2. Project-Based Learning
Kanelia Cannon

3. Kanelia Cannon English 8/Advanced English 8/English I Honors
New Ellenton Middle STEAM Magnet School
(803)

4. Essential Question
What is project-based learning and how can it benefit my students’ preparation for the world in which they currently live?

5. Presenters Meeting Outcomes
As a result of attending this meeting, presenters will have
gained an understanding of project-based and problem-based learning.
reviewed examples of PBL in the classroom
determined PBLs role in his/her classroom.

6. Mrs. PBLs
PowerPoint
Booklet
Folder

7. “What the Heck is Project-Based Learning?”
Read the article.
As you read, circle/highlight words and/or phrases that seem important to you and that help you understand what project- based learning is.
Answer the following question on Poll Everywhere
What words/phrases helped you to understand the meaning of project-based learning?
Respond at PollEv.com/kaneliacannon806 Or
Text KANELIACANNON806 to 37607

9. Project-Based and Problem-Based Learning
Project-based and problem-based learning are both inquiry-based teaching:
Problem-based learning - tackles a problem but doesn't necessarily include a student project 
Project-based learning - involves a complex task and some form of student presentation, and/or creating an actual product or artifact.
Students are engaged in creating, questioning, and revising knowledge, while developing their skills in critical thinking, collaboration, communication, reasoning, synthesis, and resilience.
“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.”
(Vega, V., 2015)

10. Project-Based Learning
 "PBL is the act of learning through identifying a real-world problem and developing its solution. Kids show what they learn as they journey through the unit, not just at the end.“ – Heather Wolpert-Gawron
Ongoing act of learning about different subjects simultaneously
Research, Develop, Present
Through research, students identify a real-world problem, use evidence to support their claim/solution, and present their solution via 21st century multimedia tools.
Kids show what they learn as they progress through the unit
Interact with the lessons
Collaborate with each other
Assess themselves
Assess their peers
IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT A TEST OR END PRODUCT; IT’S ABOUT THE JOURNEY

11. Project-based learning typically is grounded in the following elements:
Role-playing
Real-world scenarios
Blended writing genres
Multiple reading genres
Authentic assessments
Authentic audiences
Real-world expertise brought into the classroom
Units that assess multiple skills
Units that require research and comprehension of multiple subjects
Student choice
Collaboration
Multiple methods of communication (writing, oral speaking, visual presentations, publishing, etc.)
(Brief note here: Don't panic. You don't need every single one of these elements to call your unit PBL. These are elements to strive for, not to kill yourself to achieve.)

12. What is Project Based Learning (PBL)?
Project Based Learning is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging and complex question, problem, or challenge. In Gold Standard PBL, Essential Project Design Elements include:
Key Knowledge, Understanding, and Success Skills - The project is focused on student learning goals, including standards-based content and skills such as critical thinking/problem solving, collaboration, and self-management.
Challenging Problem or Question - The project is framed by a meaningful problem to solve or a question to answer, at the appropriate level of challenge.
Sustained Inquiry - Students engage in a rigorous, extended process of asking questions, finding resources, and applying information.
Authenticity - The project features real-world context, tasks and tools, quality standards, or impact – or speaks to students’ personal concerns, interests, and issues in their lives.
Student Voice & Choice - Students make some decisions about the project, including how they work and what they create.
Reflection - Students and teachers reflect on learning, the effectiveness of their inquiry and project activities, the quality of student work, obstacles and how to overcome them.
Critique & Revision - Students give, receive, and use feedback to improve their process and products.
Public Product - Students make their project work public by explaining, displaying and/or presenting it to people beyond the classroom.

14. Why Project Based Learning (PBL)?
Project Based Learning’s time has come. The experience of thousands of teachers across all grade levels and subject areas, backed by research, confirms that PBL is an effective and enjoyable way to learn - and develop deeper learning competencies required for success in college, career, and civic life. Why are so many educators across the United States and around the world interested in this teaching method? The answer is a combination of timeless reasons and recent developments.
PBL makes school more engaging for students. Today’s students, more than ever, often find school to be boring and meaningless. In PBL, students are active, not passive; a project engages their hearts and minds, and provides real-world relevance for learning.
PBL improves learning. After completing a project, students understand content more deeply, remember what they learn and retain it longer than is often the case with traditional instruction. Because of this, students who gain content knowledge with PBL are better able to apply what they know and can do to new situations.
PBL builds success skills for college, career, and life. In the 21st century workplace and in college, success requires more than basic knowledge and skills. In a project, students learn how to take initiative and responsibility, build their confidence, solve problems, work in teams, communicate ideas, and manage themselves more effectively.
PBL helps address standards. The Common Core and other present-day standards emphasize real-world application of knowledge and skills, and the development of success skills such as critical thinking/problem solving, collaboration, communication in a variety of media, and speaking and presentation skills. PBL is an effective way to meet these goals.
PBL provides opportunities for students to use technology. Students are familiar with and enjoy using a variety of tech tools that are a perfect fit with PBL. With technology, teachers and students can not only find resources and information and create products, but also collaborate more effectively, and connect with experts, partners, and audiences around the world.
PBL makes teaching more enjoyable and rewarding. Projects allow teachers to work more closely with active, engaged students doing high-quality, meaningful work, and in many cases to rediscover the joy of learning alongside their students.
PBL connects students and schools with communities and the real world. Projects provide students with empowering opportunities to make a difference, by solving real problems and addressing real issues. Students learn how to interact with adults and organizations, are exposed to workplaces and adult jobs, and can develop career interests. Parents and community members can be involved in projects.

15. Traditional Instruction Project-Based Learning
Teacher directed/no flexibility
Teacher facilitates (coaches) and develops lessons as students learn.
Learners are passive
Learners are active (increase student control over his/her learning)
Students work independently
Students work collaboratively
Lessons are focused on a single subject
Transdisciplinary lessons
Standards-based lessons deal with isolated, artificial contexts
Standards-based lessons deal with real world, authentic connections
Factual, literal student thinking for competency
Creative student thinking for innovative and original solutions
Traditional Assessments (Product-based for grade)
Authentic Assessments (Process-based for development of understanding and application)

16. 5 Keys to Rigorous Project-Based Learning

17. Keys to Project-Based Learning Success
A realistic problem or project
aligns with students' skills and interests
requires learning clearly defined content and skills (e.g. using rubrics, or exemplars from local professionals and students)
Structured group work
groups of three to four students, with diverse skill levels and interdependent roles
team rewards
individual accountability, based on student growth
Multi-faceted assessment
multiple opportunities for students to receive feedback and revise their work (e.g., benchmarks, reflective activities)
multiple learning outcomes (e.g., problem-solving, content, collaboration)
presentations that encourage participation and signal social value (e.g. exhibitions, portfolios, performances, reports)
Participation in a professional learning network
collaborating and reflecting upon PBL experiences in the classroom with colleagues
courses in inquiry-based teaching methods
(Vega, V., 2015)

18. Evidence-Based Components of Success: Carefully Calibrated Project Design
PBL design begins with a driving question to focus what skills and objectives students are to learn as well as appealing to their interests.
The 3C3R procedure can helps teachers set-up the problem for students:
Define the Content. What do you want students to learn by the end of the assignment? Expectations should correspond with students' current research and reasoning skills.
Identify the Context. Brainstorm a list of real-life activities in which learners could apply the intended content. Be aware of any time or location constraints in these situations.
List Possible Problems. Create a list of problems or projects that could occur in each context from Step Two. Select the problem or project that best presents the content objectives and that will be appealing and relevant to learners.
(Vega, V., 2015)

19. Evidence-Based Components of Success: Carefully Calibrated Project Design
3C3R Continued,
Describe Potential Solutions. Fully describe the most viable solution to the problem or project, as well as possible alternative solutions. Identify the known and unknown variables. Note the most realistic path of reasoning and the knowledge (concepts, principles, procedures, and facts) that would result from the most viable solution. Next, identify alternative paths of reasoning and knowledge that would evolve from alternative solutions to the problem. Based on these possible solutions, what researching and reasoning skills will learners need for solving the problem or creating the project? What is the best framework for building students' knowledge? (That is, how do concepts required for solving the problem relate to each other?)
Calibrate Your Project. Using the solutions from Step Four, check to make sure that the knowledge and skills generated by the most viable solution match the intended knowledge and skills from Step One. For instance, you might create a chart comparing the intended knowledge and skills with those necessary to solve the problem. To better match intended content with students' level, add or remove problem conditions. To make a problem easier, focus learners' attention on the target knowledge. To make a problem harder, focus learners' attention on peripheral knowledge. To make the problem more realistic, add time, budget, or location constraints that might occur in an authentic professional situation.
Describe the Task. To create a description of the task, remove information from the most viable problem solution from Step Four. If researching or reasoning a critical piece of information is beyond students' problem-solving skills, this information should be presented to the learners rather than have them struggle to learn it.
Reflect on the Learning. Reflect students' learning by including multiple opportunities to check their progress in the initial assignment and adjust instruction accordingly (for example, let them know they need to keep a journal and report to their supervisor on a weekly basis). The final assessment should also be clearly described in the assignment (for example, a final report, presentation, or follow-up question or problem) and should allow learners to reflect upon their overall learning and problem-solving process.
(Vega, V., 2015)
Keys to PBL Success

20. Evidence-Based Components of Success: Structure Student Collaboration
“Compared to traditional instructional methods, students engaged in small-group learning achieve higher grades, retain information longer, and have reduced dropout rates, improved communication and collaboration skills, and a better understanding of professional environments (Johnson, Johnson, & Stanne, 2000; Springer, Stanne, & Donovan, ; Terenzini, Cabrera, Colbeck, Parente, & Bjorklund, 2001; cited in Oakley, Felder, Brent, & Elhajj, 2004).”
Successful Collaborative Groups
3-4 members per team
Team goals and/or rewards are based on individual learning growth.
assign independent roles
Individual accountability/assessments
Individual growth
Group presentations
Group contracts
Track group progress with clear benchmarks and due-dates
Meet with groups regularly
Make evidence of group progress visible and public by using planning sheets and/or group folders
(Vega, V., 2015)
Keys to PBL Success

21. Evidence-Based Components of Success: Assessments That Support Students' Success
At the beginning of the PBL, teachers should provide students with the criteria for success
Examples
Rubrics
Throughout the PBL, teachers should provide students with multiple opportunities for feedback, reflection, and time for students to revise their work.
Frequent assessments
Project benchmarks
Reflection activities
End goals should reflect professional practice to demonstrate the social value and relevance of the students’ work.
public exhibitions
Portfolios
Presentations
The final (summative) assessment should use many different criteria that reflect the various skills involved in the task, and these criteria should be communicated openly to students
(Vega, V., 2015)

22. PBL is not about final product. It is about the journey.
Evidence-Based Components of Success: Assessments That Support Students' Success
“Frequent feedback enables teachers to adapt their instruction to target students' learning needs, while providing students with information to develop their work. What's more, by emphasizing the process, effort, and strategies involved in accomplishing a task -- as opposed to focusing solely on the final product -- students come to understand that learning is the result of cumulative effort. This, in turn, improves their resilience and academic achievement (Dweck, 2000).”
PBL is not about final product. It is about the journey.
(Vega, V., 2015)
Keys to PBL Success

23. Evidence-Based Components of Success: A Supportive Network for Teachers' Professional Development
“The success of PBL also depends on motivating and supporting teachers in new roles of facilitating inquiry. Teachers learn PBL by collaborating with colleagues, introducing PBL in the classroom, and reflecting on their experiences (Krajcik, Blumenfeld, Marx & Soloway, 1994).”
Edutopia’s PBL Discussion Group: learning
 Buck Institute for Education's (BIE) Project-Based Learning
Free Project-Based Learning Resources:
Online Professional Development Courses:
Best Practices Across Disciplines: practices-disciplines
(Vega, V., 2015)
Keys to PBL Success

24. Avoiding Pitfalls Don’t Be Afraid to Make Mistakes
Adapt, adjust, and reflect when things don’t go as planned. Let your students see how you navigate through a problem.
Model Active Listening and Full-Group Attention
Be sure to model what active listening, joint attention, and coordinated activity looks like for students. They won’t understand how it works until you thoroughly explain it to them.
Encourage Students to Explore Discrepancies
When discrepancies arise within the resources students are using, allow them time to dig and research the information they’ve been presented.
“Students should be ready to dig in to discrepancies that appear in a variety of resources -- and they should be provided with sufficient time to do so. Discussing differences and contradicting information that result in a variety of sources and evaluating the evidence that led to different conclusions, are important exercises in developing critical-thinking and self-directed learning skills. Barron and Darling-Hammond (2008) recommend presenting students with wide-ranging types of evidence (books, lectures, films, field trips) representing different perspectives and providing sufficient time for investigating, applying, discussing, sharing, and revising their conclusions.”
Be Realistic and Flexible in Planning
If you are new to PBL, start with smaller teaching units before attempting larger, more complex ones, and look for potential problems to solve or projects that are already part of the curriculum (Ertmer & Simons, 2005; Kolodner, Camp, Crismond, Fasse, Gray, Holbrook, Puntambekar, & Ryan, ).
Veteran teachers recommend setting the number of days expected to achieve a milestone, then building in a 20 percent overrun; teachers should be prepared to provide alternative instruction to reinforce subject matter and to know when to enforce deadlines (Mergendoller & Thomas, 2005).
(Vega, V., 2015)

25. Consensus Map
Groups of 4
Consensus
Individual Response

27. Begin with the End in Mind
Summarize the Theme for the project. Why do the project?
What makes this project relevant? (i.e. what subject does it relate to? Justify why it is important.)
Identify key skills that students will learn in this project. What tools and resources will you need?

28. Craft the Driving Question
State the essential question or problem statement for the project. The statement should be all encompassing, and should stimulate questions.

29. Map the Project
List the key dates and important milestones for this project.

30. Resources
Problem and Project-Based Learning Activities:
  BIE (Buck Institute for Education) Project Search: arch&category=429&ps_source=429/
Create Rubrics:

31. Final Word PBL should incorporate and address your standards.
Planning is key.
It’s okay to make mistakes.
Be flexible.

32. Quizizz Using your mobile device, go to join.quizizz.com.
Type in the game pin.
Type in your nickname.

33. References
“Five Keys to Rigorous Project-Based Learning.” Edutopia. 25 June Retrieved on 12 December 2016 from learning.
Vega, Vanessa. (1 Dec. 2015). “Project-Based Learning Research Review.” Edutopia. Retrieved on 12 December 2016 from
Wolpert-Gawron, Heather. (13 Aug. 2015). “What the Heck is Project- Based Learning?” Edutopia. Retrieved on 12 December 2016 from heather-wolpert-gawron.

34. Revisiting the Presenters Meeting Outcomes
As a result of attending this meeting, presenters will have
gained an understanding of project-based and problem-based learning.
reviewed examples of PBL in the classroom
determined PBLs role in his/her classroom.

35. Revisiting the Presenters Essential Question
What is project-based learning and how can it benefit my students’ preparation for the world in which they currently live?

36. Kanelia Cannon English 8/Advanced English 8/English I Honors
New Ellenton Middle STEAM Magnet School
(803)