(Teachers: Please use this file as a review for your own learning/resource.)
Learning Targets:
We will create an initial understanding of Project Based Learning.
We will construct a common classroom definition of Project Based Learning.
We will brainstorm possibilities for own classroom content area connections...what are the possibilities?
1. Watch these three introductory clips from Edutopia and You Tube: Set up: Be honest with the kids about this course. Please use some of the following items to guide your set up of the first video clip:
*this course is new for all of us
*it is intended to be an extension of all of your classes in order to give us time together to work on making connections between classes
*many days we will have time to work on projects that connect to your classes
*all students will be working on a portfolio through PBL as well
*we are building this class together *Bottom line, it is about you--students as learners. We (teachers and educators) have come to realize that we have to try to do things a little differently. We have made great progress, but this class is another step in your direction. This is what we (adults) have come to learn about your generation of learners. Pay attention to the kids in this video and see if there is at least one idea that you connect with when you watch these kids: Video: A Vision of K-12 Students Today (4 minute video) A Vision of K-12 Learners
Bonus Clip: This is one more video that highlight middle school PBL: (2 minute video) Middle School PBL
2. Making Connections: Ask students, "Considering the clips viewed, explain how the content areas easily connected to one another. How did the project connect to real life? As a student, what might be the benefit to conducting projects like this? Write down your reflections in three to five bullet points." Demonstrate one bullet point together as a class. After students complete bullet list independently, ask them to share with an elbow partner. Elect a partner to share at least one idea from the pair share. Record the notes publicly as a class.
3. Brainstorming Definitions: Ask students, "Are there some common ideas/themes that have been recorded on our class brainstorm? With your elbow partner, write down three common themes." Use the same process to pair down the themes as a class to three to five big ideas. Once the big ideas have been written on the board or screen, ask students to create a definition with their peer partner on an index card or sheet of paper. "Project Based Learning is ..." Have two sets of pairs share definitions, find commonalities, and see if they can combine their ideas or edit into one definition. Then get two small groups of 4 together (8-12 total in a group), repeat the process. Have those final groups share their definitions out to the whole class.
4. Final Step: Post the common definitions somewhere in the classroom or ask a student to record it on a google doc and share it with the teacher. Ask students to think about the possibilities. "Thinking about our common definition and the videos we watched, what would you hope to gain as a student in a project based learning environment?"
Day 2__ Guiding Question: What is Project Based Learning?
Learning Targets: We will create an initial understanding of Project Based Learning. We will review our common classroom definition of Project Based Learning. We will brainstorm possibilities for own classroom content area connections...what are the possibilities?
1. Now...where were we? Review the common definitions posted in the room. Either conduct a gallery walk or project the definition onto your screen. Ask students to participate in a sorting activity. Use the following ten descriptors and sort them into "PBL" and "NOT PBL." You can either have these descriptors on small slips of paper and students can sort in small groups OR read them aloud/project them on screen and have students write down PBL/NOT PBL independently or in pairs.
Learning is student centered. (PBL focuses on students' interests/ideas and connects it to content areas) Learning occurs in small student groups.(PBL--students are traditionally on teams) Teachers are facilitators or guides (PBL--teachers are working with students, but not always from the front of the classroom--works with small groups) Teachers lecture from the front of the classroom (NOT PBL--Teachers still need time to do direct instruction--PBL is another style of instruction--it will be balanced with direct instruction) Students use problem-solving skills (PBL--students are usually provided with a problem and a task to complete with a small group) Students have to push themselves to drive their learning (PBL--teachers will facilitate and work with students, but students are driving their projects) Students can do whatever they want (NOT PBL--all projects will be measuring skills and content that is aligned with the core content and standards--there is still a grade for learning) Projects are done for fun in order to do something different (NOT PBL--although the projects may be fun, their purpose is to support learning) Students do everything on their own (NOT PBL--students very much work in small groups or partners) Students take exams at the end of a unit to show their learning (NOT PBL--students will demonstrate their learning with projects--there will still be exams or quizzes with some units, but not with PBL)
Review the answers with the class. Discuss why the descriptors are labeled as the are...use the explanations in blue as a guide.
2. Venn Diagram Exercise: (Draw a Venn Diagram on the board). "Pick two classes that you had yesterday. Brainstorm everything you can remember about those two classes and record your thoughts in the two circles--label each circle for the classes you chose." (Allow students to brainstorm.) "Can you see any overlap between your classes? Either through the procedures for the classes or even in the content of the classe? Example: both your Science and Language Arts classes might use notebooks to organize their classes OR both your Social Studies and Math classes have at least 20 minutes of homework every night. Use the middle overlapping space on your Venn Diagram to find "common ground" between your classes.
Ask students to share their Venn Diagrams in pairs or small groups. Circulate and see what they have unfolded.
3. Classroom Discussion: "If we can find connections after one day, how many connections will we find after one week or one month?" Let kids discuss and answer--can do in small groups or as a whole class. Be honest with them...we may not always know exactly what PBL will look like this year, but we are invested in their learning and making connections. However, we will need students invested, willing to work hard, and get creative.
4. Learning Targets: It is crucial that we set out clear learning goals for all of our projects but also keep our eyes open to possibilities...we are going to use a video to demonstrate a clear learning target.
(This video is 54 seconds long. It is called "The Awareness Test.")
What was the narrator's first direction to us? In other words, what was the first learning target?
As we were focused on that target only in that setting, what did we miss?
How many of you saw the "dancing bear" the first time? What happened when the narrator drew your attention to it? Were you able to see the bear and count at the same time? Is it possible for us to do two things at the same time?
5. Making Connections: It is crucial that we make connections to our lives and between our classes. On a separate sheet of paper, draw 6 mini Venn Diagrams and label them: 1) Math/Science 2) Math/Social Studies 3) Math/Language Arts 4) Language Arts/Social Studies 5) Language Arts/Science 6) Science/Social Studies. Write down what you know about each of those classes as well as what you do well in those content areas on each side of the Venn Diagram. For example, you may write down on a Math/Science Venn Diagram the following: Math: know times table, always have homework, do pretty well with grades; Science: hands-on, record observations, work with numbers, do well with grades. Then, in the middle, write down "the common ground" you see in those classes. For example: work with numbers, do well with grades.The purpose of this exercise is to help kids see some of the natural content connections as well as the "procedural" connections.
Share those brainstorms as a class and record if you have time.
6. Wrap Up: We have created a common definition of PBL over the past two days. We have also considered how PBL might apply to our current classes. Next week we will discuss how we will create a "log" or "portfolio" of our learning together.
Day 1 Lesson
Guiding Question:
What is Project Based Learning?
Learning Targets:
We will create an initial understanding of Project Based Learning.
We will construct a common classroom definition of Project Based Learning.
We will brainstorm possibilities for own classroom content area connections...what are the possibilities?
1. Watch these three introductory clips from Edutopia and You Tube:
Set up: Be honest with the kids about this course. Please use some of the following items to guide your set up of the first video clip:
*this course is new for all of us
*it is intended to be an extension of all of your classes in order to give us time together to work on making connections between classes
*many days we will have time to work on projects that connect to your classes
*all students will be working on a portfolio through PBL as well
*we are building this class together
*Bottom line, it is about you--students as learners. We (teachers and educators) have come to realize that we have to try to do things a little differently. We have made great progress, but this class is another step in your direction. This is what we (adults) have come to learn about your generation of learners. Pay attention to the kids in this video and see if there is at least one idea that you connect with when you watch these kids:
Video: A Vision of K-12 Students Today
(4 minute video)
A Vision of K-12 Learners
(3 minute video)
Project Based Learning Example
(9 minute video)
Project Based Learning Example
Bonus Clip:
This is one more video that highlight middle school PBL:
(2 minute video)
Middle School PBL
2. Making Connections: Ask students, "Considering the clips viewed, explain how the content areas easily connected to one another. How did the project connect to real life? As a student, what might be the benefit to conducting projects like this? Write down your reflections in three to five bullet points."
Demonstrate one bullet point together as a class. After students complete bullet list independently, ask them to share with an elbow partner. Elect a partner to share at least one idea from the pair share. Record the notes publicly as a class.
3. Brainstorming Definitions: Ask students, "Are there some common ideas/themes that have been recorded on our class brainstorm? With your elbow partner, write down three common themes." Use the same process to pair down the themes as a class to three to five big ideas. Once the big ideas have been written on the board or screen, ask students to create a definition with their peer partner on an index card or sheet of paper. "Project Based Learning is ..." Have two sets of pairs share definitions, find commonalities, and see if they can combine their ideas or edit into one definition. Then get two small groups of 4 together (8-12 total in a group), repeat the process. Have those final groups share their definitions out to the whole class.
4. Final Step: Post the common definitions somewhere in the classroom or ask a student to record it on a google doc and share it with the teacher.
Ask students to think about the possibilities. "Thinking about our common definition and the videos we watched, what would you hope to gain as a student in a project based learning environment?"
Day 2__
Guiding Question:
What is Project Based Learning?
Learning Targets:
We will create an initial understanding of Project Based Learning.
We will review our common classroom definition of Project Based Learning.
We will brainstorm possibilities for own classroom content area connections...what are the possibilities?
1. Now...where were we? Review the common definitions posted in the room. Either conduct a gallery walk or project the definition onto your screen. Ask students to participate in a sorting activity. Use the following ten descriptors and sort them into "PBL" and "NOT PBL." You can either have these descriptors on small slips of paper and students can sort in small groups OR read them aloud/project them on screen and have students write down PBL/NOT PBL independently or in pairs.
Learning is student centered. (PBL focuses on students' interests/ideas and connects it to content areas)
Learning occurs in small student groups.(PBL--students are traditionally on teams)
Teachers are facilitators or guides (PBL--teachers are working with students, but not always from the front of the classroom--works with small groups)
Teachers lecture from the front of the classroom (NOT PBL--Teachers still need time to do direct instruction--PBL is another style of instruction--it will be balanced with direct instruction)
Students use problem-solving skills (PBL--students are usually provided with a problem and a task to complete with a small group)
Students have to push themselves to drive their learning (PBL--teachers will facilitate and work with students, but students are driving their projects)
Students can do whatever they want (NOT PBL--all projects will be measuring skills and content that is aligned with the core content and standards--there is still a grade for learning)
Projects are done for fun in order to do something different (NOT PBL--although the projects may be fun, their purpose is to support learning)
Students do everything on their own (NOT PBL--students very much work in small groups or partners)
Students take exams at the end of a unit to show their learning (NOT PBL--students will demonstrate their learning with projects--there will still be exams or quizzes with some units, but not with PBL)
Review the answers with the class. Discuss why the descriptors are labeled as the are...use the explanations in blue as a guide.
2. Venn Diagram Exercise: (Draw a Venn Diagram on the board). "Pick two classes that you had yesterday. Brainstorm everything you can remember about those two classes and record your thoughts in the two circles--label each circle for the classes you chose." (Allow students to brainstorm.) "Can you see any overlap between your classes? Either through the procedures for the classes or even in the content of the classe? Example: both your Science and Language Arts classes might use notebooks to organize their classes OR both your Social Studies and Math classes have at least 20 minutes of homework every night. Use the middle overlapping space on your Venn Diagram to find "common ground" between your classes.
Ask students to share their Venn Diagrams in pairs or small groups. Circulate and see what they have unfolded.
3. Classroom Discussion: "If we can find connections after one day, how many connections will we find after one week or one month?" Let kids discuss and answer--can do in small groups or as a whole class. Be honest with them...we may not always know exactly what PBL will look like this year, but we are invested in their learning and making connections. However, we will need students invested, willing to work hard, and get creative.
4. Learning Targets: It is crucial that we set out clear learning goals for all of our projects but also keep our eyes open to possibilities...we are going to use a video to demonstrate a clear learning target.
(This video is 54 seconds long. It is called "The Awareness Test.")
The Awareness Test
What was the narrator's first direction to us? In other words, what was the first learning target?
As we were focused on that target only in that setting, what did we miss?
How many of you saw the "dancing bear" the first time? What happened when the narrator drew your attention to it? Were you able to see the bear and count at the same time? Is it possible for us to do two things at the same time?
5. Making Connections: It is crucial that we make connections to our lives and between our classes. On a separate sheet of paper, draw 6 mini Venn Diagrams and label them: 1) Math/Science 2) Math/Social Studies 3) Math/Language Arts 4) Language Arts/Social Studies 5) Language Arts/Science 6) Science/Social Studies. Write down what you know about each of those classes as well as what you do well in those content areas on each side of the Venn Diagram. For example, you may write down on a Math/Science Venn Diagram the following: Math: know times table, always have homework, do pretty well with grades; Science: hands-on, record observations, work with numbers, do well with grades. Then, in the middle, write down "the common ground" you see in those classes. For example: work with numbers, do well with grades.The purpose of this exercise is to help kids see some of the natural content connections as well as the "procedural" connections.
Share those brainstorms as a class and record if you have time.
6. Wrap Up: We have created a common definition of PBL over the past two days. We have also considered how PBL might apply to our current classes. Next week we will discuss how we will create a "log" or "portfolio" of our learning together.