Increasing Relevance with Project-Based Learning

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Increasing Relevance with Project-Based Learning

• Daniel Gumarang
• School Improvement Facilitator, New Tech High
  Schools
• Los Angeles Unified School District

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You know projects
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• Projects are large activities completed after the
  students have been pushed through homework
  assignments, lectures, and readings.

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• Usually a culminating event for a unit or
  semester.

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Lecture
Peer Edit
Writing Activity
Project
Lecture
Textbook Activity
Writing Exercise
Textbook Activity
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Project-Based Learning
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• Students are pulled through the curriculum by a
  driving question or realistic problem that
  provides a need to know the material.

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• Lectures and readings are integrated into the
  problem as the students need the information.

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NEED TOKNOWS
Peer Edit
Writing Activity
Entry Document
Rubric
Lecture
Textbook Activity
Writing Exercise
Textbook Activity
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Project-Based Learning is effective because

• Learning is partly a social activity
• Learners actively use what they know and build on
  it
• It reflects the environment in which we live and
  learn (plan, collaborate and communicate)

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Examples of Project PBL
Project PBL
Sound Pollution Listen to different sounds. Make a graph and identify features of common sounds that are disturbing to the ear. Identify 5 sound pollution in the community. Form a task force to investigate the problems and propose solutions for each.
Geometry Observe and measure various school buildings and record data. Design a School of the future with scale drawings and models, taking into account the site and anticipated needs. Present plan to community experts.
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NEED TOKNOWS
Peer Edit
Writing Activity
Entry Document
Rubric
Lecture
Textbook Activity
Writing Exercise
Textbook Activity
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Entry Document
Builds a scenario
Outlines the problem
Defines roles and tasks
Sets expectations
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Other Entry Document

• Webpage
• Guest speakers
• Newspaper/Magazine articles
• Job announcements
• Casting calls
• Video

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Now what?
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NEED TOKNOWS
Peer Edit
Writing Activity
Entry Document
Lecture
Textbook Activity
Writing Exercise
Textbook Activity
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What do you need to know?
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Need To Knows

• Floor and wall covering?
• What is interior design?
• How to calculate area perimeter?
• Material labor cost? Cost analysis?
• Vice President, Human Resources?

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Essential Featuresof an Entry Document

• Creates expectations
• Sets parameters
• NEED TO KNOWS
• Introduce rubric

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NEED TOKNOWS
Peer Edit
Writing Activity
Entry Document
Rubric
Lecture
Textbook Activity
Writing Exercise
Textbook Activity
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Making expectations clearer with rubrics
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NEED TOKNOWS
Peer Edit
Perimeter
Entry Document
Assessment
Area
Writing Exercise
Units of Measurement
Use of Spreadsheets
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Project vs. PBL
PROJECT PROJECT-BASED LEARNING
a culminating event after the unit has been taught traditionally project is introduced at the beginning of the unit, not at the end
teach the material before the project is introduced projects are real-world applications of the course content requiring students
students dont know they need the information and therefore are not engaged in the learning process The role of the teacher becomes a guide or coach to the student, who now has a need to know the course materials
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Assessment

• Its all in the presentation!

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End of Presentation
daniel.gumarang_at_lausd.net www.newtechfoundation.or
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