1. Leading PBL: Managing PBL*
CRITICAL FRIENDS TUNING PROTOCOL
PRESENTERS
Presentation: Project Title & Idea, Driving Question, Culminating Products, Entry Event*, and any concerns you’d like feedback about
7 min
EVERYONE
Clarification: Audience asks short clarifying questions
3 min
AUDIENCE
Good Stuff: Audience shares what they liked about the project
Wondering Stuff: Audience shares their concerns and questions for consideration
Next Stuff: Audience shares ideas about resources and ways to enhance the project
4 min
Reflection: Group reflects on useful feedback, next steps
TOTAL TIME
25 min
Before you start working on your project planning, let me explain what we’re going to do after lunch today. (or during the last 1.5 to 2 hours of Day Two)
Critical Friends Tuning Protocol
We will be using this process to share your projects and get feedback from each other.
It will take about 25 minutes per team, so with ___ (number of teams), this part of the workshop will last from ___ to ___.
(note logistics: Which teams will be together, if the group will break out into other rooms, have different facilitators, etc.)
After this we’ll come back together as whole group to wrap up and discuss next steps.
Here’s what to do in each step:
Presenters will explain their project’s title, basic idea, the DQ, major products, and if you got this far, your entry event. Give a summary, not all the details. Conclude by stating any questions or concerns that you would like your colleagues to help you think about.
Then the audience has time to ask clarifying questions – factual questions which the presenters can respond to very briefly. For example, “how many students are in your class?” or “How long will the project be?” or “What subject are going to be included?” If someone asks a question that sounds like they have a concern, the facilitator will ask them to save it for the feedback time.
Then the audience has time to offer their feedback and ideas. During this time the presenters MUST remain silent. You’re like a fly on the wall. This is to give the presenters a little distance, to stop the urge to respond to everything or defend themselves. The audience should speak to each other, NOT to the presenters. Imagine they’re not there – use the 3rd person (“I like how they..” or “I wonder if they….”).
Start by saying what you like about the project
Move to any questions or concerns you have, what you’re wondering about. Remember to be diplomatic in how you say things.
Then offer any ideas you have you the project, any resources that might be helpful, and so on.
You don’t have to fill up all the time for each step, and it’s OK to go back to something you liked if you think of it later.
The last step is when the presenters reflect on what they heard and discuss some possible next steps for their project planning. You do NOT need to respond to everything the audience said – if some was not useful or incorrect, just ignore it.
John McCarthy, Ed.S. - 1