Project

based

learning Presented byHumberto A. Pérez

Independent Study of Technology Applications& Video Technology Instructor

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We’re teaching students how to become active producers instead of just passive consumers.

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Teaching students how to utilize Web 2.0 tools for real world collaboration & communication.

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We are bringing in professionals from the real world to collaborate on projects with the students.

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debunking five myths about pbl

1. PBL is the same as “making something”, “hands-on learning” or “doing an activity”.

2. PBL isn’t standard-based. It focuses on “soft skills” like critical thinking and collaboration, but doesn’t teach enough content knowledge and academic skills.

3. PBL takes too much time.

4. PBL is only for older students...or fluent English speakers...or those who don’t have learning disabilities.

5. PBL is too hard to manage &/or it would not fit with my teaching style.

Misconceptions

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Project

based

learningThe Classroom

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! Students use the iLife applications on the mac to produce a one

to three minute video about his/herself.

! I integrate activities & mini-lectures about topics such as culture,

heritage, media & society, journaling, literature, & fine arts.

! Students do a lot of writing (blogging) on the social media site,

Media Xperiments.

The Who Are You? Video Project

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! Students learn about cinematography by producing a short 60 sec.

PSA about maintaining an environmentally friendly campus.

! I integrate activities & mini-lectures about topics such as pollution,

carbon footprint, & other environmental science related themes.

! Students investigate a topic under the Eco-Campus cornerstone on the

Green Ribbon Schools website & publish their videos to their activity

page.

Cinematography 4 An Eco-Campus Project

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Project

based

learning

Extending The Learning Beyond The Classroom Walls

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The Green Ribbon Schools (GRS) program teamed up with Pflugerville ISD & AMD to offer the GRS Changing The Game program. Students from an elementary and a middle school will create online video games that will teach people about obesity & health issues. Students from Connally High Schoolʼs Game Design classes are mentoring the elementary school & middle school students.

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A team of students from Cougar Productions & the Connally Digital Media Club are producing a short documentary to document the process, activities, and accomplishments of the GRS Changing The Game program.

!"#$%&'(!)(!$*&+$!',+

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Cooking With Connally - Where You Become The Chef! is a high school culinary arts cooking show series produced, developed, & cooked by the culinary arts students at John B. Connally High School & filmed & edited by the Connallyʼs Cougar Productions.

This series is designed as a project based learning experience to give these Texas Pro Start students a once in a lifetime chance to interact with industry pros like chefs, restauranteurs, cookbook authors, cooks, and industry experts while producing a show about cooking and cuisines of the World that reinforces the TEKS.

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The shows will allow them to research, public speak, learn food history, learn culinary techniques, learn different cuisines & cultures, learn geography & social studies while also practicing the leadership, organizational, time management, & professional skills the culinary industry demands.

The cooking show series will include episodes ranging from Texas Cuisine - The Art Of Chicken Fried Steak, to Chinese cuisine, Mexican cuisine, German cuisine,  Healthy Cuisine, Farm To Table, and much more. Each cooking show episode will be aired on television stations & streamed through the internet.

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Midian Films, an independent film company based in Round Rock, Texas, approached Connally High School Cougar Productions in September 2010 about collaborating to produce a short narrative and short documentary to submit to the

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PROJECT BASED LEARNING

This became a project for my students in the Independent Study of Technology Applications class.

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THE IMPACT

Students are not only learning about filmmaking, they’re learning

! digital literacy! communication! collaboration! creative problem-solving

! planning! organizing! public speaking! hard work! about business

! marketing

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The short narrative film, FALLEN, was selected for the Short Film Corner at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival in France. Two other student produced short films were also accepted.

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Six students had the opportunity to travel to France to attend the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.

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Last year’s collaboration between Midian Films, Cougar Productions, & myself has led us to form a non-profit organization.

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The mission of the Cinema du Cannes Project is to educate, empower, develop, and celebrate the next generation of emerging artists to be productive citizens, creative individuals and active participants in shaping our communities in the 21st century.  Our program is dedicated to teaching the art of cinematic digital storytelling and digital media production to young people.

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We are now collaborating on this project with teachers and students from the other two P.I.S.D. high schools.

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QUESTIONS?24

Tips for Success with PBL

• Believe in your vision for each project. And believe in your students. This helps to build confidence in your students. This confidence will translate to a very successful project-based learning environment.

• Be effective rather than efficient when you are facilitating a project. Efficiency is doing everything well. Effectiveness is doing well what is really important.

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Tips for Success with PBL

• Projects develop with experience. Be patient, and find ways to improve on the projects each year.

• Utilize any available technology in your school. Invest time into getting acquainted with new technologies so you can work smarter, not harder.

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Tips for Success with PBL

• Go with the flow. There will be many teachable moments during a project. And many other moments to praise your students as learning takes place.

• Build relationships with your students. Take the time to get to know them & show them that you care. This will go a long way in making the projects fun, engaging, & highly successful for the students & yourself.

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Tips for Success with PBL• Collaborate on a small project with

other teachers on your campus. It gives the students from each class a great opportunity to collaborate & learn from each other.

• Network with professionals outside of school & get them involved in your projects. It’s a win win for all involved. They will get an educated workforce, & you will get a student who is engaged & invested in his/her learning.

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www.chscougar.tv

For more examples of Project-Based

learning, please visit our website at

and visit our Student Gallery page.

Humberto A. Pérez, Instructorchscougarvideo@gmail.com

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Dana Glover & Michelle Carter, Midian Films

David Conover, Connally High School Video Game Design Instructor

Chef Mike Erickson, Connally High School Culinary Arts Instructor

David Robb, Pflugerville High School Journalism & Video Technology Instructor

Belva Sheport, Hendrickson High School Video Technology Instructor

Daniel Garcia, Connally High School Principal

Charles Dupre, Pflugerville I.S.D. Superintendent

Steve Amos & Will Lindow, Green Ribbon Schools Program & 4empowerment.com

Carl Settles, Media Communications Council & Media Xperiments

Acknowledgements

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www.chscougar.tv/cinemaducannes

www.midianfilms.net

www.cookingwithconnally.weebly.com

www.greenribbonschools.org

www.4empowerment.com

www.mediaxperiments.com

www.e4youth.com

Resources

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