PBL Course Syllabus 2024

PROJECTBASED LEARNING

MODERN AMERICAN SCHOOL

project bAsed leArniNg cOurse

Welcome to your Project Based Learning course! This method revolutionizes your teaching, transforms your classroom culture, and boosts your students’ engagement and learning. This syllabus is interactive. Click on any of its elements to navigate it. Please read the “Introduction and Objectives,” as well as the preparation materials for Session #1, before the course starts.

PREPARATION

bonus & bibliogrAPHY

INTRODUCTION

COURSE SESSIONS

Become familiar with the goals and general information of the course.

Check out different resources (texts, videos, podcasts, etc.) before each session.

Go to the course sessions to see the slides and materials in your own device.

Continue learning! Access the sources and tools that make up this course.

introDucTiOn

START

INTRODUCtIoN

Project Based Learning is a teaching method in which students learn by actively engaging in real-world and personally meaningful projects. It is one of the teaching methods that responds to the shortcomings of traditional education systems. In a changing, technological, and globalized world, the passive transmission of knowledge doesn’t adequately prepare students for the challenges that they are likely to face in their lives. Nowadays, critical thinking, collaboration, assertive communication, leadership, and creativity are essential skills for personal and professional success. PBL fosters the development of these skills through students’ engagement and interaction with rigorous academic content, achieving both goals at the same time. This is the reason why it is an ideal method to meet the current needs of Education.

CONTINUE

COURSE OBJECTIVES

AT THE END OF THE COURSE, PARTICIPANTS WILL BE ABLE TO...

IMPLEMENT

teaching practices and strategies to guide students while learning through PBL.

DESIGN

high-quality Project Based Learning units that incorporate its essential design elements.

UNDERSTAND

what exactly is Project Based Learning and how it differs from other methods and techniques.

EVALUATE

student learning through practices and tools consistent with PBL principles.

general aspects

learn the logistics and instructions to be super prepared for the course.

session components

dates & schedule

Each session consists of 2 moments: theory and workshop.

The course will take place from June 10 to June 13, from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

+INFO

+INFO

materials

preparation

There are resources that you’re encouraged to check out before each session.

You need to bring some materials to participate in the course activities.

+INFO

+INFO

preparation

session 3

session 2

session 4

session 1

Creative schools

Read an excerpt from the book written by Ken Robinson.

IS YOUR LESSON A GRECIAN URN?

Listen to the podcast episode of The Cult of Pedagogy.

5 keys to rigorous pbl

Watch the video produced by Edutopia.

PREPARATION FOR...

SESSION 1

To prepare for the first session, you must choose at least 3 of the resources presented in this choice board. This is a "noughts and crosses" choice board, which means that you must choose 3 resources in a straight line: vertical, horizontal, or diagonal. Please read/watch/listen/browse the 3 resources of your choice. The 3 resources marked in orange are especially important to kick off the course. Make sure to at least read one of them thoroughly.

WHAT SCHOOL COULD BE

Browse the website and explore one of the innovation playlists.

Futurewise

Read an excerpt from the book written by David Perkins.

What the heck is pbl?

Listen to the podcast episode of The Project by PBL Works.

Watch the video produced by Edutopia.

PROJECTS AND Project based

Most likely to succeed

Read an excerpt from the book written by Tony Wagner.

Read the blog post by Jennifer Gonzalez of The Cult of Pedagogy.

PBL: Start here!

Right Question Institute

Browse the website of the Right Question Institute.

How to create a pbl lesson

Listen to the podcast episode of The Cult of Pedagogy.

real-world connections

Watch the video produced by Edutopia.

PREPARATION FOR...

SESSION 2

To prepare for the second session, you must choose at least 3 of the resources presented in this choice board. The resource at the center, the article titled “Gold-Standard PBL: Essential Project Design Elements” is mandatory: you must read it first. Then, choose 2 of the other resources to complement your preparation for the session.

HIGH TECH HIGH UNBOXED

Watch some of the videos of High Tech High's Youtube channel.

GOLD STANDARD PBL: DESIGN

Read the article that explains the Gold Standard model of PBL.

an ethic of excellence

Read an excerpt from the book written by Ron Berger.

Browse the project library of High Tech High. Read 3 projects.

High tech highlibrary

projects core to learning

Watch the video produced by Edutopia

Read the PBL framework developed by High Quality PBL.

HQPBL

HOW TO SCAFFOLD IN PBL

Read the article written by PBL Works.

Read the article written by Drew Hirshon of PBL Works.

4 WAYS TO BUILD A PBL CULTURE

27 tips to manage the messy middle

Read the article written by John Larmer of PBL Works.

PREPARATION FOR...

SESSION 3

To prepare for the third session, you must choose one resource of each color: red, blue, and green. 

The resources are color-coded by topic:

• Red - PBL teaching practices (theory)
• Blue - PBL teaching practices (videos)
• Green - PBL teaching practices (tips)

You must check out at least one resource of each topic.

project based teaching

Watch some of the videos of the PBL Works playlist.

GOLD STANDARD PBL: TEACHING

Read the article that explains Gold Standard teaching practices.

EL Education library

Browse through the "Classroom Instruction" videos. Watch 3 videos.

structuring collaboration

Watch the video produced by Edutopia.

TELLING THE STORY OF LEARNING

Watch the video produced by Edutopia

Watch the video produced by Edutopia.

FACILITATING LEARNING

AN ETHIC OF EXCELLENCE

Read an excerpt from the book written by Ron Berger.

THE POWER OF AUDIENCE

Read the article published by the ASCD.

how can students self-assess

Read the article written by Ki Sung of Mindshift Education.

PREPARATION FOR...

SESSION 4

To prepare for the final session, you must choose at least 3 of the resources presented in this choice board.

 This is an “asterisk” choice board, which means that you must choose 3 resources in a straight line that necessarily passes through the center. The article titled "From Degrading to De-Grading" is mandatory. *A note on the mandatory text: Alfie Kohn is a thought-provoking author. He is quite radical, but his viewpoint is worth reading as long as you do so with an open mind.

DREAM TEAMS IN GREENFIELD MODEL

Watch the video produced by Transcend Education.

from degrading to de-grading

Read the article written by Alfie Khon.

grades have a huge impact

Listen to the podcast episode of Mindshift Education.

Read the article written by John Larmer of PBL Works.

6 Ways to celebrate

EMBEDDING ASSESSMENT

Watch the video produced by Edutopia

Listen to the podcast episode of The Cult of Pedagogy.

Rubric repair

course sessions

START

Course sessions

This course is organized in four sessions. The first session is devoted to the deep understanding of the definition of PBL. The following sessions correspond to the 3 basic moments in any teaching method: designing, implementing, and evaluating. Remember that there are resources that you’re encouraged to check out before each session.

designing

evaluating

defining

IMPLEMENTING

In the first session, we will understand the need for PBL and define it.

In the second session, we will identify the essential design elements of PBL.

In the fourth session, we will learn the alternatives to evaluate learning in PBL.

In the third session, we will explore the role of the teacher in PBL.

START!

PREPARE

START!

PREPARE

START!

PREPARE

START!

PREPARE

SESSION #1

DEFINING PROJECT BASED LEARNING

Why have changes in Education become urgently necessary? What exactly is PBL and how does it differ from other methods and techniques?

• Theory
• The origin, purpose, and future of Education
• PBL Definition
• Project vs. Project Based Learning
• The 4 Phases of PBL

• Workshop
• Choosing a PBL Topic

START

PREPARE

SESSION #2

DESIGNING PROJECT BASED LEARNING

How do you plan and design a high quality PBL unit? What are some of the truths and misconceptions about PBL?

• Theory
• Essential Design Elements of PBL
• PBL Models and Quality Analysis
• Truths and Misconceptions about PBL

• Workshop
• PBL Planner
• Core Design: Learning Goals, Driving Question, Public Products

START

PREPARE

SESsion #3

implementing project based learning

How does the teacher's role change when teaching with PBL? What are the practices that teachers need to implement PBL successfully?

• Theory
• Review: PBL Design Elements
• PBL Teaching Practices
• Routines, Procedures, and Protocols

• Workshop
• Refine the Driving Question
• Get Feedback: Praise - Question - Suggest
• Next Step!: PBL Milestones

START

PREPARE

SESsion #4

evaluating learning in pbl

How is learning evaluated in PBL? What role do public presentations and celebration play in transforming the culture of assessment?

• Theory
• Different Types of Evaluation
• Alternative Evaluation Models
• Transformation of the Assessment Culture: Feedback, Reflection, Presentation, Celebration
• Workshop
• Core Design Revised
• Gallery Walk

START

PREPARE

bonus & bibliography

start

BonUs

&bibliograPHY

The bonus session is optional and asynchronous: Please consider watching (and discussing with colleagues) the documentary film Most Likely to Succeed. Moreover, in this section you will find links to the resources and bibliography of the course. Mastering PBL requires ongoing learning and practice. As you kick off your PBL journey, you will probably want to review and revisit the course materials. This is the right place to go to. Remember that you are not alone! There are lots of authors and organizations that provide information, examples, and tools that will help you along the way. Keep learning and enjoy the ride!

NOW WHAT?

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bonus

MATERIALS

Documentary film "Most Likely to Succeed"

Where to go to continue learning

Documents, templates, and annexes used in the course

List of resources

BONUS

"most likely to succeed" documentary film

Would you like to see PBL in action? "Most Likely to Succeed" is a documentary film that gives you a glimpse into everyday life at High Tech High, a completely project-based school in California. While the film focuses on high school, it will still allow you to get a feel for PBL, its desgin elements, teaching practices, and (most importantly), the culture and atmosphere it creates at the schoolwide level.

EXPLORE HIGH TECH HIGH'S WEBSITE. IT HAS A PROJECT LIBRARY THAT YOU MIGHT FIND VERY USEFUL!

EXPLORE TED DINTERSMITH'S WEBSITE. HE IS THE PRODUCER OF THE FILM AND A THOUGHT LEADER IN EDUCATION.

WATCH THE DOCUMENTARY FILM "MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED."

KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING! COMMENT THE FILM WITH YOUR COLLEAGES.

now what?

WHERE SHOULD I GO TO CONTINUE LEARNING?

These are the most important organizations that have developed materials and resources to support teachers with sucessful PBL implementation. There are lots of options to continue your learning journey!

high techhigh

el education

PBL Works

edutopia

cult of pedagogy

Visibile Learning Toolkit

Right question institute

MATERIALs

documents, formats, and annexes

The following interactive board will take you to the documents, templates and annexes that we used throughout the course. Keep studying and using them and make the most out of them!

transcend current trends in education cards

pbl works project planner

pbl essential design elements interactive board

list of protocols

project vs. pbl chart

pbl works tubric

expeditionary learning selection of k-2 pbl models

pbl works k-2 presentation rubric

pbl works project path infographic

pbl teaching practices interactive board

pbl works essential pbl design elements checklist

assessment escape game

bibliography

LIST OF SOURCES

This is the list of sources that make up the course preparation materials and inspire the content and slides of the course sessions:

• Berger, R. (2003). An Ethic of Excellence: Building a Culture of Craftsmanship with Students. United States: Heinemann.
• Edutopia. (2014, July 15). Facilitating Learning in a Student-Driven Environment (Keys to PBL Series Part 4) [Video]. https://www.edutopia.org/video/facilitating-learning-student-driven-environment-keys-pbl-series-part-4
• Edutopia. (2014, July 16). Embedding Assessment Throughout the Project (Keys to PBL Series Part 5) [Video]. https://www.edutopia.org/video/embedding-assessment-throughout-project-keys-pbl-series-part-5
• Edutopia. (2018, October 18). Projects and Project-Based Learning: What's the Difference [Video]. https://www.edutopia.org/video/projects-and-project-based-learning-whats-difference

• González, J. (Host). (2016, October 30). Is Your Lesson a Grecian Urn? (No. 54) [Audio podcast episode]. In Cult of Pedagogy. Libsyn. https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/grecian-urn-lesson
• González, J. (Host). (2020, February 16). How to Create a Project Based Learning Lesson (No. 139) [Audio podcast episode]. In Cult of Pedagogy. Libsyn. https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/project-based-learning-lesson/
• Kohn, A. (1999, March). From Degrading to De-Grading. High School Maganize. https://www.alfiekohn.org/article/degrading-de-grading/
• Larmer, J. (2020, July 22). Gold Standard PBL: Essential Project Design Elements. PBL Works. https://www.pblworks.org/blog/gold-standard-pbl-essential-project-design-elements
• Larmer, J. (2021, March 4). 27 Tips for Managing the "Messy Middle" of a Project. PBLWorks. https://www.pblworks.org/blog/27-tips-managing-messy-middle-project
• Levy, S. (2008, June 1). The Power of Audience. ASCD. https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/the-power-of-audience
• Miller, A. (2017, August 30). In Search of the Driving Question. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/search-driving-question

• PBLWorks. (2021). Project Based Learning Handbook for Middle & High School.
• Perkins, D. (2014). Futurewise: Educating Our Children for a Changing World. United States: Jossey-Bass.
• Right Question Institute. (2021). What is the QFT? https://rightquestion.org/what-is-the-qft-2

• Robinson, K. (2016). Creative Schools. United States: Penguin Books.
• Transcend. (2017, May 15). Dream Teams in the Greenfield Model. [Video]. https://www.transcendeducation.org/insights-innovation-and-change-management/dream-teams-in-the-greenfield-model
• Wager, T., & Dintersmith, T. (2016). Most Likely to Succeed. United States: Scribner.

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