New Technology Foundation ™ PBL: What, Why, & How

New Technology Foundation ™ Objectives for Today Have you experience part of a project. Analyze your experience, and construct an understanding of what PBL is Provide some What, Why, and How about PBL Provide some resources for further exploration

New Technology Foundation ™ Background: THE BUCK INSTITUTE Conducts research on effectiveness of PBL strategies in the classroom. Developed a series of PBL units for Economics and is developing units for other Social Studies subjects. Developed a PBL Handbook to help teachers create their own PBL units. The principles behind the BIE model for PBL instruction are based on the approach used by Dr. Howard Barrows while at McMaster University in the 1960's to train medical students.

New Technology Foundation ™ NEW TECHNOLOGY FOUNDATION Started from original New Tech High School in Napa, CA Helps districts and charters “replicate” the school in Napa. Mission: Change teaching and learning in America A school is coming to Albuquerque! 2010

New Technology Foundation ™ PBL: What is it?

New Technology Foundation ™ PBL vs. DOING PROJECTS 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 Writing Exercise Peer Edit Textbook Activity Culminating Project

New Technology Foundation ™ PBL vs. DOING PROJECTS 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. Know/ Need to Know

New Technology Foundation ™ Gestalt PBL PROJECT INFORMATION RESEARCH AND INVESTIGATION FORMAL TEACHING DRAFT SOLUTIONS REFLECTION FINAL PRESENTATIONS GROUP PLANNING Teachers develop problems based on content standards that students, working in teams, develop solutions to. Teachers provide coaching, assignments and direct instruction to address student needs.

New Technology Foundation ™ Examples of Projects (from Buck)

New Technology Foundation ™ PBL SUMMARY The project drives the curriculum by creating a need for the students to know the content Students work more autonomously on real or realistic work that has high stakes Evaluation is made more authentic with performance based measurements and is often conducted with the help of non-teachers

New Technology Foundation ™ PBL: WHY DO IT?

New Technology Foundation ™ Why Do PBL? Teaches other skills Integrative Authenticity Connections outside the classroom Relevance Differentiates Changes relationship between student and teacher

New Technology Foundation ™ PBL Teaches More than just Content Final products often involve presentation Students most frequently work in groups Application requires more sophisticated, critical thinking Good projects require creativity - from both teacher and students Students must regulate themselves

New Technology Foundation ™ PBL often involves integration of ideas Consider our project: –Math –Science –Geography –Art –Social Studies

New Technology Foundation ™ PBL is more Authentic and Relevant Work in a project is closer to the way that people outside of school solve problems Students in a PBL classroom rarely ask, “When are we ever going to use this?” Skills developed in a PBL classroom can be used anywhere

New Technology Foundation ™ PBL facilitates differentiation Heterogeneous grouping can “spread the wealth” Student groups often write contracts… and determine who does what. Adept students can benefit by instructing and leading

New Technology Foundation ™ PBL Changes Roles You rarely hear, “What are doing today?” Students are much less dependent upon you Tends to create more 1:1 time, or small group interaction You can model what to do when you don’t know something; authentic projects will take you to places that you aren’t familiar with.

New Technology Foundation ™ PBL: HOW

New Technology Foundation ™ 5 Steps for Designing a PBL Unit: 1.Begin with the end in mind 2.Craft the driving question & Entry Event 3.Plan the assessment 4.Map the project 5.Manage the process

New Technology Foundation ™ Apply 5 Steps to ABQ Green Project

New Technology Foundation ™ Step 1 - Begin with the End in Mind Content Standards Create, explain, and use mathematical models such as: a.equations and inequalities to model numerical relationships Represent and explain changes using one-step equations with one variable. Solve problems that involve change using proportional relationships. Use ratios to predict changes in proportional situations. Learning Outcomes: Critical Thinking Creativity Collaboration Oral Communication Written Communication

New Technology Foundation ™ Step 1 - Begin with the End in Mind How are the standards applied in the world outside the classroom? –For math: look at the questions at the end of sections - those dreaded “Story Problems” –Try some possible web sites, like TheFuturesChannel

New Technology Foundation ™ Step 1 - Begin with the End in Mind Determine Role/Task/Reason –How can we as… –Do… –So That…

New Technology Foundation ™ Step 1 - Begin with the End in Mind Determine Role/Task/Reason –How can we as Ad designers –Create an ad to convince people in ‘Burque to commute by foot –So That Albuquerque will be more green and healthy.

New Technology Foundation ™ Step 2 - Craft the Driving Question & Entry Event Driving Question: How can we use math to convince people to commute by foot? -or - How do we justify commuting by foot? -or - Is commuting by foot necessary and worth it?

New Technology Foundation ™ Driving Questions Are… Provocative Open Ended Aligned to standards Challenging Arise from real world situations Act as a lighthouse to keep you on course

New Technology Foundation ™ Alternatively: Role/Task/Reason How can we as… Do… So That…

New Technology Foundation ™ Alternatively: Role/Task/Reason How can we as… Ad designers Do… Create an ad to convince people to commute on foot in Albuquerque So That… Albuquerque becomes more “green” and healthy

New Technology Foundation ™ Entry Document

New Technology Foundation ™ Put yourself in the role of a student… We know…We need to know…

New Technology Foundation ™ Step 3 - Plan the Assessment How will you assess the students? In what venue? Will anyone else assess them? How? What will you assess with your rubric? NOTE: Rubric is done before you roll out the project. Why?

New Technology Foundation ™ Step 3 - Plan the Assessment

New Technology Foundation ™ Step 4 - Map the Project Sample Scaffolding Activities: LAB: Measuring speed of a walking adult Workshop: Making a plan for the lab Practice: Problems using d = rt Lecture: Manipulating d = rt Work time: finding appropriate route Workshop: advanced use of Google maps

New Technology Foundation ™ Step 5 - Manage the Process Questions to consider… What’s the role of the teacher during the project? What are the different stages of the project? What does a typical day look like? What’s the role of the students during the project?

New Technology Foundation ™ New Roles Teacher Project manager Coach Guide Advisor Mentor Students Team members Active learners Researchers Investigators Apprentice Teachers and students are working collaboratively to complete the task

New Technology Foundation ™ Here’s what the project might look like over the course of the unit: Beginning StageMiddle StageFinal Stage Read entry doc and create know/need to know list Problem statement development / prioritize tasks Establish group roles and write group contracts Review rubric and fill out project pacing chart Begin preliminary investigations Group meetings / progress checks using pacing chart Research Warm-ups / Journals Class discussions Workshops and mini- lessons Reading assignments / skill building practice Guided activities Quizzes Collaboration evaluations Rough drafts Peer reviews Self evaluations Practice presentations Presentations Practice tests Tests Collaboration evaluations Reflection and debrief

New Technology Foundation ™ Here’s what a day in the life of a project might look like: 1.Warm up: perhaps a review question using d=rt 2.Work time, with a prompt: in the first 10 minutes of group work, please revisit your “Need to Knows”, and make sure that you teacher liaison has the updated list. 3.Meeting between teachers and liaisons - each sharing progress, and each listing need to knows. Meanwhile, groups are working. 4. Use need to knows as a way to create a workshop, or lecture, or just worktime. 5.Assigned homework can be along the lines of material covered that day, or a benchmark for the project

New Technology Foundation ™ How would you rate this project? The Six A’s of PBL Authenticity Academic Rigor Applied Learning Active Exploration Adult Connections Assessment Practices

New Technology Foundation ™ Last thoughts? Did we answer your need to knows? What ah-ha or take-away do you have from this workshop?