MCCESC Teaching & Learning

March: Project Based Learning

A Topic Well Worth Addressing

We spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to engage students. With COVID-19 restrictions on how we deliver instruction, our attempts to engage have needed to change while trying to make sure we aren't forcing them to spend even more time in front of screens.

Project Based Teaching is a great way to try to achieve the ever-allusive objective: Student Engagement. While this topic clearly includes a focus on Project Based Learning (PBL), it is also imperative that you consider using project-based assessments, and incorporate ways to design projects and assessments so that students can demonstrate learning via more engaging means (Project Based Teaching).

This month we are sharing information from a few excellent resources, and later on in the newsletter, we will invite you to share any PBL resources you find beneficial!

As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email us: tandlsupport@mccesc.org

Project Based Teaching Practices: Design & Plan

The short video below from the Buck Institute, shared in their PBL workshops, discusses the importance of designing and planning for PBT.

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Project Learning (and PBL) Choice Menu

Cult of Pedagogy (2014) describes choice boards and learning menus as "empowering students through choice while ensuring adherence to important learning goals."

Choice menus are designed to provide a variety of instructional options while students work toward learning goals. They give students the opportunity to select tasks that appeal most to them. While the teacher directs the process, the student is given control over his/her choice of options, order of completion, etc.

For the choice menu below, select a task from each area to extend your understanding of project-based teaching:

Appetizers (pick one)

Select a brief video about project learning to whet your appetite.

What is Project-Based Learning? by John Spencer (4:27)
Project-based learning: Explained by PBLWorks (3:49)
An Introduction to Project-Based Learning by Edutopia (3:34)

Main Dishes (pick one)

Select a reading to chew on and digest.

Preparing teachers for project-based teaching (March 25, 2019 by Grossman, Pupik Dean, Schneider Kavanagh, & Herrmann)
How to create a project based learning lesson (February 16, 2020 by Pieratt)
Project-based learning: Are you focused on the project or the learning? (July 14, 2018 by Martin)

Dessert (optional)

Choosing one of the following activities will help to solidify your understanding of project-based teaching by selecting and implementing already planned projects.

Additional PBL Resources

There are a number of fantastic PBL resources out there, so don't feel limited to the ideas and resources we've included, but we wanted to highlight one for you:

Project Based Teaching: How to Create Rigorous and Engaging Learning Experiences by Suzie Boss with John Larmer. In this book, the authors build on the framework for Gold Standard PBL originally presented in Setting the Standard for Project Based Learning and explore the seven practices integral to Project Based Teaching. For each practice, the authors present a wide range of practical strategies and include teachers' reflections about and suggestions from their classroom experiences.

We also have, on staff, a trained PBL educator. We will be offering PBL workshops later this year, including a virtual book study.

PBL Strategy Guides: Tips for Remote & Hybrid Learning

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Tell us about your PBL experience!

We would love to see your Project Based Learning / Teaching and/or Problem Based Learning resources! Feel free to share them below. This way others can use them or even see the great things happening with regards to PBL.

You can use the QR Code to the right, you'll need to use the camera on your mobile device, and you may need a QR Code Reader app installed.

OR

You can click on the Wakelet link: PBL Resources

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WE ARE HERE TO HELP

While we are not self-care experts, we can help you with instruction. Please reach out to us if you find yourself needing instructional or curricular help during these complicated times. We know that you have been inundated with resources, so we have worked to organize those for you. We are here to help.

tandlsupport@mccesc.org

MCCESC TEACHING & LEARNING PLO SITE

We have linked upcoming webinars and online workshops that are being offered to educators at no cost.