Questions re PBL 1:
1. How does PBL cover the state standards, the
TEKS, and all the required content?
2. How do you assess student performance?
Only presentation based?
3. What is needed to train teachers effectively for
PBL? Who will provide PD?
4. How do PBL schools do on state accountability?
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2.
3.
4.
5.
Questions re PBL 2:
Bob Pearlman
How do you incorporate the unmotivated student? What is the target population?
What is the best classroom size and school size for PBL 21 st Century
Schools?
What obstacles did you find with teacher, parent, and student buy in during the transition process to open these new high schools? Obstacles for opening a PBL 21 st Century School (extra-curricular, collaborative teams, students lacking “school fundamentals)
Barriers to Implementation (facilities, selling ideas to the public, selection of and PD of teachers, limited number of students (capacity), unsuccessful New Techs?)
Stringinator : Give us a thumbnail sketch about the evolution of PBL, including something interesting about its inception. What convinced you personally to begin your research in this fascinating area of education?
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1

Questions re PBL 1:
1. How does PBL cover the state standards, the
TEKS, and all the required content?
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www.bie.org
BIE defines standards-focused
PBL as a systematic teaching method that engages students in learning knowledge and skills through an extended inquiry process structured around complex, authentic questions and carefully designed products and tasks.
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The finished product:
The finished product:
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3

The Process
Step 1: Cluster the standards
•Organize the standards in a chronological or thematic approach so the knowledge and skills build upon each other.
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The Process
Step 1: Cluster the standards
•Organize the standards in a chronological or thematic approach so the knowledge and skills build upon each other.
Step 2: Authentic scenarios and driving questions
Begin to brainstorm potential projects
– What is a scenario or complex problem that would require students to understand and be able to apply the standard?
– Where is this concept or skill used in real world work?
– How could you link the standard to popular culture or a scenario that might engage students?
– How could you link this standard or skill to community, national, or international events.
– What types of professionals are likely to use this skill or concept?
– What is a provocative Driving Question for your project that promotes student interest and directs students toward the projects goals and objectives?
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4

The Process
Step 1: Cluster the standards
•Organize the standards in a chronological or thematic approach so the knowledge and skills build upon each other.
Step 2: Authentic scenarios and driving questions
•Begin to brainstorm potential projects and driving questions for each project.
Step 3: Develop a scope for your projects
•Projects usually are shorter in the beginning of the semester 1-
2 weeks and increase in length throughout the semester
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The Process
Step 1: Cluster the standards
•Organize the standards in a chronological or thematic approach so the knowledge and skills build upon each other.
Step 2: Authentic scenarios and driving questions
•Begin to brainstorm potential projects and driving questions for each project.
Step 3: Develop a scope for your projects
•Projects usually are shorter in the beginning of the semester
(1-2 weeks) and increase in length throughout the semester
Step 4: Present your Ideas to your team
•At the next meeting you will present your ideas to a small group. You will discuss possible outside resources, adult audiences, scaffolding activities for students, etc.
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5

Questions re PBL 1:
2. How do you assess student performance?
Only presentation based?
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Getting to Self-Assessment
How can we help students become critical and engaged self-assessors of their own progress?
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6

1. Assess Students on what students value
New Tech HS
LEARNING OUTCOMES
• TECHNOLOGY LITERACY
• COLLABORATION
• CRITICAL THINKING
• ORAL COMMUNICATION
• Written Communication
• Career Preparation
• Citizenship and Ethics
• Curricular Literacy (Content
Standards)
INSTITUTIONAL LEARNING OUTCOMES
COMMUNICATION
CRITICAL THINKING & PROBLEM
SOLVING
GLOBAL AWARENESS &
CULTURAL COMPETENCE
INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY
LITERACY
QUANTITATIVE LITERACY
SCIENTIFIC LITERACY
PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY &
DEVELOPMENT
2. Let Students see their grades 24/7
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A REPORT CARD THAT MATTERS
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3. Let students see the grading criteria (rubrics)
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Questions re PBL 1:
3. What is needed to train teachers effectively for
PBL? Who will provide PD?
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Teachers
Training 1 Training 2
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Coach NTF Advocate
Teachers
Shadowing Training
Critical Friends Meeting of Minds All Schools Conf
Professional Learning Community
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What does a 21st Century Teacher need to know and be able to do?
• Design projects
• Facilitate; guide on the side
• Assessments
• Standards and projects
• Student-centered
• Teachers as learners
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Teachers at New Tech school are like
Project Managers in the workplace
• Manage an effective workplace environment
• Motivate employees
• Attend to the personal work needs of each employee to help them maximize their productivity
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2-week Summertime Curriculum Projects
Development Workshop
• Recommended
• Back at School Site
• Getting Ready for School
Opening
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2. Implementation
Ongoing professional development
• Every year for 3 years minimum
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24/7 – telephone, email, online, skype video discussion between coach and teacher
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2 times a year – regionally and/or nationally
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The Project
Library allows teachers in our network of schools to search, view and download projects that other teachers have found successful.
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• Shadowing
• 5-day training
• 2-week Curriculum Workshop
• on-site coaching
• help desk – 24/7 support from coach
• NTF advocate on site
• critical friends
• curriculum sharing
• meeting of the minds
• summer institute
• online curriculum discussions
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Benefits of Effective
Professional
Development
•Growing cadre of PBL
Master Teachers
•A district professional development and demonstration school for
21 st Century Learning
•District capacity to spread
PBL to other schools K-12 http://www.manorisd.net/newtech/TFI.html
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Questions re PBL 1:
4. How do PBL schools do on state accountability?
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Texas New Tech High Schools Data
2006-2009
• METSA, Carrolton Farmers Branch ISD
• Manor New Technology High School, Manor ISD
• Akins New Tech High School, Austin ISD
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Class of 2011
Class of 2012
Total
Students
86
91
Asian
4
7
Ethnicity
African
American Hispanic
5
4
58
56
White
19
24
Gender
Male
63
60
Female
23
31
G/T
12
19
Special Needs
LEP/
Monitored CM/BRS
9
3
2
6
FL/RL
34
28
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RL Turner Overall TAKS Results, 2007-2008
African American
American
Indian/Alaskan
Asian
Free and Reduced
9 th Grade
METSA - % of students meeting or exceeding
Reading Math
9 th Grade
RL Turner - % of students meeting or exceeding
Reading Math
87% 58%
100% 50%
100%
76%
88%
51%
Hispanic
Anglo
77%
96%
51%
83%
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African American
9 th Grade
METSA - % of students meeting or exceeding
Reading
100%
Math
83%
9 th Grade
RL Turner - % of students meeting or exceeding
Reading
87%
Math
58%
American
Indian/Alaskan
Asian
Free and Reduced
N/A
100%
87%
N/A
100%
72%
100%
100%
76%
50%
88%
51%
Hispanic
Anglo
84%
100%
74%
90%
77%
96%
51%
83%
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Manor New Technology High School
(outside of Austin, Tx)
DEMOGRAPHICS
• Latino:
• Asian
• Af. Amer
• Anglo + other
47%
1 %
24%
28%
• Free & Reduced Lunch 54%
• Special Ed 8%
• English Lang Learners 5%
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Reading and English/Language Arts
Manor High School
82%
Math
Manor High School
48%
Science
Manor High School
54%
Social Studies
Manor High School
81%
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Manor New Tech TAKS Results, 2008
Reading and English/Language Arts
Manor New Tech
91%
Manor High School
82%
Math
Manor New Tech
69%
Manor High School
48%
Science
Manor New Tech
80%
Manor High School
54%
Social Studies
Manor New Tech
95%
Manor High School
81%
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Akins New Tech High, Austin ISD
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Akins New Tech High, Austin ISD
English Language Arts
Akins New Tech High, Austin ISD
Mathematics
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Akins New Tech High, Austin ISD
Science
Akins New Tech High, Austin ISD
Social Studies
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Questions re PBL 2:
How do you incorporate the unmotivated student? What is the target population?
What is the best classroom size and school size for PBL 21 st
Schools?
Century
What obstacles did you find with teacher, parent, and student buy in during the transition process to open these new high schools? Obstacles for opening a PBL 21 st Century School (extra-curricular, collaborative teams, students lacking “school fundamentals)
Barriers to Implementation (facilities, selling ideas to the public, selection of and PD of teachers, limited number of students (capacity), unsuccessful New Techs?)
Stringinator : Give us a thumbnail sketch about the evolution of PBL, including something interesting about its inception. What convinced you personally to begin your research in this fascinating area of education?
55
Teachers (project designers) need to:
•Define the outcomes
•Develop evaluation tools
Guiding Questions:
How will students demonstrate these skills?
How will we measure these skills?
How will we ensure students reach proficiency in these skills before they graduate?
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Presentation/Product
Know/ Need to Know
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Presentation/Product
Rubric
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The Art Electric
Students must design and build a piece of art that has an electric circuit embedded in it. The circuit must invite the viewer of the art to interact with it; it must include both motors and lights; it must have some parts turn on while others are off; it must have a master
“kill” switch. Students must display their art in a public space, somewhere in the city.
Content standards: Ohm’s Law,
Systems of equations, Kirchoff’s
Laws, systems of equations, matrices
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Little People, Big World
Students, in partnership with TLC (The Learning
Channel) must design furniture to accommodate
Little People.
Content standards: Complementary, supplementary angles; ratios and proportions; similar triangles; physiology; genetics
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“The President’s Dilemma”
Due to a rapid rise in oil prices, the United States is facing a severe economic crisis with high levels of inflation, high unemployment, and slow economic growth . The
President, whose approval ratings are plummeting, has asked a Special Task Force of the Council of Economic
Advisors to recommend a policy to deal with the crisis without increasing the national debt . The (Student) Task
Force is asked to make an oral presentation with visual aides, outlining monetary and fiscal policy recommendations to a panel composed of representatives of various constituencies.
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Each unit begins when students are presented with a complex, standards-based problem
Students create a list of thing they “need to know” which drives classroom activities
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Groups establish roles and norms then begin to assign tasks
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Students use computers, text books, interviews, and experiments to gather information related to their “Need to
Dnows”
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Teachers continue to help student understand the subject with lectures, assignments, readings and other activities that are tied to the project
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Students create and refine solutions to the problem as they continue to cycle through the stages until time runs out
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Students present their ideas through debates, skits, panels, presentations, etc.
Their work is evaluated by peers, teachers, parents, and community members.
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A critical last step is to give students time to reflect on their learning, on their performance, and provide the teacher with feedback on the project.
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