And Project Based Learning
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At your tables, complete the KWL chart
◦ What do you know about Project Based Learning
◦ What do you wonder or want to know about PBL
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Time limit of 3 minutes
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Brief sharing for 2 minutes
“Problem-based and project-based learning (PBL) are approaches
that have enjoyed certain prominence within the changing
educational landscape over the past number of years. The PBLs
support the kind of inquiry and trandisciplinary thinking that is at
the heart of the PYP. Also, these approaches heavily support the
inclusion of ICT as a major catalyst and enabler in a learning
environment that seeks to develop students’ abilities to apply and
transfer what they have learned within new environment and
contexts.
Project-based learning – powered by contemporary technologies –
is a strategy certain to turn traditional classrooms upside down.
When students learn by engaging in real world projects, nearly
every aspect of their experience changes. Instead of following the
teacher’s lead, learners pursue their own questions to create their
own meaning. Does this not mirror some of the goals of the PYP
exhibition”? ~by Greg Curtis and Jason Cone
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Buck Institute for Education
◦ 1987 California, 1990’s focus on PBL
◦ www.bie.org
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Project Based Learning Explained video
◦ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMCZvGesRz8
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Aldrich Staff development page
◦ These links
◦ More on PBL
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Project Based Learning in the
Elementary Grades
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Significant Content
21st Century Skills
In-Depth Inquiry
Driving Question
Need to Know
Voice & Choice
Revision & Reflection
Public Audience
Project-Based Learning:
IB Primary Years Programme:
SIGNIFICANT CONTENT
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Focuses on teaching students important
knowledge and skills
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Requires students to learn and apply contentspecific skills/standards and knowledge in a
variety of contexts
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21ST CENTURY SKILLS
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Develops 21st century skills such as critical
thinking/problem solving, collaboration and
communication
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The learner profile is the IB mission statement
translated into a set of learning outcomes for the
21st century. The ten qualities of the learner
profile inspire and motivate the work of
teachers, students and schools, and serves as
the definition of international-mindedness.
IN-DEPTH INQUIRY
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Students are engaged in a rigorous, extended
process of asking questions, using resources
and developing answers.
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Requires students to use inquiry, research,
planning skill, critical thinking and problem
solving skills.
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The PYP follows an inquiry-based approach to
student learning (involving students in
questioning, exploration, research and critical
thinking to take ownership of their learning.
DRIVING QUESTION
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Organized around an open-ended Driving
Questions
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The teachers have the responsibility of framing
the inquiries at the beginning of the unit
through the questions they ask and/or the
provocations they provide (for example,
rearranging the learning environment). This is
also the opportunity for them to model explicitly
the asking of open-ended, driving questions
that will provide conceptual development.
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Knowledge is explored through 6 themes that
are important to all people around the world.
Units of inquiry incorporate district/state
standards.
Project-Based Learning:
IB Primary Years Programme:
NEED TO KNOW
• Students gain knowledge, understand
concepts and apply skills in order to answer
a Driving Question.
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The PYP presents a balanced curriculum that
emphasizes the development of the 5
essential elements: knowledge, concepts,
skills, attitudes and action.
VOICE AND CHOICE
• Students are allowed to make some choices
about the product to be created, how they
work and how they use their time guided by
the teacher
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Inquiry in the PYP is recognized as allowing
student to be actively involved in their own
learning and to take responsibility for that
learning.
REVISION AND REFLECTION
• Includes processes for revision and reflection
• Incorporates reflection activities that lead
students to think critically about their
experiences and to link those experiences to
specific learning standards
•
Students reflect on their roles and
responsibilities as learners and become
actively involved in their education
PUBLIC AUDIENCE
• Students present their work to other people,
beyond their classmates and teachers
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Successful inquiry leads to responsible
action initiated by the students as a result of
the learning process.
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Assessment is an important part of each unit
of inquiry as it both enhances learning and
provides opportunities for students to reflect
on what they know, understand and can do.
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Authentic and performance based
assessments
Traditional Classroom
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Teacher-centered
Teacher-directed
Listen, memorize, repeat
Independence
Teacher decision making
Direct instruction
Short isolated lessons with
predetermined answers
Standards-based
Assessment tests
School-based activities
Quizzes & Tests
PYP/PBL Classroom
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Student Centered
Self-directed
Discover, apply, present
Collaboration
Students & Teacher
decision making
Varied instructional
strategies
Long-term investigations
Standards-based
Ongoing assessments
Real-world connections
Reflection
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In this project, young students take on the role of
botanists, exploring the question, How does the
world change during the school year? They record
observations and collect data on tree changes during
each season. Later in the project, the students share
their findings with the Arbor Day Foundation and
compare the effects of seasonal changes with e-pals
in Australia.
In this project, social studies students assume the
roles of staffers to a US ambassador working in a
developing country. They research a country and
debate issues related to determining how to spend a
humanitarian aid budget. During this project,
students consider the question, How can individuals
made a difference in the world?
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In this project, students answer the question How
can we diagnose a sick patient and recommend the
best treatment? by playing the role of medical school
students. They learn about body systems and then
research and gather more information on the human
body in order to present their analysis and
conclusions to a panel of adults in the role of
medical school professors.
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After receiving a request from the principal, students
work in teams to propose rules for different areas of
the school in answer to the question What rules and
consequence should we have at our school?
Students generated questions, reviewed other
school’s discipline plans and interviewed other
students, teachers and administrators in order to
create individual student posters and team video
commercials to persuade the school to adopt their
proposed rules.
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In this project, students work in teams to generate research
questions, read about and document observations of local
woodland animals in order to answer the question How can we
create a picture book about the life cycles of creatures in
Oldham County? After creating a watercolor illustrated book
with text about local animals, they present their work to
representatives of the County Conservation District and
display their book in the Conservation District Office.
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In this project, students will create an opinion piece for the
state government web page on state tourist attractions as they
answer the question, What is most special or unique about the
geography of The Golden State? After developing questions
and researching the physical and human geographic features
that define places and regions in California, they will write
opinion pieces stating details and conclusions supporting their
findings.
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Increased motivation to learn
Builds critical thinking, collaboration, creativity and
communication
Technology integration
Relevant, meaningful real world connections
Civic participation & global awareness-action
Increased academic achievement
Increased engagement in learning
Improved knowledge retention
Benefits all students (learning levels & styles)
Improved higher-order thinking
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Think back to KWL chart
◦ Leave on tables
◦ Refer back later
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What are you still wondering about/want to
learn
◦ Write on exit slip
◦ Hand to Rebecca on way out