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"Project-based learning gives everybody a chance to mimic what scientists do, and that's exciting. And it's fun if it's done well."
--Bruce Alberts, president of the National Academy of Sciences

Project-based learning (PBL) is a model for classroom activity that shifts away from the classroom practices of short, isolated, teacher-centered lessons and instead emphasizes learning activities that are long-term, interdisciplinary, student-centered, and integrated with real world issues and practices.

Project-Based learning should:

bullet Be anchored in core curriculum; multidisciplinary
bullet Involve students in sustained effort over time
bullet Involve student decision-making
bullet Be collaborative
bullet Have a clear real-world connection
bullet Use systematic assessment: both along the way and end product
 
 

Video Documentaries on Project-Based Learning
by The George Lucas Educational Foundation
 
Geo-Literacy: Forging New Ground (Running time: 4:13)
Teacher Eva La Mar's third graders explore the geography and geology of their community by becoming historians, writers, and videographers. 6/2/2003
A Remarkable Transformation (Running time: 9:16)
It took time, teacher buy-in, and technology, but this urban school district in New Jersey has gone from dismal to dazzling. 1/24/2003
An MBA for Kids (Running time: 6:05)
Employers helped design the program at the Minnesota Business Academy. 1/7/2003
It's All Happening at the Zoo School (Running time: 9:56)
At Minnesota's School of Environmental Studies, the academic program and school architecture were designed to promote interdisciplinary, project-based learning. 9/26/2002
Students Find Their Voices Through Multimedia (Running time: 7:41)
The San Fernando Education Technology Team helps Latino students deliver powerful messages through video and the Web. 7/1/2002
March of the Monarchs (Running time: 4:02)
Journey North involves thousands of students in monitoring migration patterns of butterflies and other species. 6/6/2002
New Technologies Link Ancient Cultures (Running time: 5:59)
The First People’s Project enables indigenous students on five continents to share the wisdom of their respective cultures. 6/6/2002
The Key Learning Community: Cultivating "Multiple Intelligences" (Running time: 8:53)
Swimming against the tide, this K-11 Indianapolis school emphasizes exploration and deep understanding over rote memorization. 4/11/2002
Geometry in the Real World: Students as Architects (Running time: 10:35)
Students in Eeva Reeder's geometry class design schools for the year 2050, with guidance from two Seattle architects. 2/11/2002
Laptops on Expedition (Running time: 5:08)
In Portland, Maine, technology helps students understand whimbrels, wolves, and Walt Whitman. 1/19/2004
Classrooms Without Boundaries (Running time: 8:21)
At West Hawaii Explorations Academy, students develop and manage their own projects, with guidance from mentors from the community. 11/1/2001
Laptops for All (Running time: 7:28)
A commitment to projects and widespread use of laptop computers has spelled success for students at The Mott Hall School in New York City. 11/1/2001
The Maine Event (Running time: 7:55)
Maine's provision of a laptop for each of its 33,000 middle school students: "the best thing they've ever done in education." 12/16/2003
Start With the Pyramid (Running time: 8:56)
M.I.T.’s distinguished Professor Seymour Papert is among a growing group of scholars who support project-based learning, in which students move from hands-on work to abstract thinking by solving real-world problems. 11/1/2001
More Fun Than a Barrel of ... Worms?! (Running time: 6:21)
You can't tear students at Newsome Park Elementary School away from their school work when it involves in-depth investigations with real-world applications. 10/1/2001
New Technologies Link Ancient Cultures (Running time: 5:59)
The First People's Project enables indigenous students on five continents to share the wisdom of their respective cultures. 6/6/2002
Eager to Learn (Running time: 5:42)
At Moanalua High School, students use multimedia tools to shoot, edit, and narrate works on topics such as child labor. 8/5/2003
A Seamless Integration of Technology (Running time: 4:32)
Technology integration in the curriculum improves students' learning processes and outcomes. 10/1/2000

These clips are available on a two-hour video entitled Teaching in the Digital Age: Project-Based Learning and Assessment published by The George Lucas Educational Foundation for $15. To order by phone: Call 1.888.GLEF.ORG (1.888.453.3674) or visit their online store.

PBL Links

More information and resources about PBL can be found at the following sites:

4teachers.org
Challenge 2000 Project
Buck Institute for Education
The George Lucas Educational Foundation
The Guide on the Side
Center for Occupation and Research Development
Project-Based Learning Space

 




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