Project Based Learning--Continued

I love talking to kids about their PBL projects and hearing that the project is "really hard" or it doesn't have really clear instructions.  Kids are designing their own learning and that is "really hard" for many of them to grasp.  They want us to tell them what to learn and how to do it.  This is how we "do" school.

I'm really proud of my teachers, all of whom have gone out on a limb to give kids a truly unique learning experience.  They are pioneers and are making awesome decisions for kids each day.  They know when to look back at the kid and say, "Wow, how WOULD you do that?"  Which goes against everything in a teacher's brain.

Wouldn't it be nice

Wouldn't it be nice if we could trade the desks in for tables and chairs, teach based upon kids' passions, and s l o w  d o w n?

PBL & Mobile Learning

PBL and Mobile Learning go hand in hand!  We are utilizing mobile learning through research during our PBL projects.  How exciting!

PBL

We embarked on a journey through Project Based Learning as an admin team and small campus pilot group this past semester.  What an amazing group of leaders, from my Assistant Principals to my teacher leaders.  I am continuously amazed by the powerof a few to make such an impact on a large group.  My kids benefitted from the teachers who were willing to let go, and they became willing as well.  What a great life lesson they learned from each other in that no matter your age, you can learn and teach others new things.
Thank you to my incredible team at BDJH, including teachers and students. I am in awe of you!

Five Realities/Challenges

From Will Richardson's discussion at a workshop last night.

5 Realities or Challenges to Education:

1. The ability to learn anytime, anywhere is pushing the boundaries of education. Students are "nodes in a broad network of distributed learning."


2. There is a movement to privitize education (online learning). If your goal is to pass the test, companies will reign over traditional schools.


3. Standardized tests are problematic and catastrophic to education and demeaning to the profession.


4. Technology is happening so fast! Teachers have no context for what to do with that different learning.


5. There is a disruption in thinking about higher education. Don't simply focus on "college readiness."

PBL Resources

http://bie.org
http://www.edutopia.org/project-based-learning
http://pbl-online.org/
twitter: #PBLChat

PBL Journey

We have been on a Project Based Learning (PBL) journey this spring! My 7th grade team is working through creation of PBL units for 6th 6-weeks. We just spent three days discussing, planning, plotting, researching, and making rubrics. I am so impressed with their determination and their inherent need to drive on and make it to the end! The excitement and fear they feel will be the same as their students!!!
Way to go, BDJH!