By: Pam Hill, EdD. Rigor, Relevance, and Engagement

Participant Outcomes: 1. Define Problem Based Learning, Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships. 2. Identify the need for PBL. 3. Determine how I can use PBL with my students.

Students complete a traditional sequence of courses to earn the high school diploma. Students are either college or vocationally bound. National graduation rate is 71% with 56% Black and 54% Hispanic. (Manhattan Institute -Policy Research) High school completion is a very important predictor of youth's life prospects. Our History…..

What it Project Based Learning?

85% of jobs will require high tech skills #1 job Tissue Engineers #2 job Gene Programmers #3 job Pharmers #4 job Data Miners #5 job Frankenfood Monitors 21 Century Careers:

“Projects” vs. Problem Based Learning Projects 1. Loose set of activities. 2. Supplements the curriculum. 3. Broad assessments. 4. No management structure. Standards-focused PBL 1. Focused, inquiry based. 2. It is the curriculum. 3. Aligns specific outcomes with assessments. 4. Uses authentic, project management tools.

Plan each lesson with simultaneous outcomes Personal competencies 1 Habit of Mind/EQ Skills 1 –2 life skills Content 2 – 3 standards

Ways students can show what they have learned… Test or quiz Presentation Role Playing BCR or ECR Seminar Demo

Ways students can show what they have learned… Test or quiz Presentation Role Playing BCR or ECR Seminar Demo

Pappas’s Rigor/Relevance Quadrants Acquire knowledge. DOL 2 Quad A Use acquired knowledge to solve problems. DOL 2 Quad B Extend and refine knowledge. DOL 3 Quad C Use knowledge in complex ways. DOL 4 Quad D

Using the Driving Question to Focus the Inquiry Process Brainstorm multiple perspectives or points of view on the question Anticipate ‘need to knows’ and teachable moments Track knowledge gaps with formative assessments

Artifacts of assessment Document the “process” of learning Evaluate skills and habits Artifact examples: library record searches minutes of meetings journals self-reflections observations interview notes, etc.

Use rubrics to evaluate skills and performance Fulfill conditions for good assessment. Provide a tool for precise feedback. Increase fairness while decreasing grading time.

Evaluate and Reflect Evidence shows robust correlation between reflection and retention. Using a cycle of inquiry helps to prepare for the next project and develop an inquiry-based classroom. The methods: whole class debrief; fishbowl; survey; self- report.

A wealthy philanthropist has donated 500 acres of land to AA County to build a new community. The only stipulations are: Must contain 300 homes (100 seniors, 100 families, and 100 singles) Recreation areas including areas for disabled children Be environmentally minded since it is in the Chesapeake watershed Community support must be gained Rules for the community must include sidewalks, noise control, and aesthetics Now, let’s try a PBL experience! Each group will work on one of these components just as real workers do.