Project-Based Learning

Learning In Action!

Copyright © 2003 The George Lucas Educational Foundation

 Obstacles

“The biggest obstacle to school

change is our memories.”
-- Dr. Allen Glenn
 Excerpts from Edutopia
 Creating schools for the 21st Century requires less
time looking in the rearview mirror and more vision
anticipating the road ahead.
 Teaching has been an activity undertaken behind
closed doors between moderately consenting
participants.
 Technology enables students, teachers, and
administrators to reach out beyond the school building.
 Innovative classrooms are not defined by fixed places
but by their spirit of curiosity and collaboration among
students, teachers, and others in a true learning
community.
 Change

“We must be the change we

want to see in the world.”
-- Mahatma Gandhi
Project-Based Learning (PBL)
 What is Project-Based Learning?
 PBL is curriculum-fueled and standards-based.
 PBL asks a question or poses a problem that
ALL students can answer. Concrete, hands-on
experiences come together during project-
based learning.
 PBL allows students to investigate issues and
topics in real-world problems.
 PBL fosters abstract, intellectual tasks to
explore complex issues.
How Does Project-Based Learning Work?

 Question
 Plan
 Schedule
 Monitor
 Assess
 Evaluate
 Question

 Start with the Essential Question.

 Take a real-world topic and begin
an in-depth investigation.
 Make sure it is relevant to your
students.
 Plan

 Plan which content standards will be

addressed while answering the
question.
 Involve students in the questioning,
planning, and project-building process.
 Teacher and students brainstorm
activities that support the inquiry.
 Schedule

 Teacher and students design a

timeline for project components.
 Set benchmarks.
 Keep it simple and age-appropriate.
 Monitor

 Facilitate the process.

 Mentor the process.
 Utilize rubrics.
 Assess

 Make the assessment authentic.

 Know authentic assessment will
require more time and effort from
the teacher.
 Vary the type of assessment used.
 Evaluate

 Take time to reflect individually

and as a group.
 Share feelings and experiences.
 Discuss what worked well.
 Discuss what needs change.
 Share ideas that will lead to new
inquiries, thus new projects.
 Let’s Begin

Think
BIG!
What is
The
the
Question
Question?
is the
Answer!
 Activities
 Read “More Fun Than a Barrel of ... Worms?!”
 Read “Geometry in the Real World: Students
as Architects”
 Read “March of the Monarchs”
 Discuss which of the projects you just read
about ‘grabbed’ your attention. Why?
 What ideas do you have for a project? What
question will you ask your students?
 Activities
 Record your ideas.
 Record questions that will launch
project-based learning.
 Choose one of your questions.
Brainstorm with your colleagues.
Create a concept map.
 What content standards will be
addressed? What subjects can
be woven into the process?
 References

 The George Lucas Educational Foundation Website

www.edutopia.org

 Why We Assess Students - And How

McLean, James E. and Lockwood, Robert E.
Corwin Press, Inc.

 Learning By Heart
Barth, Roland S.
Jossey-Bass, Copyright © 2001