Project-Based LearningStrategic Plan Update Objective 1.1.1

Charlottesville City SchoolsSchool Board Presentation

April 10, 2014

The Buck Institute For Education defines PBL as… “a systematic teaching method that engages students in learning important knowledge and 21st century skills through an extended, student-influenced inquiry process structured around complex, authentic questions and carefully designed products and learning tasks.”

What is Project-Based Learning?

[PBL] is not the dessert you serve students so they can “have fun” or “get a hands-on experience” after a traditional unit of instruction. Instead, a project is the main course that organizes the unit… it’s helpful to think of the project as the unit.

In Other Words…

Coordinators presented to administrators and teachers

Two staff attended day-long training with national expert

Schools received copy of national expert’s book Coordinators offered content-specific PBL training

and resources Schools submitted PBL plans for review; feedback

was provided

PBL: Division Support

PBL: Essential Elements Checklist1. Significant Content

Scientific process, observation skills, record keeping

2. 21st Century Skills

Problem-solving, collaboration, communication

3. Driving Question What is turning the water brown?

4. In-depth Inquiry What experiment tells us if the leaves or the acorns are turning the water brown?

5. Need To Know Students checked the experiment each week and took pictures to document changes.

6. Voice & Choice Students generated the experiment, their hypotheses, and the weekly write-ups.

7. Revision & Reflection

Over time, students revised parts of the original experiment.

8. Public Audience Results were presented to classmates and beyond.

PBL: Elementary EconomicsFirst Graders Learned about

◦ Goods & services◦ Wants & needs ◦ Spending & saving

Opened a Marketplace ◦ Made projects to sell◦ Determined prices◦ Bought and sold◦ Evaluated their success

Second Graders Investigated

◦ Bartering systems◦ Advertising techniques◦ Ads, jingles, logos

Played Bartering Game ◦ Created a new cereal◦ Packaged and “sold” it

Third Graders Experimented and did

research using Jefferson’s gadgets and inventions

Presented work at a public forum at Monticello

Received feedback from local engineers and historians

PBL: Monticello STEM Design

Genius Hour at Two Schools Third & Sixth Graders

◦ Completed projects that… Were student initiated Had a plan for learning Involved research Required collaboration Included parent volunteers Culminated in a product or

demonstration

Evaluate the quality and effectiveness of current PBL units across grade levels and schools

Refine the process that has 5th, 8th, and 10th graders presenting their work to a community panel

Plan units for next school year

Next Steps

ePortfoliosStrategic Plan Update Objective 1.2.2

“An ePortfolio is a curated collection of digital artifacts representing hard work, creativity, and collaboration.”

“Cooper and Love (2007) describe ePortfolios as organized compilation of artifacts that demonstrate knowledge, skills, values, or achievement that articulate the relevance, credibility, and meaning of presented artifacts.”

What is an ePortfolio

ePortfolios ◦ Increases student engagement

Students become authors and publishers of content and are more likely to reflect on the content they create and share.

◦ Increases student participation By expanding the walls of the classroom, the learning

becomes more personal and authentic encouraging active student participation.

◦ Increases student digital citizenship Creating, managing, and representing oneself in a positive

manner on the web is an essential understanding.

Why ePortfolio?

Research models and platformsPresent to stakeholders & collect feedbackSelect Google Apps for EducationMigrate to Google Apps• Teachers/Staff Nov. 2012• Secondary students Nov. 2013• Elementary students Feb. 2014

Develop Portfolio TemplatePilot Student Portfolios• Buford Middle & Walker Upper Elementary

Establishing CCS ePortfolios

https://sites.google.com/a/charlottesvilleschools.org/ccs-student-portfolio/

Walker Elementary Mrs. Powell/Mrs. Plunkett Two English Classes – 35 Students 5-7 Writing Samples

Personal NarrativeExpository WritingNarrative EssayFiction Writing (Spooky Stories, Tall Turkey Tales)

Buford Middle Mr. Kenney/Mr. Jones Physical Science Class – 18 students Reflect on STEM Project & Labs

5 Labs ExperiencesSample

ePortfolio Pilot

Evaluate ePortfolio Pilot Implementation

Establish Grade Level Benchmarks◦ Types and Number of Artifacts◦ Specific Grade Level

Conduct ePortfolio Development Training

Next Steps