1

Project-Based Learningin the Digital Age

Jane Krauss and Suzie BossJune 1-3, 2011

Gwinnett County Public Schools

2

About Your Guides

Colleagues, co-authors, PBL advocates

Jane Krauss Suzie Boss

With your GCPS colleagues:

Mike Reilly , Kyle Jones, Nic Carroll

3

Where We’re Going

Wednesday Getting AcquaintedIntro to PBLPBL in PracticeFrom Ideas to DesignDraft a Project Sketch

ThursdayPeer FeedbackEntry Event/Driving QuestionEvidence of

Learning/AssessmentImplementation StrategiesTools to Support ProjectsTuning Protocol Demo

4

Day 3 and Beyond

Friday Morning:Work time to complete your project plan

AfternoonProject Plan Showcase

Beyond these days:Seek partnerships, plan to involve expertsConference calls for ongoing supportPBL Showcase, Spring 2012

5

Tools in Context

• Google Sites (wiki) • blogs• Google apps• Skype • Wordle• Wallwisher

•Embeddable media•Flickr •Delicious, Diigo social bookmarking•Ning Network Classroom 2.0•PollEverywhere

6

About You

When it comes to PBL, you are:

Armchair traveler: curious from afar % NTenderfoot: setting out on first journey % NExplorer: finding your way % NScout: can guide and teach others % N

About You

8

About You (3 x 5)

Side 1: Picture yourself as the high school student you once were. How would your teachers have described you back then? (a phrase or two)

Side 2: What is your “super power”? (What are you really, really good at?)

Please give cards to us—no need for names.

9

About You

Projects are life. Life is a series of projects.

10

About You

Think: • Project• Capabilities you drew on, developed along

the way

discussion

12

Let’s Hear from Kids

“It Really, Actually Changed My Life”

PBL: In Your Words

Finish this sentence:

In my classroom, PBL means…

Think, write notes to yourself for 2 min. (you will be sharing soon)

13

14

Let’s Define PBL…

In project-based learning, students learn important subject matter by investigating open-ended questions and “making meaning” that they transmit in purposeful ways.

Projects allow students a degree of choice, setting the stage for active engagement and teamwork.

Technology helps it happen

PBL: In GCPS Classrooms

Let’s hear from Kyle, Nic, and Mike

…Each will share a project brief

…and describe his PBL journey

15

Conditions that Support PBL

What supports do you have in place?

What barriers do you want to remove?

16

17

Activity-Based Learning Project-Based LearningTeacher-Directed Student-DrivenGiving Answers Making Meaning

Useful to Know Enduring Understanding

School-World Real-World

Curricular Enhancement Curricular Focus

Activity-Based v. Project-Based Learning

Continuum of Practice

Fun Captivating(or not)

Thematic

18

Effective Projects

Probe matters of importance

Mirror authentic work

Are designed for “optimal ambiguity” allowing students multiple points of entry and directions for learning, creativity and outcomes

Develop knowledge, skills and dispositions

Go beyond understanding and studying to some kind of action or resolve

Are right-sized

Cause kids to teach and learn from one another

What Research Tells Us

• PBL offers benefits for:– Student engagement– Academic achievement– 21st-century skills– Equity

Find research summary on our Google site.

19

Where Projects Lead

Science Leadership Academy core values of Inquiry, Research, Collaboration, Presentation, and Reflection are embedded in PBL + outside school experiences to gradually build student competencies.

Grade 9: mentoring @ Franklin MuseumGrade 10: Individualized LearningGrade 11: Individualized LearningGrade 12: Senior Capstone

20

21

The Project Spiral

Projects get better and better

Common practices emerge

Traditions develop

Expectations grow

22

Why do we study the Renaissance?

Reinventing a Research Project: Key Figures of the Renaissance

Discussion

24

Study a major figure of the Renaissance period. Create a digital slideshow that informs others about this person’s most significant accomplishments. Demonstrate clear organization and cite all sources of information and images.

Original Assignment: Key Figures of the Renaissance

25

Reconsidered Project: Mingling at the Renaissance Ball

With 1-2 partners, study several notable individuals in a shared field (art, science, medicine, architecture, philosophy, music, literature) during the Renaissance period.Develop a defensible set of criteria for an award in this field, and identify the individual most deserving. Design a badge that signifies the meaning of the award and be ready to present it during a public event.

Modified from Kim DiBiase - NBCT, Apple Learning Exchange

26

With 1-2 partners, study several notable individuals in a shared field (art, science, medicine, architecture, philosophy, music, literature) during the Renaissance period. Develop a defensible set of criteria for an award in this field, and identify the individual most deserving. Design a badge that signifies the meaning of the award and be ready to present it during a public event.

CollaborationInterest,

Big ideas

Research,

Experts

Creativity

Argument,

Negotiation Synthesis

Presentation

Judgment

Reconsidered project: Mingling at the Renaissance Ball

27

Project Sketch

Conceptual Framework

Write : Project sketch

Include elements that help reader

understand subject matter, student

interaction, learning outcomes

IdeaIdea

Idea

Project Sketches

Pick 2-3 to analyze, improve --adjust for grade level, rigor, content,

scale (too broad/too narrow?)--ensure student voice and choice--expand real-world connections,

authenticity, interdisciplinary features

28

29

Project Planning

Establish key conceptsEstablish

conceptual framework

Seek natural connections

Design backward

Imagine outcomes

See: Project Planning on the Wiki

Sketch

Plan

30

Project Planning

Today

1. Establish a conceptual framework. Test several project ideas against it before selecting. (attachment)

2. Write a project sketch on which you will seek input. Include elements that help reader

• understand subject matter • student interaction • learning outcomes. Complete in your personal wiki page.

Tomorrow

3. Get input from others early. 4. Complete a project plan using the Project Plan Form

Refer to 5 A’s rubric for project design as you go.

31

Need Ideas? Scan Projects

Buck Institute—Project Librarieshttp://www.bie.org/tools/links/pbl_in_practice

Individual projects:“Give Me Shelter” projectwww.edutopia.org/maine-project- learning-expedition-homeless-video

“D-1” projecthttp://plpnetwork.com/pbl.html

For Tomorrow

Have sketch ready to share

32

Thinking Routines

“Thinking routines are short, easy-to-learn mini-strategies that extend and deepen students’ thinking and become part of the fabric of everyday classroom life.”

--Artful Classroom websitehttp://pzweb.harvard.edu/tc/overview.cfm

33

Turn to a Partner

Talk briefly about thinking routines.

List any that come to mind.

34

What just happened?

Anyone mention…

Think – Pair – Share?

Brainstorming?

35

Routines for Power Teams

Stock your PBL toolkit with: • Think-Pair-Share• Two Questions• The Perfect Brainstorm• Know-Wonder-Learn• Focus Group• Headline

(+ What else?)

36

Two Questions

1. Ask: What’s going on here?2. Ask: What do you see that makes you

say so?

When to use: during investigationsBenefit: better reasoning skills

Credit: David Perkins and Artful Learning

37

The Perfect Brainstorm

1. Defer judgment 2. Encourage wild ideas (more=better)3. Stay focused on the topic 4. Build on the ideas of othersWhen to use: throughout project cycleBenefit: more innovative thinking

Credit: Tim Brown, Change by Design

38

Know-Wonder-Learn

1. What do we Know?2. What do we Want to know?3. What did we Learn?When to use: refining driving question, developing

need-to-know list to guide researchBenefit: activate and build on prior knowledge

39

Focus Group

1. Each person represents a particular perspective (assign each one a “character”).

2. Everyone weighs in on a specific question.3. There are no right answers.4. Everyone’s opinions and ideas matter equally.When to use: when identifying problems, during

research, for soliciting feedbackBenefits: build empathy for other points of view,

collaborate for more innovative solutions

40

Headline

This just in…

Soggy Oregon Visitors Discover Sun in Georgia

41

Why Use Headlines?

Captures the essence of your thinking, suggests future implications

When to use: at project launch, when preparing for presentations, as reflection

Benefits: summarize key ideas, create talking points, solicit feedback

42

Your Turn

Write a headline to… …sum up Day 1

OR…capture your reflections about PBL as of

right now

[END OF DAY 1]

43

44

Good Morning!

45

Good Morning!

ThursdayPeer FeedbackEntry Event/Driving QuestionEvidence of Learning, AssessmentImplementation Strategies

Team StrategiesFacilitate, Guide, Coach

Tools to Support ProjectsTuning Protocol Demonstration

46

Project Sketch Review

47

From Sketch to Plan

Essential, driving questionEntry eventKids craft subordinate questions they can

investigate (anticipate)

Entry Events: Making it GO

How have you launched projects?

What happened? Results?

48

Begging the Question

49http://blog.mrmeyer.com

Guest Speaker

50

www.clevelandclinic.org/civiceducation/

eXpressionsGallery/expressionsGallery10/

Another Day@Manor NT

51http://www.youtube.com/user/ManorNewTechHigh

Mini-Expedition: 10 min.

52 http://elschools.org/our-results/gallery

53

Assessment

How do you assess learning?

54

Assessment

How do we assess learning?

Traditional

Instruction F S

Project Learning

F S

When Do We Assess?

55http://educate.intel.com/en/AssessingProjects/

AssessmentStrategies/ap_sample_assessment_plans1.htm 

Shared Reading

56

1. Download (PDF)

www.edutopia.org/10-tips-assessment-project-

based-learning-resource-guide

2. Jigsaw reading

3. Talk about:Which idea(s) will you try?

discussion

Team Strategies

Discuss:

What’s a real-world example of something that wouldn’t have been possible without a team effort?

58

Team Activity

As a group, use cards to create teams of four students.

Talk about:Why are you making these choices?What are your expectations about effective teamwork?

59

60

Choosing the Right Tools

First, identify Essential Learning Functions

Then, match technology tools to your goal

(See Appendix A)

61

Critical Friends

1. Present your project brief at your table. Table mates listen without responding or questioning. (3 minutes)

2. Participants ask clarifying questions. (2 minutes)

3. Participants offer warm feedback. “I Like …” (2 minutes)

4. Participants offer cool (not cruel) feedback. “I Wonder if …” (2 minutes)

5. Together, discuss ideas for improvement. “A Good Next Step Might Be …”

(2 minutes)

Choose a time keeper/moderator

Facilitate, Guide, Coach

“For the teacher, there's this giant Letting Go. Now, that requires some effort. I can see it in my mind—it's me walking away, not allowing myself to hover. It's me communicating, ‘I'm at your service,’ and, ‘May the force be with you.' It's me utterly and totally handing over the reins. The project is theirs.”

62

Day 3 Reminders

• Use Critical Friends Protocol

• Be Ready for Project Plan Showcase– Elevator pitch– Visual representation

63

• [end of day 2]

64

65

Reuse, recycle, repurpose?