The challenges instructional leaders encounter when launching a project-based learning initiative often stem from a lack of vision setting. A well-defined vision for a project-based learning (PBL) initiative is essential.  The vision not only articulates the purpose and goals of the initiative but also aligns with the school's core values and broader educational objectives. It fosters a cohesive and focused approach to implementation, ensuring educators understand the expectations and engage in the process. This episode explores practical steps for creating and operationalizing a vision ..read more

In this fast-paced, ever-changing world, teachers must adapt their teaching methods to prepare students for the challenges they will face in the real world. One approach that has gained traction for its ability to cultivate critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and student engagement is project-based learning (PBL). However, implementing and sustaining a high-impact project-based culture within a school or district comes with challenges. In this episode, we'll explore the roadblocks often encountered in building a sustainable PBL culture and discuss strategies for overcoming these obstacl ..read more

Welcome to season 3! This series will focus on how to build a sustainable, high-impact, project-based culture at your school site or within your school district without overwhelming instructional leaders, teachers, and students. This series is designed for school leaders, professional development coordinators for districts, PBL coordinators, teacher mentors, or anyone serving in a role that supports current or aspiring project-based teachers.  It's been a while since our last season. So, in this episode, I will... Share what we've been up to (spoiler alert: supporting teachers to facil ..read more

Phase 2 of the Impactful PBL Roadmap™ is to map the scenario and write a driving question. The initial scenario structure will involve first determining what students will learn (i.e. standards), thinking of a theme or topic second, and then writing the driving question. The next step is to draft a scenario. I've noticed that most teachers can select standards, a theme, and compose a driving question, but some struggle with writing the scenario in its entirety. This episode will explore how to write a compelling scenario for a PBL unit. Resource: Read the accompanying article for this episode ..read more

As I support teachers to design project-based learning experiences, I notice confusion often arises during phase 5 of the Impactful PBL Roadmap™ planning process. Phase 5 is about creating students' daily learning experiences or lessons. Teachers are usually excited about exploring project-based learning as an instructional method. However, when asked why they haven't implemented project-based learning in their classroom as of yet or why they don't facilitate a project-based learning unit often, teachers typically state that time is a factor. I generally hear, "I don't have time for projects ..read more

An essential part of the project-based learning experience is producing a public product or artifact to showcase knowledge for an authentic audience. Depending on the PBL topic and driving questions, the audience could be peers, parents, or community members. Teachers often wonder what students can create for projects besides designing a poster or presentation. Students may also struggle to develop ideas without seeing examples or being given a list of examples of public products. This episode will explore utilizing the driving question to help students brainstorm public products to share thei ..read more

It is essential students buy into their project since they will be exploring their complex question or challenge over an extended time. While hooks for traditional lessons are typically short, less than ten minutes, project-based learning hooks may vary in length to sustain students' interest over a more extended period. A PBL hook typically occurs at the start of the unit, although it is not uncommon for teachers to integrate several ways to cultivate students' interest throughout the project. This episode will explore how to get students excited about the project-based learning topic. Resou ..read more

In traditional learning experiences, subject areas are taught in silos, and teaching often focuses on the "what" of a subject area. Students do not synthesize the material when they memorize parts of a cell in isolation or memorize the steps to solve a math problem without understanding why the process works. Educators know that knowledge should not be measured by simple content regurgitation. It is often encouraged to connect multiple content areas within lessons. This episode will explore how to promote STEM education during PBL. Resource: Read the accompanying article for this episode.  ..read more

We've all participated in a fundraiser at some point in our life, especially as a student. It seems kids bring home items to sell every year to support a team, club, or school. Although many students do not necessarily think about whether or not their fundraising efforts are supporting a cause, they gain some valuable skills during the process. You may be excited (or at least interested) in incorporating a fundraising component into your PBL curriculum, but wonder how to get started. As you can imagine, executing a successful fundraiser takes planning. This episode will explore how students ca ..read more

Project-based learning is an effective way to help students foster their social-emotional learning skills, especially during group collaboration. During phase eight of the Impactful PBL Roadmap™ planning guide, we focus on uniting students and building a collaborative culture. It’s easy to assume that all students enjoy collaborating, possess the skills to handle conflict effectively and understand how to interact with feedback. However, we must teach students how to contribute as effective group members. In this episode, we will explore how to create a dynamic group culture during project-bas ..read more