DEFINITION: According to the Buck Institute,
“Project Based Learning (PBL) is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an engaging and complex question, problem, or challenge.” What is Project Based Learning? The Buck Institute for Education (BIE) has identified the following key characteristics of quality PBL.
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Why use Project Based Learning?
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Excellent PBL Resources from BIE
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Additional Teacher Resources
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Google Apps for Education are great tools used by educators all over. Google offers several options to help make the PBL experience run smoothly. Click on the infographic to above to find out more.
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Keep it organized! PBL lessons focus on a variety of skills and can include multiple disciplines. It is important that students are able to work independently and stay on track to meet deadlines. PBLChecklist allows teachers to create custom checklists to help promote independent learning.
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Resources for students: PBL is much different from what students are used to and what parents and teachers remember about their own school experiences. The Buck Institute provides a large number of student handouts to help students plan, track work, reflect, and provide and receive feedback. They also have a parent letter that will help to explain what is happening in the classroom.
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Reflection is an important component for both the teacher and the students. Teachers can provide students with self-reflections, groups reflections, as well as individual and group conferences. Reflections should take place throughout the unit and at the end. It is important to note that reflections are not just for the student. Teachers must constantly reflect to improve their craft. Here, Stephani Itibrout a Medina High School English teacher reflects on the impact her project based learning unit had on her students and the Ohio community in which she teaches.
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