Project Based Learning Development

Toby BossESU 6

dangerouslyirrelevant.org

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Technology will never replace teachers.

However, teachers who know how to use technology effectively to help their students connect and collaborate together online will replace those who do not.

Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach

In an era of ubiquitous interconnection, global awareness does not

mean simply learning about other cultures’ foods and holidays.

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erou

slyi

rrel

evan

t.o rgwww.flickr.com/photos/leokan/3763908747

What are we going to ask on our tests, when our students are

walking in with Google in their pocket? Are they going to be

better questions than we ask today? David Warlick

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dangerouslyirrelevant.org

Goal

• Develop a plan for a project based on an important learning goal.

Wikipedia: Comprehensive Project-based Learning:

• is organized around an open-ended driving question or challenge.

• creates a need to know essential content and skills.• requires inquiry to learn and/or create something

new.• requires critical thinking, problem solving,

collaboration, and various forms of communication, often known as "21st Century Skills.”

• allows some degree of student voice and choice.• incorporates feedback and revision.• results in a publicly presented product or

performance.

Steps

• Step 1: Determine Learning Goal• Step 2: Determine student thinking• Step 3: Determine an end product• Step 4: Determine reflection• Step 5: Determine benchmark review• Step 6: Celebrate

Step One

• Determine an important learning goal.• The most common method is to align

the goal to a unit you will teach.

Learning Goals and Learning Goals and FeedbackFeedback

Rules and ProceduresRules and Procedures

INVOLVES ROUTINES

The Art and Science of Teaching

Design Question One:

What will I do to establish and communicate learning

goals, track student progress and celebrate success?

“You’ve got to think about ‘big things’ while you’re doing small

things, so that all the small things go in the right direction.”

Alvin Toffler

Nice to Know

Supplemental

Essential

Adapted from McTighe & Wiggins

Transfer

• Apply learning to new situations not only in school, but also beyond it.

• The point of school is to learn in school how to make sense of learnings in order to lead better lives out of school.

• Learn now to apply lessons to later challenges.

Enduring Understandings

• An important inference, drawn from the experience of experts, stated as a specific and useful generalization.

• Refers to transferable, big ideas having enduring understanding beyond a specific topic.

• Involves abstract counterintuitive and easily misunderstood ideas.

Enduring Understandings

• Is best acquired by “uncovering” (i.e., it must be developed inductively, co-constructed by learners) and “doing” the subject (i.e., using the ideas in realistic settings and with real-world problems).

• Summarizes important strategic principles in skill areas.

Knowledge vs Understanding• The facts• A body of coherent

facts• Verifiable claims• Right or wrong• I know something to be

true• I respond on cue with

what I know

• The meaning of the facts

• The “theory” that provides coherence

• Fallible, in-process theories

• A matter of degree • I understand why it is

true• I judge when to use

what I know

What are the criteria for essential?

• Endurance (Will this provide knowledge and skills that will be of value beyond a single test date?)

• Leverage (Will this provide knowledge and skills that will be of value in multiple disciplines?)– Inquiry, critical thinking, inferences, problem solving

• Readiness for next level of learning (Will this provide students will the “tools” they need for success at the next level or grade.)

Reeves, D. Cited in Ainsworth, L. (2003). “Unwrapping” the Standards. Englewood, CO. Advanced Learning Press.

Template

• Complete step one on the template. • Be ready to share your thinking.

Step two (Driving Question)

Determine how students will engage in thinking about this learning goal throughout the unit.  Specifically how will you help them think about the big picture as instruction proceeds?  

Essential Questions

• Consider an overarching essential question that will help guide their thinking. A connection to real world applications will help make the learning relevant.

Essential Questions

• Provocative and arguable question designed to guide inquiry into the big ideas.

• By actively exploring the essential questions, students develop and deepen their understanding.

What does “Essential” Mean?

• Important questions that recur throughout life – “what is justice?”

• Core ideas and inquiries within a discipline. “what causes conflict?”

• Helps students make sense of complicated ideas. “how do the most effective leaders gain consensus”?

• Engages the students through relevance and meaning.

Social Studies Example

• Civic Ideas– How do people exercise their rights as

citizens?– How do people exercise their

responsibilities as citizens?– Why do people become actively involved

in civic practices?– What are examples of civic action that

shaped or changed society?

Template

• Complete step two on the template. • Be ready to share your thinking.

Step Three• Determine an end product that the

students will design based on the essential question.  This product is something they can begin working on at the very beginning of the unit, with more information uncovered as instruction proceeds.  

• Provide the product at the beginning of the unit.

Reflection

• Make sure students have the opportunity to reflect and revise their thinking throughout the unit.

• How does what you learned today help you….”  

Technology

• Web 2.0 tools are an excellent way to help students build a product.

• Consider allowing students to choose their own tool – the key is the learning, not the tool.

Comp Style – Nutrition Unit

• You have been asked by a local daycare to provide a nutrition plan for children ages 2-5.  Specifically they want to know what should be provided for breakfast, morning snack, lunch, and afternoon snack. Your task is to put together a weekly meal plan that provides both balance and variety.  

Template

• Complete step three on the template. • Be ready to share your thinking.

Step Four• Determine how students will reflect on

their learning throughout the unit.  This can be done through class blogs, google docs, and daily journaling.  The method should be aligned to step two: how will students engage in thinking about the learning goal?

Template

• Complete step four on the template. • Be ready to share your thinking.

Step Five• Determine benchmark reviews

throughout the unit.  This can be done by the teacher, but also consider peer reviews or by other teacher experts you may have developed through a PLN.

Template

• Complete step five on the template. • Be ready to share your thinking.

Step Six• Celebrate.  Let students make public

their products and reflect on their learning.  The key is not a polished finished product - the key is to have them experience real life learning and reflect on what they might change if they were to repeat the task.  .

Grading

• Grading of the final product is optional.  It is more important that the students learn by trial and error than to put the product to a grade.

Template

• Complete step six on the template. • Be ready to share your thinking.

Resources

Wikipedia•http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project-based_learning#Elements

Buck Institute•http://bie.org/