Jan. 9-13, 2017

Each Friday we post a list of articles, blog posts, and other resources we’ve run across that relate to Project Based Learning.

Here’s what we liked this week:

Shadow a Student Challenge
Shadowastudent.org
Visit this site to register and get materials to join over 2500 school leaders who will be following a student through their day, between Feb. 2-17, to learn what school is like from a student’s perspective. I’m guessing many leaders will find out how un-engaging and un-creative it is—and perhaps consider PBL as an antidote. (We’d LOVE to have guest blog posts about this; please submit it here.)

Superintendents: The lessons we learned in 2016
eSchoolNews
One of the superintendents here writes that she’s seen “a dramatic increase in student participation, quality learning, and real-world application” with PBL and a STEAM focus. A key lesson learned: pre-built curriculum resources help, but allow for flexibility when teaching the projects.

Remaking the K12 Classroom
District Administration
How the superintendent of Albemarle County Public Schools in Virginia has infused principles from the maker movement into all of their schools, including PBL, student voice and choice, real-world/community problem-solving, and less emphasis on testing.

'Mom, You Don't Get It. They Only Do Stuff for the Grade.'
Education Week
This teacher’s post tells how she started an independent study course at a high school but found that students were lost when asked to choose their own research topic and work independently, because they were so used to teachers planning everything for them. (PBL to the rescue!)

4 Things All Project-Based Learning Teachers Should Do
TeachThought
Lauren Ayer offers very helpful advice: I especially like “help students develop questions” and “help students think like an expert.”

The Antidote to Extremism
Educational Leadership/ASCD
This article by Anthony Jackson of the Asia Society calls for teaching global competence because it “results in a cultural shift—one that encourages analysis and reflection, communication and action.” He gives several examples of projects that do just that.

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