Driving questions (DQ) can be a beast. When I train teachers, they say the same thing, "Writing the Driving question is one of the hardest parts of an effective PBL." I agree. When I am constructing a DQ for a PBL project, I go through many drafts. It's only now, after implementing many projects and having coached countless teachers that I consider myself adept.
True Project Based Learning is a process that puts the student at the center of their learning. In this post I wish to share with you some of the top sites I found on the internet that promote true PBL. Since my research I have bookmarked a few more and will be sharing those in a later post. Please share this post with others and as you find other outstanding sites on the internet that refer to PBL, please share with me. Your comments are always appreciated!
Many teachers and administrators -- not to mention the general public -- might have the wrong impression of PBL. Maybe they have stereotypical views of what a "project" is, or they've seen poor examples of it in the past. Or they can't imagine how it could fit in today's landscape of standards and testing ("Oh yeah, we did that in the 90's, but things were different then.")
Here are some common misconceptions and how you could respond with a "fact check" if you're trying to explain or defend PBL.
The Buck Institute for Education (BIE) received a generous grant from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation to help promote and provide deeper learning opportunities for teachers and students. Recognizing that 11,000 teachers will participate in BIE's 3-day PBL 101 workshop in 2012, the Hewlett Foundation helped BIE expand its professional development resources and expertise online. Now BIE can work with every school and every teacher through PBL University (PBLU).
"Welcome to PBL-Online, a one stop solution for Project Based Learning! You'll find all the resources you need to design and manage high quality projects for middle and high school students"
With assessment and content standards at the forefront of learning, teachers use project approaches to engage students in authentic work and develop 21st- century skills of collaboration, problem solving and critical thinking. When well-designed, project-based curriculum can yield high quality results for students and a rewarding experience for teachers.
"A project-based approach to science and math activities is enjoyable for every student and teacher involved. Fun activities, supported by making connections with concepts promote learning. Over the past decade an increasing number of studies have shown the positive impact of project-based learning on student achievement."
Project-based approaches engage students in deeper content area knowledge and develop 21st century skills such as collaboration, problem-solving, and critical thinking.
This is an online course for teachers who want to improve their classroom instruction. We're glad you've decided to participate in this exciting and challenging learning experience. The goal of this course is to help teachers improve student achievement by implementing research-based instructional strategies supported by the effective use of technology.