Project Based Learning

What is Project-Based Learning?

Project Based Learning 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 authentic, engaging, and complex question, problem, or challenge.

 The Gold Standard PBL model encompasses two useful guides for educators: 

1) Seven Essential Project Design Elements provide a framework for developing high quality projects for your classroom, and

2) Seven Project Based Teaching Practices help teachers, schools, and organizations improve, calibrate, and assess their practice.

In essence, the PBL model consists of these seven characteristics:

1.         1.        A challenging problem or question

2.     Sustained inquiry

3.     Authenticity

4.      Student voice and choice

5.      Reflection

6.     Critique and revision

7.      Public product

Benefits of project based learning:

Engagement: Students are more likely to be engaged in their schooling when they feel autonomy over their own learning. Project based learning allows students to be drivers of their own learning.

Teach and assess multiple skills: Teachers have multiple assessment opportunities to test different skills.

Differentiation: Students with various learning styles and differences are accommodated since PBL showcases a broad range of capabilities.

Accountability: Students take greater responsibility for their own learning. 

1.     1. Asking Students To Investigate The Fake News

Do we know that how much of an impact fake news has on communities around the world? Give the kids a task to monitor the characteristics of exaggerated and deceitful media and its possible effects on society. PenPal schools connect the students from various countries through PBL.

 

2.     2. Asking Students To Share Their Family Histories So That They Learn More About Immigration

A question that students explore a lot is the effect of immigration on their community or other communities of the world! Give the students a task to find out the impact of immigration on their communities and do a comparison between the immigration around the world. Ask students to take an interview of an immigrant or a person who has a job with immigrant societies, do research on popular immigrants who has a positive influence on their community, or ask them to create a poster with the central question being about immigration or try their luck in writing immigration policy.

 

3.     3. Challenging The Students To Solve Environmental Issues

Are we doing our best to guarantee a healthy planet for the coming generation? Ask your students or kids to dive into an environmental project. Students can interview people or groups who campaign for the environment, make a public provision announcement to teach their community about environmental problems, or command a service project that will have a positive effect on the environment.

  

4.     4. Inspiring The Students To Become Artists, Supervisors, And Supporters Of Arts

Does art have any effect on political and social action? Let the students discover that how the artists around the globe use their work in inspiring the change. Ask them to study different artists like Frida Kahlo, Da Vinci, Marcel Duchamp, etc., and see how they have an impact on the world. Challenge them to construct a demonstration of works that already exist or discover the local artists around or create their own work of art. By giving such an opportunity, you will see that how a student is an artist in himself.

 

5.     5. Entrusting The Students To Show Off To The World Their Hometowns

Another interesting PBL example is from a popular topic, ‘exploring the world.’ In this, the students get to share food, art, history, daily life, and the culture of their community with peers around the world. The students can make postcards of the various communities they have learned about, create a quiz to help others gain knowledge, or plan a trip around the globe that includes ten of the countries they have studied during the venture. Let the students give a virtual tour of their hometown and explain the city’s feel and culture and how it has contributed to the welfare of the country.