Project Based Learning Discussion Forum

Let’s Make World A Better Place

2012-06-26T02:13:20-08:00

Subject/Course:Business/Commerce/Management/Marketing

Grade Level:11-12

Project Idea:Let’s Make World a Better Place is a competition which takes place among Business Students of Grade 11-12 of The Galaxy Education system ( India) every year. The main idea behind the project is to make students think critically and come up with an innovative product, which is socially useful. Students have to work in group of 5-7 and they have to create an entire marketing plan ( Newspaper and Magazine advertisement, radio jingle, television advertisement, website) to launch their product in front of fellow students, teachers and judges in an auditorium. Students are encouraged to make a working model of their innovative product. This project has integration of subjects - Language, ICT, Product Engineering, Law (Intellectual Property Rights), Consumer psychology, Marketing, Business, Business Ethics, Film making etc.
The main driving idea behind this project is to make business students aware about the possibility of creating products which can help make world a better place. I call them ‘Creative Capitalists’.

Major Products:
Students will be coming up either with the product idea( if the product is complex and they cannot convert the idea into a working model of the product) or the working model of the product which is socially useful. Moreover, Each team will have an entire marketing plan to launch the product. Students will write the scripts and record their own jingles and shoot their own advertisement for television. (They write the script, dialogues, act, shoot, edit , add audio to the advertisement)

Driving Question:
As Business students, how can we make this world a better place?

Content:
For example, last year one of the teams had come up with a product idea - Chalkster which absorbs and coverts the chalk dust into reusable chalk again. ( In my country, many rural area schools are still using chalk and blackboard and many teachers are suffering from asthma or bronchitis because of the continuous inhaling of chalk dust)

This year one of the product is a software which converts any laptop screen or white board into an interactive one ( touch screen) This idea can change the rural school scenario.The cost of the product was 1/100th of the interactive boards/smart boards.

21st Century Skills:Students have to look around their environment and convert the problem into a solution by thinking innovatively.Team of 5-7 people will bring in variety of skills and they will have to collaborate and work in teams in order to come up with the best product. Creativity, collaboration and critical thinking are at the core of this project.

Entry Event:
The entire project and the expectation out of this project are narrated to the students. The deadlines are given. After that students are given the freedom to choose their own team mates. Mixed teams ( seniors, juniors, boys and girls) are encouraged. Students will have to register their team through online form which is available on teacher’s E-classroom.

Public Audience:
Students will be presenting their project to their fellow students, teachers and judges. Usually judges are the experts representing various areas like Marketing and Advertising, Engineer, Young Entrepreneurs etc.

Does anyone know of any examples of homeschool co-ops using pbl with multiage groups?

2011-05-17T11:20:50-08:00

Hi everyone,
I’ve come to pbl from a homeschooling perspective. It’s very much like the type of learning that I always wanted for my children. And our local schools don’t do this type of learning anyway so it’s up to me to see that they get it.

I’d like to start a co-op of sorts to do pbl type projects with multiage groups. Does anyone have any information about groups like this that I might contact?

Thank you!
Tracy

Purely Literary PBL?

2011-07-03T21:59:25-08:00

I am new to PBL, with one year in a PBL school under my belt; I understand the big picture very well and am now trying to integrate the finer points into my own curriculum. With that being said, can a literature-based project ever be a TRUE PBL? There are several listings in your ELA Project search, for example, of performances of various Shakespeare plays, all with their own purposes and methods, activities, and driving questions. I did a similar project this past year with Romeo & Juliet. However, in reviewing the materials on PBL, I am having trouble reconciling this (or any other unit focused solely on literature) with the purposes of PBL, mostly due to the line of inquiry requirement. As an English teacher I have no problem creating a good driving question, even though it may not be as explicitly “real-life” as more that of more practical subjects. The literature I choose is based on themes that are relevant to my students lives; that is generally the focus and purpose of the PBL. However, the line of inquiry doesn’t seem to fit no matter how I consider the project. Does this not qualify as PBL, and if so, is there a suggested way to modify it?

What does this mean? When will I use this?

2010-04-06T08:16:49-08:00

Check out Mathalicious and tell us what you think.

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SAMPLE LESSON

Project Title:: iRun Faster

Project Idea: In this lesson, we’ll do an experiment to find out whether there’s a relationship between music tempo and running speed.

Driving Question: Does listening to music help you run faster?

Entry Event It starts off with an interesting discussion…In 2009, Jennifer Goebel won the women’s 26.2-‐mile Milwaukee marathon…and was immediately disqualified. Why? The Answer is on the handout at http://www.mathalicious.com/?p=794

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“What does this mean? When will I use this?”

If you’re a math teacher, you’ve probably heard these questions before. We’re here to help you answer them.

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How to assess implementation of PBL?

2010-02-19T18:43:38-08:00

hello my name is Maria Cristina’m teaching in PBL, we are currently looking for strategies to design a tool to identify, assess and evaluate the educational work also the implementation of the process of PBL at the university. I want to know if there is any tool for this purpose?
Thanks for your help
Sincerely
Maria Cristina

What are some Global PBL ideas?

2010-09-21T15:08:01-08:00

Here is a list of ideas for projects, mostly at the secondary level, in math, science, social studies, World Languages, English, the arts, CTE, and even P.E. Please feel free to add to the list my commenting below.

Miscellaneous Project Ideas for Global Education in Various Subjects

English/Language Arts
• Students write short stories, poems, or screenplays for videos they produce, that tell something about current American society and culture, for an audience of students in another country
• Students read nonfiction accounts and fiction from various countries to compare how young people in different places face similar challenges, then present their analysis to an audience

World History
• The United Nations, World Court, or other international institutions could be the setting for project scenarios in which students conduct investigations into past influences on current issues, then recommend policies or hold mock meetings to negotiate agreements/actions
• Students can take the role of people in the past who faced a problem, re-creating the “solution” that was reached (e.g., the Treaty of Versailles after WWI; the Nuremburg Trials after WWII; dealing with colonialism and post-colonial issues in the developing world)

U.S. History
• Various foreign policy case studies from the past – or current issues – could become projects whose goal is to evaluate U.S. policies and/or recommend solutions to problems, culminating with debates, panel discussions, role-play events, simulations, or presentations

Civics/Government
• Various nation-building case studies could be projects that study issues and concepts about comparative forms of government and how to sustain democracy

Economics
• Consultants to a large corporation recommend where in the world it should manufacture a product
• Trade representatives from two or more nations negotiate an agreement
• Students evaluate the pros and cons of NAFTA and other international trade agreements and stage a debate among various stakeholders

Science
• Various international issues (e.g., climate change; habitat loss/endangered species; cross-border air pollution; use of genetically engineered crops in the developing world) could be the focus of projects in which students take the role of scientists presenting findings and making recommendations, or policymakers evaluating data from scientists
• Students analyze the possibility of natural disasters (earthquake, flood, volcanic activity, etc.) striking various places across the world, evaluating their potential severity and effects
• Students learn how scientists around the world collaborate and take part in (or re-create) an actual international effort

Math
• Various world travel-planning projects could involve the use of algebra
• Students take the role of a financial advisor whose client is moving to a city in another country and needs advice on the cost of living and other financial considerations.
• Students take the role of an official in the government of another country preparing a statistical report on a topic such as education, demographic trends, economic data, etc. The end product can be a presentation with graphs and written descriptions of significant findings.
• Students take the role of a statistician researching population trends for a country, region, or the world. The level of sophistication of the project will depend upon the mathematical level of the students. The end product can be a presentation, written report with appropriate graphs, or webpage of the findings.

World Languages
• Plan a strategy and create materials for a U.S. company that wants to draw more customers from a particular culture/nation/language group to its tours of local attractions, history and culture
• Write and produce a video (or stage a live version) of a newscast or a drama (e.g., a telenovena) from another country
• Create podcasts in another language that young people visiting your community (or the nearest appropriate place) as tourists might like to listen to

Arts
• Investigate the Driving Question, “How are artists influenced by art from other places?” and create a presentation and/or an original work that shows an influence from another culture.
• Investigate the Driving Question, “Who owns art?” and recommend whether a museum should keep art from a country that wants it back

Career/Tech Ed
• Students in the role of travel agents plan a trip for a client with a particular interest (e.g., surfing around the world; tasting exotic food; visiting World Heritage sites; interest in natural features, etc.)
• Students in the role of customer service consultants help a business create a training program for its employees who need to interact with people from various nations and cultures
• Students in the role of business consultants recommend ways for a resort operator or tourism company to develop policies and practices for “sustainable tourism” in various parts of the world
• Students create content for a website that helps people in other countries understand something about the students, their lives & culture, etc.

Physical Education
• Students plan a “World Games Day” for the school featuring unusual games from around the world

What has worked for you in creating a PBL school culture that embodies great 21st century learning and great citizenship?

2010-12-08T09:25:09-08:00

What has worked for you in creating a PBL school culture that embodies great 21st century learning and great citizenship? Because I don’t think it happens by default.

What resources have proven successful at the start to create this positive school climate?

What is the relationship between technology use and PBL ?

2009-07-30T14:05:50-08:00

Findings suggests that the same teachers who use the most PBL also tend to use the most technology.
Here is a research snapshot from our site.

How do we understand this?

Conducting projects may stimulate use of technologies (for research, production of materials, presentations, collaboration, etc.)
At the same time, technologies may facilitate use of PBL (making projects easier to find, manage, assess, etc.)

To make matters worse, some teachers or schools may just be more innovative, or otherwise inclined toward using both new technologies and PBL.
This may “explain away” the relationship somewhat, but not entirely.

What do you think? How do you use technologies to support PBL?

Jason

ISTE 2010, Denver (June 29, 2010)

SITE 2010, San Diego(April 2, 2010)

is there any any idea to make a project for green energy?

2011-10-03T10:31:59-08:00

What do you think about my question above? Please reply with your thoughts.

I would to know more about how can I be rich?

2012-09-21T22:57:53-08:00

I would like to know more about how can I be rich. If anyone know about this please help me to know about the topic.
how can I be rich