Presentation for K-12 Admin & District Julie Giordano “True Learning is based on discovery… rather than the transmission of knowledge.” ~ John Dewey Presentation for K-12 Admin & District Julie Giordano

But….. My teachers already do projects… As Ms. McIntyre walked around her high school science classroom, she plopped a packet of papers on each student's desk and announced a "project." Each student would create a poster about a water- borne bacterium that can be harmful to humans, the bacterium's effects, and disease prevention and treatment. The handouts included an assignment sheet with due dates and grading policy, a guide for designing the poster, and a list of websites and books. The teacher would display the best posters. Does this sound familiar?

But….. My teachers already do projects… Many of your classroom teachers assign projects to students. But, projects do not necessarily mean it’s project based learning. If you have an electronic device, please go to the following link: https://padlet.com/jgiordan/projectvspbl Or….In your folders, you will see a Ziploc bag with strips of paper and a T- Chart. Please read each strip of paper and determine whether the description should be categorized as a project or project based learning.

Check Your Answers In your packet, you will see a sheet that looks like this. Time to check your answers.

Intro to Project Based Learning https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMCZvGesRz8

So…..why should we do this?

Benefits PBL Helps Students Develop 21st Century Skills for Living in a Knowledge-Based, Highly Technological Society These 21st century skills include personal and social responsibility planning, critical thinking, reasoning, and creativity strong communication skills, both for interpersonal and presentation needs cross-cultural understanding visualizing and decision making knowing how and when to use technology and choosing the most appropriate tool for the task -Edutopia 10/07

PBL and Technology Use Bring a New Relevance to the Learning at Hand Benefits PBL and Technology Use Bring a New Relevance to the Learning at Hand By bringing real-life context and technology to the curriculum through a PBL approach, students are encouraged to become independent workers, critical thinkers, and lifelong learners. Teachers can communicate with administrators, exchange ideas with other teachers and subject-area experts, and communicate with parents, all the while breaking down invisible barriers such as isolation of the classroom, fear of embarking on an unfamiliar process, and lack of assurances of success. PBL is not just a way of learning; it's a way of working together. If students learn to take responsibility for their own learning, they will form the basis for the way they will work with others in their adult lives. Edutopia 10/07

PBL Lends Itself to Authentic Assessment Benefits PBL Lends Itself to Authentic Assessment It lets the teacher have multiple assessment opportunities. It allows a child to demonstrate his or her capabilities while working independently. It shows the child's ability to apply desired skills such as doing research. It develops the child's ability to work with his or her peers, building teamwork and group skills. It allows the teacher to learn more about the child as a person. It helps the teacher communicate in progressive and meaningful ways with the child or a group of children on a range of issues Edutopia 10/07

PBL Promotes Lifelong Learning Benefits PBL Promotes Lifelong Learning PBL and the use of technology enable students, teachers, and administrators to reach out beyond the school building. Students become engaged builders of a new knowledge base and become active, lifelong learners. PBL teaches children to take control of their learning, the first step as lifelong learners. Edutopia 10/07

PBL Accommodates Students with Varying Learning Styles and Differences Benefits PBL Accommodates Students with Varying Learning Styles and Differences It is known that children have various learning styles. They build their knowledge on varying backgrounds and experiences. It is also recognized that children have a broader range of capabilities than they have been permitted to show in regular classrooms with the traditional text-based focus. PBL addresses these differences, because students must use all modalities in the process of researching and solving a problem, then communicating the solutions. When children are interested in what they are doing and are able to use their areas of strength, they achieve at a higher level. Edutopia 10/07

Research Supports PBL Benefits A growing body of research supports the use of PBL. Schools where PBL is practiced find a decline in absenteeism, an increase in cooperative learning skills, and improvement in student achievement. When technology is used to promote critical thinking and communication, these benefits are enhanced.

Learning Outcomes Studies comparing learning outcomes for students taught via project-based learning versus traditional instruction show that when implemented well, PBL increases long-term retention of content, helps students perform as well as or better than traditional learners in high-stakes tests, improves problem-solving and collaboration skills, and improves students' attitudes towards learning (Strobel & van Barneveld, 2009; Walker & Leary, 2009). PBL can also provide an effective model for whole-school reform (National Clearinghouse for Comprehensive School Reform, 2004; Newmann & Wehlage, 1995). A 2016 MDRC/Lucas Education Research literature review found that the design principles most commonly used in PBL align well with the goals of preparing students for deeper learning, higher-level thinking skills, and intra/interpersonal skills (Condliffe et al., 2016).

Things to Consider Incorporating PBL within a school or across a district is a difficult task. PBL is not a simple addition to a teacher’s “toolbox” – for many teachers, it will be a revolutionary change in practice. Change is sometimes very difficult for a lot of teachers. As school district leaders and administrators, it will be imperative that assistance is provided to help teachers, parents, and your community understand what PBL is and why it's a good idea for 21st-century education. Some things to consider will be teacher professional development and evaluation, to grading and assessment, to organizational culture and the use of technology.

Resources https://padlet.com/jgiordan/projectvspbl All information can be found in electronic form at my Wiki Space under Professional Development at giordano.wikispaces.com