Project Based Learning

Michael McDowell, Ed.D.

As you go through your training today, ask yourself the following questions…

• What type of employee am I looking for?

• What type of person and electorate do I want next door to my family and friends?

• What knowledge and skills do I want from a boss, co-worker or employee?

• What values do I want this person to thoroughly believe and practice everyday?

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Begin with the end in the mind• “We deal in futures” (Hanzel)

• “Get the right people on the bus.” (Collins)

• “Meaningful work consists of autonomy, complexity and direct relationships between effort and reward” (Gladwell)

• “Relevance, potency to succeed and cause and effect relate to meaningful learning” (Vroom)

• “Reduction of anonymity, increased relevance and methods to measure performance” (Lencioni)

• “Memory is the residue of thought” (Willingham)

• “Motivation consists of autonomy, mastery and purpose” (Pink)

• “Those who create services, opportunities and ways to recruit work can compete on the world market.” (Friedman)

• “High school exists not merely to subject the pupils to brute training…but to develop their powers of thought, of taste, and of judgment. (Sizer)

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One Simple Message:

We must create meaningful work for all.

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So, how do we generate meaningful work for all people in education to adhere to 21st Century economic and social outcomes?

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One possible answer is….

Model, Model, Model with intentionality

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Projects: Large activities completed after the students have been pushed through homework assignments, lectures, and readings. Usually a culminating event for a unit or semester.

Textbook Activity

Lecture

Lecture

Writing Exercise

Writing Exercise

Peer Edit

Textbook Activity

Culminating Project

PBL vs. DOING PROJECTS

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PBL: Students are pulled through the curriculum by a driving question or realistic problem that provides a “need to know”. Lectures, readings, and skill building are integrated into the problem as the students need the information.

PBL vs. DOING PROJECTS

Project DevelopmentProcess

Project Implementation Process

Business Process Engineering Process Scientific Process

1. Begin with the end in mind

2. Craft the Driving Question

3. Plan Content & Skills Assessments

4. Map the Project

5. Manage the Process

6. Implementation

1. Define Expectations

2. Identify the problem

3. Explain requirements for the solution

3. Craft possible solutions that work

3. Present viable solution

6. Implement Solution

1. Mindset

2. Problem Definition

3. Solution Criteria

4. Possible Solutions

5. Solution Choice

6. Implementation

1. Defining the problem

- Conducting Research

- Narrowing the research

2. Analyzing set criteria

3. Finding alternative solutions

- Analyzing possible solutions

4. Making a decision - Presenting the

product

5. Communicating and selling a product

1. Define the question - Gather information and resources - Form hypothesis

2.Perform experiment and collect data3.Analyze data 4.Interpret data and draw conclusions

5. Publish results

6. Retest (frequently done by other scientists)

Things to Consider

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Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater

• You still get to lecture

• You still have to assign homework

• You still need resources like textbooks and literature

• You still have our students write essays and research papers

But more often than not, these traditional strategies should be used in the context of a project or problem the students are working on

So, what makes a great project?• 1. 6 A’s serve as a strong guide

• 2. Disciplined inquiry process through design and implementation is utilized.

• 3. Individual/Collective assessments and reflections are employed throughout the process.

• 4. Driving Questions are achievable, provocative and open ended

• 5. Students practice, receive feedback and focus on meaning of content and skills

• 6. Student inquiry is utilized to support direction of project

• 7. Rubric is clear and objective.

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So, what makes a great PBL Teacher?

The Teacher…

• 1. Always asks, “What will this make my students think about and be able to do?”

• 2. Promotes and engages in dialogue with stakeholders.

• 3. is actively involved in assessment throughout the project process.

• 4. fundamentally believes (through values and assumptions) that PBL is the appropriate vehicle to move students to desired outcomes.

• 5. uses facilitative leadership to support student work groups at varying commitment and developmental levels.

• 6. model desired behaviors in a collaborative learning environment

• 7. forms healthy relationships with students.

• 8. uses a disciplined process to design and implement projects and scaffolding activities.

• 9. Empowers students in all activities.

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Results of PBL

• Increase in student’s content knowledge and application of knowledge

• Increase in students development of collaboration, critical thinking and problem solving skills.

• Increase in motivation and engagement

• Prepares students for the future

• Provides professionalism to the teaching profession.

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Moving beyond instruction…is anything else needed to support PBL?

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Key external components needed to support PBL in the school

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District Support (e.g. Autonomy)

Partnerships with Community, Higher Education and Business

Values that promote collaboration (e.g Trust)

Outcomes and associated assessments that connect to local and global content standards and skill sets.

Integrated courses and schedule that supports collaboration

Infusion of technology that prime learners to collaborate, measure performance and create and communicate thoughts.

Birdseye View of Internal PBL Components

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Final Thoughts

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