make a Movie, Video or CartoonsMoviemakerHere's an easy tutorial for Moviemaker:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZXK68NS7gU

Animotohttp://animoto.com/

Photopeachhttp://photopeach.com/

Go Animatehttp://goanimate.com/

Resources that can be used for oral presentations and/or final work product:

Make word clouds with Wordlehttp://wordle.net/

Make a storybook or comic bookStorybirdhttp://storybird.com/

Storyjumperhttp://www.storyjumper.com/

Toondoohttp://www.toondoo.com/

Make a BrochureOnline Brochure Makerhttp://www.mybrochuremaker.com/

How to make a brochure using Microsoft Wordhttp://www.mschien.com/howto/brochures.htm

Make a set of PostersMake interactive posters with Glogsterhttp://edu.glogster.com/

Postermaker offers another way to easily make postershttp://www.artskills.com/poster-maker.html

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