Project-based learning involves students working autonomously on meaningful tasks to solve problems and answer questions. It requires integrating subjects, asking complex questions, and producing realistic outcomes. Effective project design considers elements like scaffolding, student ownership, and reflection. Passion, purpose, independence, and supportive environments help students learn.

1. Peter Skillen www.peterskillen.org Some thoughts with plpconnectu… Project-Based Learning June 2011 Project-Based Learning June 2011

2. What is PBL? From the Buck Institute at www.bie.org Project Based Learning focuses on the central concepts and principles of a discipline involves students in problem-solving investigations and other meaningful tasks allows students to work autonomously to construct their own knowledge, and culminates in realistic products.

3. What is PBL (cont’d) George Lucas Educational Foundation at Edutopia.org Project-based learning is curriculum fueled and standards based asks a question or poses a problem that each student can answer asks students to investigate issues and topics addressing real-world problems while integrating subjects across the curriculum is a method that fosters abstract, intellectual tasks to explore complex issues.

4. What is PBL (cont’d) From www.4teachers.org A project-based learning method is a comprehensive approach to instruction. Your students participate in projects and practice an interdisciplinary array of skills from math, language arts, fine arts, geography, science, and technology.

5. Scaffolding?

6. Elements to Consider Cognitively collaborative Questioning Trust (locus of control) Collaboration Teacher Directed Student Directed Student Generated Teacher Generated Dependent Independent Interdependent Knowledge Retelling Construction Low Level High Level Reductionist Complex Content Socially cooperative Purpose Contrived Authentic

7. Student Teacher Passion (Affect, motivation) Self-determination (Locus of Control) Purpose (Authenticity) Support (Scaffolding) Metacognition (Goal-setting, planning, monitoring, reflection) I believe that passion, purpose, self-determination and supportive, reflective environments are key to successful projects.

8. Locus of Control "Once you have learned how to ask relevant and appropriate questions, you have learned how to learn and no one can keep you from learning whatever you want or need to know." Neil Postman and Charles Weingartner (Teaching as a Subversive Activity)

9. Driving Questions integral to the curriculum under study complex enough to be broken down into smaller questions; ill-structured contextualized; link concepts/principles across disciplines anchored in the lives of learners; meaningful Engages students in a state of ‘ flow’ Krajcik and Soloway

12. Expert vs Novice Learners Novices typically don't plan, monitor, and reflect on their learning Expert learners use 'multiple representations’ Novices typically don't generate a number of potential solution strategies.

13. Expert vs Novice Learners (cont’d) Novices engage in 'knowledge telling' rather than 'knowledge transformation' Experts realize that the ‘social context’ is important to learning Expert learners make multiple passes at knowledge.

14. Expert vs Novice Learners (cont’d) Experts are able to transfer their learning to other domains Experts view 'mistakes' as opportunities to learn

15. Journal Writing I want to know... I want to learn... I think... My goals for this project are... I don’t understand... I wonder... I am having difficulty with... I am breaking my project into... A similar task I have had before is... The steps I plan to follow are... Different ways to solve this task... Planning Starters Imagine... What are some Solutions?

16. Journal Writing cont’d I learned... Things I want to learn are... I think... I have managed to... I have changed my plan... I didn't get as far as I planned because... I got further than I had planned because... The steps I did first were... My next step will be... Reflection Starters Imagine... What are some Solutions?

17. Journal Writing cont’d another as a result of attempt because believe consequently consider decide discovered discuss in that case in view of look forward to otherwise plan realize remember since so expect explain feel figured give up Guess hope if...then intend study thanks to that's how that's why therefore think try until wish wonder Elaboration Triggers Imagine... What are some Solutions?

18. Collaboration Schoenfeld says that Groups are not just convenient way to accumulate the individual knowledge of their members. They give rise synergistically to insights and solutions that would not come about without them.

19. Journal Writing cont’d I agree with you because ... I disagree with you because... Check... I think... I believe... Have you thought about... Maybe... I am confused... Another explanation... I don't understand... You need to... Your journal entry would be better if... Comment Starters Imagine... What are some Solutions?

20. Develop Driving Questions Publicly Use Journals to support your Project Based Learning Each student needs to work towards a ‘driving question’ for the investigation. This may take several journal pages and much discussion with peers to develop a question that meets the criteria. Each student needs to develop plans for investigation. ‘ think aloud’ in journal and read and react to the comments of peers student and peers have regular, reflective conversations about every stage of their work.

21. Scaffolding Web 2.0 Tools Scaffolding with Web 2.0 Tools

25. Diigo as ‘Conversation’ Tool

26. Hidden Hidden - by Robin Boston of the YMCA Academy for Adobe Youth Voices. Art should be free to see not hidden like some dirty clothes, in the darkness, so nobody knows I suppose, like they try to hurt rap an try to keep us down, that’s why I keep my streets tagged like T-Dot was graffiti town. Soon enough they’re going to take my speech away so u can only see my sound, I trust art and only art because art would never let me down. We go out at night to take what we feel and express it, men were stressed soon to be handcuffed and arrested. Blessed am I or cursed, because I have been told what I’m doing is right but wrong since birth. I just want to decorate my block, I got it locked, but I always got to worry about the cops. So why would u try to get rid of something so great, you got to learn how to love before you learn how to hate. Art shouldn’t be hidden in the darkness.

28. Teddy Bear Project

31. Reflection What did you learn? How will your learning impact your practice?

32. Resources The Construction Zone blog http://theconstructionzone.wordpress.com Tech2Learn Wiki http://tech2learn.wikispaces.com ZPD - Who's in Charge Here? http://bit.ly/eMVLOA PBL - Who IS in Charge? What Tools can Help? http://bit.ly/5znahM Scaffolding for Deep Understanding http://bit.ly/cWwX1o Journal Writing - Just Another Worksheet http://bit.ly/hiuNoU Reasons to Use Collaborative Learning - http://www. gdrc .org/kmgmt/c-learn/44.html

33. Knowledge is Necessary How effective are kids at web research? Studies show…’not very good’!

34. Kids' Web Research 6th & 9th grade science classes with student-generated questions (Lyons, Hoffman, Krajcik, Soloway, (1997) Categories of online inquiry were examined Exploring Asking questions Planning Searching for information Assessing information

35. Kids' Web Research (cont'd) Exploring "Places to Start" provided Students often skipped this Students were very unsuccessful in their searches Students require a baseline of knowledge to conduct effective online searches

36. Kids' Web Research (cont'd) Asking Questions A difficult step for students Usually asked closed, single answer questions 'Question Drift' Students require time to 'explore' their topic must have a solid question before researching in earnest Teachers must help students form good questions The inquiry process must be a part of the culture of the classroom

37. Kids' Web Research (cont'd) Planning Planning increases the efficiency of the search Students must plan the 'process' & the 'product' Students typically did not show much planning Used one keyword Looked for the 'one correct answer' Limited information found Teachers need to 'scaffold' students' planning and research

38. Kids' Web Research (cont'd) Searching for Information Boolean keyword searching is difficult for most students Inappropriate keywords Misspelling Stringing words together as if it is ‘and’ is the most common error Restricted range of keywords Lack of baseline content knowledge Teachers need to know, and to teach, search strategies Students need to have access to print materials

39. Kids' Web Research (cont'd) Assessing Information Students have a tendency to believe almost anything that is written Used to books and other authorities On the web, the question of 'authority' is critical Limited ability to judge the worth of web pages Lack of baseline content knowledge Students can be led off track by faulty information or miss worthwhile info Students need to have some background knowledge Students must learn how to cite web materials Students must learn the 'grammar' of the web e.g., .gov .com .org .edu