Workshop Goals:

(1) Gain an overview and understanding of Project Based Learning

(2) Take away ideas to implement in your classroom
(3) Embrace (calculated) risk taking for professional growth
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Make language study an experience they cant get elsewhere
Lisa Lilley
Central High School
Springeld, Missouri
lisalilley10@gmail.com
lisalilley@wikispaces.com
National Board Certied Teacher
2010 ACTFL National Language Teacher of the Year
Engaging Students Through
Project Based Learning
Much of todays session is credited to information available through
The Buck Institute for Education
The Buck Institute for Education (BIE) is dedicated to improving 21st Century teaching
and learning throughout the world by creating and disseminating products, practices
and knowledge for effective Project Based Learning (PBL).
http://www.bie.org/
Arguments for Project Based Learning:
--A move away from a curriculum of coverage or coverage without pity as described by
Dr. Jennifer Eddy of Queens College, CUNY
--A recent report on College Readiness by ACT found that the best predictor of college
success is a students conscientiousness as measured by their dependability,
perseverance, and work ethic. The next best indicator is their agreeableness
including teamwork and emotional balance.
--Projects as the main course, not just dessert--Projects often have been add-ons that
are disconnected from the heart or meat of the curriculum. If used well, they can
provide the main course with significant academic content.
The Main Course, Not Dessert: How Are Students Reaching 21st Century Goals?
With 21st Century Project Based Learning
John Larmer and John R. Mergendoller
Buck Institute for Education 2010
http://www.bie.org/tools/freebies/main_course_not_dessert
Components of Project Based Learning
1. A need to know
2. A driving question
3. Student voice and choice
4. Twenty-first century skills
5. Inquiry and innovation
6. Feedback and revision
7. A publicly presented product
8. Teaches significant content
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High-quality, PBL Envision-Style" includes:
A timeline that is short or long, ranging from a few days to several weeks, so
students learn how to benchmark and manage projects of different sizes.
An engaging launch to hook students into taking on the project.
Academic rigor and alignment with standards allowing students to master
content knowledge and skills, and to demonstrate or apply that knowledge.
An inquiry into a student-friendly, provocative essential question that drives the
learning. This question often drives the unit or is one of the larger questions in
the discipline. For example, Who am I?
A demonstration of key knowledge and skills in which students show
evidence through the product that they have mastered the standards outlined in
the course map (state standards).
Applied learning so that students think and do something new with their
knowledge or skills.
An authentic audience that ensures the students take the project, learning, and
results seriously and present it professionally (e.g. the class, students from
another class, staff, parents, or professionals).
High-quality products or performance at the end that show the results of
inquiry into a question through applied knowledge and skills (presentation, artistic
representation, written and performed speeches, poster or video documentation
of: simulation, Socratic, debate, defense). A non-traditional product might be an
added layer to a traditional product such as an essay or test e.g., students might
debate after writing a research paper.
Well-designed projects include one or more of the
following:
Student choice and creativity that empowers and inspires the students to own
their own learning and engage deeply in the project.
Tackle relevant issues and importance beyond the classroom.
Exemplary models by other students, teachers, or professionals, to set criteria
for high-quality work and set strategies to attain them.
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Incorporates hands-on work, such as: art, technology, or processes- related to
the discipline.
Lasting learning of a deeper learning skill, idea, or way of thinking that is
relevant to students lives, their futures, and transforms who they are as human
beings.
Mirrors real-world work of professionals in craft, process, or skill (e.g.
historians, writers, mathematicians, artists).
Moves beyond classroom in purpose, audience, or contribution to community.
From: Edutopia: What Does Successful Project-Based Learning Look Like?
by Bob Lenz, 7/15/11
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/project-based-learning-definition-bob-lenz
Notes: KEY COMPONENTS OF PBL
Driving Question:
Assessment:
Timeline:
Kickoff:
Publicly Presented Product:
Reflection:
TIPS:
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PROJECT BASED LEARNING in LISAS CLASSROOM
Follow the development of these and other projects over this next school year at
http://www.lisalilley.wikispaces.com (go to the Project Based Learning page) and daily
lesson plans at http://www.splessons.wikispaces.com
Exploracin de Carreras: The article High School Students! Decision to Study
Spanish by Pratt, Agnello, and Santos appeared in the December 2009 Hispania
published by AATSP and gives good insights about the factors that drive our students to
continue their language study. The authors research suggests that among the reasons
students continue with language study is because of the possibility of career benets.
This led me to develop a unit for use later in Spanish I or early in my Spanish 2 class to
allow students to explore careers that use Spanish.
Viaje a Costa Rica: Students gain an understanding of why Costa Rica is such a
popular country for tourists through this project where they imagine themselves as
employees for the Pura Vida Travel Agency that is suffering great nancial losses. Their
team is charged with developing a new market of tourists and designing an itinerary
that will appeal to them. Presentations are made to panels of students and language
teachers who will determine which team developed the most exciting itinerary that can
help the travel agency gain a stronger nancial footing.
Glories of the Mayas and Aztecs: Students will learn about the signicant
accomplishments of the Aztec and Maya civilizations in this unit where they will also
gain considerable practice with narration in the preterite and imperfect tenses. The
kickoff for this project will begin with the teacher talking about how archaeologists have
learned what they know about these civilizations by excavations of pyramids where they
study shards of pottery, clues left in statues and carvings, as well as the few examples
of written work that are preserved today. I!m imagining Indiana Jones visiting my
classroom to kick the project off after I was inspired by this article and video clip based
on the epic poem Gilgamesh:
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/summer-pd-starting-projects-suzie-boss

Traveling Art Exhibit: This exploration of how art is used to shape and inform opinions
will ask students to explore the message expressed through the works of famous
Hispanic artists including Velasquez, Kahlo, Rivera, and Goya. The project will kick off
by viewing some of Colombian painter Fernando Boteros most famous paintings with
an explanation about the message contained in many. Students will see examples of
Boteros sculptures as well. They then will then make their own Play Dough sculptures
in Boteros style that will be accompanied by a placard that contains a message using
targeted vocabulary or concepts such as commands or hopes and wishes. The project
will ultimately ask students to act as a curator who must select a number of important
works to include in a traveling exhibit. The chosen work will center upon a message
selected by the student. They must defend their selections before the museums board
which will be composed of fellow students and/or other Spanish teachers.
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Language Promotion for ACTFLs Discover Languages Month: In January/February,
students will be asked to create a product that shows the public, through their own
language prociency, the importance of learning another language. They will have the
option of creating videos, posters, brochures, etc. as part of an actual public
awareness campaign. Their work will be featured on the school website, in a
classroom newsletter, as well as through local media and contact with politicians.
RESOURCES to help you learn more about PBL:
Buck Institute for Education
The Buck Institute for Education (BIE) is dedicated to improving 21st Century teaching
and learning throughout the world by creating and disseminating products, practices
and knowledge for effective Project Based Learning (PBL).
http://www.bie.org/
Edutopia
The George Lucas Educational Foundations Edutopia site has videos and real-life
examples around PBL.
http://www.edutopia.org/project-based-learning
CALPER's Project Work Website has been created for teachers who are interested in
exploring ways of working with projects in intermediate and advanced language
courses. It contains background information, suggestions of how to plan projects, and
stories by teachers who are experienced in conducting projects.
http://calper.la.psu.edu/projectwork.php
Project Based Learning for World Languages Blog
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/world-language-project-based-learning-education-
curriculum-don-doehla
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills
http://www.p21.org/
PBL-Online is an online laboratory for developing and sharing PB66L resources and
project ideas.
http://pbl-online.org/
Bloom's Digital Taxonomy:
http://edorigami.wikispaces.com/Bloom%27s+Digital+Taxonomy
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Tools for Organization:
wikispaces
Wikis are simple web pages that groups, friends, and families can edit together. Starting
your wiki at Wikispaces is fast, free, and easy. Wiki Projects is a new feature that allows
students in teams can do their group work completely independently from other teams.
http://www.wikispaces.com
Wall Wisher--Students go to link, create a sticky note that is used for brainstorming;
really useful with different classes working on the same topic.
http://www.wallwisher.com/
SimplyBox allows you to show pictures of web page. A great bookmarking tool for
visual and younger learners. It doesn't just show the link but a screen shot of it because
often we remember what a page looks like instead of its name.
http://www.simplybox.com/
ProProfs quizmaker--tests how well students themselves taught the lesson to others
http://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/
Google Docs allows you to upload your files, edit anytime from anywhere, choose
who can access your documents share and collaborate online.
Dropbox My favorite new organizational tool that allows me to store and share my files
online. Plus it will sync info. on each computer I work on.
And check out this site for descriptions for lots, lots more!
http://cooltoolsforschools.wikispaces.com/Collaborative+Tools
TOOLS FOR CREATIVITY AND PRESENTATIONS
PowerPoint type presentations:
Ideas to make more effective PowerPoint presentations
http://www.microsoft.com/atwork/skills/presentations.aspx
Prezi--an alternative to PowerPoint
http://prezi.com/
Use an Avatar in your presentation:
http://www.voki.com/ http://www.xtranormal.com
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Make a Movie, Video or Cartoons
Moviemaker
Here's an easy tutorial for Moviemaker:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZXK68NS7gU
Animoto
http://animoto.com/
Photopeach
http://photopeach.com/
Go Animate
http://goanimate.com/
Resources that can be used for oral presentations
and/or final work product:
Make word clouds with Wordle
http://wordle.net/
Make a storybook or comic book
Storybird
http://storybird.com/
Storyjumper
http://www.storyjumper.com/
Toondoo
http://www.toondoo.com/
Make a Brochure
Online Brochure Maker
http://www.mybrochuremaker.com/
How to make a brochure using Microsoft Word
http://www.mschien.com/howto/brochures.htm
Make a set of Posters
Make interactive posters with Glogster
http://edu.glogster.com/
Postermaker offers another way to easily make posters
http://www.artskills.com/poster-maker.html
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