PBL is the Way to Go!

PBL ... it stands for project-based learning. My first session was entitled "Meeting the Common Core: Rigorous, Relevant Project-Based Learning." It was a great way to start ISTE 2011! Not only were the Common Core Standards addressed, but a method that could indelibly increase student engagement.

Little did I know that project-based learning was something I truly believed in without knowing the terminology for it. Project-based learning is when "Students go through an extended process of inquiry in response to a complex question, problem, or challenge. Rigorous projects help students learn key academic content and practice 21st Century Skills (such as collaboration, communication, and critical thinking" (www.bie.org).

Believe it or not, project-based learning covers content we sometimes use when teaching to the test. The downside of integrating PBL, with the Common Core Standards, is that it takes 3-5 years to fully get comfortable with this mode of teaching. The challenge, ... try 1 project-based learning experience with your students for the upcoming school year, and get your feet wet.

For more information, click on and explore the Buck Institute of Education for a more in-depth look at PBL.