Project Based Learning
What is PBL?
Project Based Learning (PBL) is a teaching method in which students learn by actively engaging in real-world and personally meaningful projects. That engages students in solving a real-world problem or answering a complex question. They demonstrate their knowledge and skills by creating a public product or presentation for a real audience.
(PBLWorks)
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Seven Essential Project Design Elements
By PBLWorks
A Challenging Problem or Question
The project is framed by a meaningful problem to be solved or a question to answer, at the appropriate level of challenge. Authenticity
The project involves real-world context, tasks and tools, quality standards, or impact, or the project speaks to personal concerns, interests, and issues in the students’ lives. Reflection
Students and teachers reflect on the learning, the effectiveness of their inquiry and project activities, the quality of student work, and obstacles that arise and strategies for overcoming them. |
Sustained Inquiry
Students engage in a rigorous, extended process of posing questions, finding resources, and applying information. Student Voice & Choice
Students make some decisions about the project, including how they work and what they create. Critique & Revision
Students give, receive, and apply feedback to improve their process and products. |
Public Product
Students make their project work public by explaining, displaying and/or presenting it to audiences beyond the classroom.
Students make their project work public by explaining, displaying and/or presenting it to audiences beyond the classroom.
How will students be assessed?
As with any type of learning assessment will be based upon mastery of standards identified by the Common Core State Standards , the Vermont Proficiency-Based Graduation Standards and Vermont College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards.
Selected standards will be assessed both formatively and summatively. Formative assessments can include quick check-ins, conferencing, drafts, journaling, student self-assessment and peer feedback. Summative assessments can include presentations, final drafts and overall collaboration.
Learning scales and expectations for projects are clearly established at the onset of the PBL. Students will be assessed on:
Selected standards will be assessed both formatively and summatively. Formative assessments can include quick check-ins, conferencing, drafts, journaling, student self-assessment and peer feedback. Summative assessments can include presentations, final drafts and overall collaboration.
Learning scales and expectations for projects are clearly established at the onset of the PBL. Students will be assessed on:
- Content Knowledge
- Skill Acquisition
- Habits of Mind
What about important foundational skills like reading and writing?
At the heart of PBL is student engagement and when students are engaged, their literacy skills increase.
A PBL project can focused on key literacy standards such as persuasive writing, making real world connections to literature, creating podcasts, or reading informational texts.
"Rigorous projects can build not only literacy skills like reading, writing, speaking and listening but also the 21st-century skills of communication, creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration."
(21st-Century Literacy Skills Designing PBL Projects to Increase Student Literacy)
A PBL project can focused on key literacy standards such as persuasive writing, making real world connections to literature, creating podcasts, or reading informational texts.
"Rigorous projects can build not only literacy skills like reading, writing, speaking and listening but also the 21st-century skills of communication, creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration."
(21st-Century Literacy Skills Designing PBL Projects to Increase Student Literacy)
What are some examples of PBL?
1. How can we affect hunger in our community?
2. Solving the problem of negative and/or ‘fake news.’
3. Creating an interactive family tree with voice-overs from living family members.
4. Launching a profitable business with actual documentation of real-world business metrics: profit, loss, cost control, etc.
2. Solving the problem of negative and/or ‘fake news.’
3. Creating an interactive family tree with voice-overs from living family members.
4. Launching a profitable business with actual documentation of real-world business metrics: profit, loss, cost control, etc.
How can parents and guardians be involved?
Parents and guardians can be involved in several ways with Project Based Learning. Public presentations or exhibitions are one of the cornerstones of PBL. At the end of a project students will share their work publicly with families and community members. At other times we will need mentors, experts and presentation audiences.