New Technology Foundation ™ PBL: What, Why, & How

New Technology Foundation ™www.newtechfoundation.org

PBL: What, Why, & How


Objectives for Today

• Have you experience part of a project.• Analyze your experience, and construct

an understanding of what PBL is• Provide some What, Why, and How

about PBL• Provide some resources for further

exploration


Background: THE BUCK INSTITUTE

• Conducts research on effectiveness of PBL strategies in the classroom.

• Developed a series of PBL units for Economics and is developing units for other Social Studies subjects.

• Developed a PBL Handbook to help teachers create their own PBL units.

• The principles behind the BIE model for PBL instruction are based on the approach used by Dr. Howard Barrows while at McMaster University in the 1960's to train medical students.


NEW TECHNOLOGY FOUNDATION

• Started from original New Tech High School in Napa, CA

• Helps districts and charters “replicate” the school in Napa.

• Mission: Change teaching and learning in America

• A school is coming to Albuquerque! 2010


PBL: What is it?


PBL vs. DOING PROJECTS

Projects: Large activities completed after the students have been pushed through homework assignments, lectures, and readings. Usually a culminating event for a unit or semester.

Textbook Activity

Lecture

Lecture

Writing Exercise

Writing Exercise

Peer Edit

Textbook Activity

Culminating Project


PBL vs. DOING PROJECTS

PBL: Students are pulled through the curriculum by a driving question or realistic problem that provides a “need to know”. Lectures, readings, and skill building are integrated into the problem as the students need the information.

Know/ Need to Know


Gestalt PBL

PROJECTPROJECTINFORMATIONINFORMATION

RESEARCH ANDRESEARCH ANDINVESTIGATIONINVESTIGATIONFORMALFORMAL

TEACHINGTEACHING

DRAFT DRAFT SOLUTIONSSOLUTIONS

REFLECTIONREFLECTION

FINALFINALPRESENTATIONSPRESENTATIONS

GROUPGROUPPLANNINGPLANNING

Teachers develop problems based on content standards

that students, working in teams, develop solutions to. Teachers provide coaching,

assignments and direct instruction to address

student needs.


Examples of Projects (from Buck)


PBL SUMMARY

• The project drives the curriculum by creating a need for the students to know the content

• Students work more autonomously on real or realistic work that has high stakes

• Evaluation is made more authentic with performance based measurements and is often conducted with the help of non-teachers


PBL: WHY DO IT?


Why Do PBL?

• Teaches other skills• Integrative• Authenticity• Connections outside the classroom• Relevance• Differentiates• Changes relationship between student and

teacher


PBL Teaches More than just Content

• Final products often involve presentation

• Students most frequently work in groups

• Application requires more sophisticated, critical thinking

• Good projects require creativity - from both teacher and students

• Students must regulate themselves


PBL often involves integration of ideas

• Consider our project:– Math– Science– Geography– Art– Social Studies


PBL is more Authentic and Relevant

• Work in a project is closer to the way that people outside of school solve problems

• Students in a PBL classroom rarely ask, “When are we ever going to use this?”

• Skills developed in a PBL classroom can be used anywhere


PBL facilitates differentiation

• Heterogeneous grouping can “spread the wealth”

• Student groups often write contracts… and determine who does what.

• Adept students can benefit by instructing and leading


PBL Changes Roles

• You rarely hear, “What are doing today?”• Students are much less dependent upon you• Tends to create more 1:1 time, or small group

interaction• You can model what to do when you don’t

know something; authentic projects will take you to places that you aren’t familiar with.


PBL: HOW


5 Steps for Designing a PBL Unit:

1. Begin with the end in mind

2. Craft the driving question & Entry Event

3. Plan the assessment

4. Map the project

5. Manage the process


Apply 5 Steps to ABQ Green Project


Step 1 - Begin with the End in Mind

Content Standards• Create, explain, and use

mathematical models such as:• a.

equations and inequalities to model numerical relationships

• Represent and explain changes using one-step equations with one variable.

• Solve problems that involve change using proportional relationships.

• Use ratios to predict changes in proportional situations.

Learning Outcomes:

Critical Thinking

Creativity

Collaboration

Oral Communication

Written Communication



• How are the standards applied in the world outside the classroom?– For math: look at the questions at the end

of sections - those dreaded “Story Problems”

– Try some possible web sites, like TheFuturesChannel



• Determine Role/Task/Reason– How can we as…

– Do…

– So That…



• Determine Role/Task/Reason– How can we as Ad designers

– Create an ad to convince people in ‘Burque to commute by foot

– So That Albuquerque will be more green and healthy.


Step 2 - Craft the Driving Question & Entry Event

Driving Question: How can we use math to convince

people to commute by foot?- or - How do we justify commuting by foot?- or -Is commuting by foot necessary and

worth it?


Driving Questions Are…

• Provocative

• Open Ended

• Aligned to standards

• Challenging

• Arise from real world situations

• Act as a lighthouse to keep you on course


Alternatively: Role/Task/Reason

• How can we as…

• Do…

• So That…


Alternatively: Role/Task/Reason

• How can we as…

Ad designers

• Do…

Create an ad to convince people to commute on foot in Albuquerque

• So That…

Albuquerque becomes more “green” and healthy


Entry Document

Dear Friends: As part of the AlbuquerqueGreen initiative, I would like to announce the beginning of an ad campaign to promote pedestrian commuting in Albuquerque. We are opening the ad proposal process to anyone, of any age in Albuquerque. Our research tells us that there are a significant number of people who are living in the University and Nob Hill areas who work in downtown Albuquerque. We would like to appeal to this grou p of people, and convince them that walking to work is worth it. Specifically, we would like t o see the following information included in the ad:


Put yourself in the role of a student…

We know… We need to know…


Step 3 - Plan the Assessment

• How will you assess the students? • In what venue?• Will anyone else assess them? How?• What will you assess with your rubric?

• NOTE: Rubric is done before you roll out the project. Why?


Step 3 - Plan the Assessment

ABQGreen Ad Project

Student: _____________________________

EVALUATOR : _____________ DATE: _______

CRITERIA UNSATISFACTORY

(Below Performance Standards) PROFICIENT (Minimal Criteria)

ADVANCED (Demonstrates Exceptional Performance)

• Is missing any of the following: • Walking time to downtown • Gas saved • CO2 savings • Ad is printed on a napkin, or any other

form that is not the accepted format. • Writing is microscopic, looks like it has

been written by a 3-year old, or is otherwise illegible.

•

• Includes walking time • Includes gas saved • Includes CO2 not released into air • In accepted format: either poster (10” x 15”

min) or ppt slide • Printing is easily read • Conveys message that walking downtown has

value.

In addition to meeting the proficient criteria… • Includes photos or drawings of specific landmarks

along route • Includes data or information not specifically asked for

that the team researched independently. • Uses this data to appeal to commuters’ desire to walk. • By agreement of assessors, ad is convincing.

Ad

0 - - - - - - - - - - - - 10 - - - - - - - - - - - - 19 21 - - - - - - - - - - - - 24 - - - - - - - - - - - - 26 28 - - - - - - - - 29- - - - - - - - 30

• No data gathered for calculations • Data gathering not mentioned in presentation. • Does not show equation, or shows incorrect

equation. • Sample calculation is, missing, has incorrect

values plugged in, or results in • Route not identified, or is not of correct area in

town.

• States how data was gathered to determine walking speed

• Correct type of data was gathered in order to determine walking speed

• Shows correct equation for determining walking speed.

• Shows sample calculations with correct data plugged in, resulting in reasonable value for walking time.

• Identifies walking route clearly

In addition to meeting the proficient criteria… • Route takes into consideration safety, efficiency,

and/or scenery • Based upon data, provides upper and lower limits on

time of commute. • Plots accurate position vs time graph based upon

calculated walking speed.

Calc ulations – Walking

spe ed

0 - - - - - - - - - - - - 10 - - - - - - - - - - - - 19 21 - - - - - - - - - - - - 24 - - - - - - - - - - - - 27 28 - - - - - - - - 29- - - - - - - - 30

• Source for mileage is neither based upon average or actual sample car.

• Sample calculations for… • Gas saved per trip, • Gas saved per month, • CO2 saved per month …Is missing, or inaccurate, or has unreasonable values. • Sources not cited

• Sample automobile used for mileage value • Shows sample calculations with correct data plugged

in, resulting in reasonable value for gas saved per trip. • Shows sample calculations with correct data plugged

in, resulting in reasonable value for gas saved per month.

• Shows sample calculations with correct data plugged in, resulting in reasonable value for CO2 saved per month.

• Cites sources of information for sample car, and CO2 per gallon.

In addition to meeting the proficient criteria… • Cites several sources for the same type of data, and

synthesizes information from all. • Uses average gas mileage values based upon typical

cars in Albuquerque, and cites sources of information. • Provides upper and lower limits for estimates on

calculations, based upon the range of data.

Calc ulations – gas and

CO2 sa vings

0 - - - - - - - - - - - - 10 - - - - - - - - - - - - 19 21 - - - - - - - - - - - - 24 - - - - - - - - - - - - 27 28 - - - - - - - - 29- - - - - - - - 30


Step 4 - Map the Project

Sample Scaffolding Activities:

LAB: Measuring speed of a walking adult

Workshop: Making a plan for the lab

Practice: Problems using d = rt

Lecture: Manipulating d = rt

Work time: finding appropriate route

Workshop: advanced use of Google maps


Step 5 - Manage the Process

Questions to consider…

What’s the role of the teacher during the project?

What are the different stages of the project?

What does a typical day look like?

What’s the role of the students during the project?


New Roles

Teacher

Project manager

Coach

Guide

Advisor

Mentor

Students

Team members

Active learners

Researchers

Investigators

Apprentice

Teachers and students are working collaboratively to complete the task


Here’s what the project might look like over the course of the unit:

Beginning Stage Middle Stage Final Stage

•Read entry doc and create know/need to know list

•Problem statement development / prioritize tasks

•Establish group roles and write group contracts

•Review rubric and fill out project pacing chart

•Begin preliminary investigations

•Group meetings / progress checks using pacing chart

•Research

•Warm-ups / Journals

•Class discussions

•Workshops and mini-lessons

•Reading assignments / skill building practice

•Guided activities

•Quizzes

•Collaboration evaluations

•Rough drafts

•Rough drafts

•Peer reviews

•Self evaluations

•Practice presentations

•Presentations

•Practice tests

•Tests

•Collaboration evaluations

•Reflection and debrief


Here’s what a day in the life of a project might look like:

1. Warm up: perhaps a review question using d=rt2. Work time, with a prompt: in the first 10 minutes of

group work, please revisit your “Need to Knows”, and make sure that you teacher liaison has the updated list.

3. Meeting between teachers and liaisons - each sharing progress, and each listing need to knows. Meanwhile, groups are working.

4. Use need to knows as a way to create a workshop, or lecture, or just worktime.

5. Assigned homework can be along the lines of material covered that day, or a benchmark for the project


How would you rate this project?

The Six A’s of PBL

Authenticity

Academic Rigor

Applied Learning

Active Exploration

Adult Connections

Assessment Practices

Document


Last thoughts?

• Did we answer your need to knows?

• What ah-ha or take-away do you have from this workshop?

Documents

New Technology Foundation ™ PBL: What, Why, & How