Our Project-Based Learning (PBL) team is offering a virtual, four-part, introductory training program in PBL beginning June 22. Educators must register online to attend.
The first workshop covers the foundational elements of PBL— learning outcomes, driving questions, real-world connections, and student voice and choice. In the latter sessions, our team dives into the implementation elements: research, brainstorming, feedback and revision, reflection, and public presentation. Our sessions also put a strong emphasis on Human Centered Design (HCD) methods to support PBL in the classroom.
As part of our training, participants explore PBL and HCD concepts and techniques through a combination of live instruction, on-demand video tutorials, project examples, and strategies for implementation. Participants are able to leave our training with a strong PBL project plan to implement in their classrooms.
The June training program comes on the heels of one held last month that drew educators from across the state. The team conducting the sessions also has hosted a half dozen custom trainings in the past year, including for teams from Pittsburgh Public Schools; Boston Public Schools; and Avonworth, Hampton, Deer Lakes and Highlands school districts.
Altogether, our team has trained more than 400 educators from some two dozen districts since we began offering workshops three years ago.
Feedback from educators who’ve participated has been consistently positive. Representative comments about what they’ve gained in recent sessions included:
- “I felt like this course provided some suggestions to enhance the PBL projects I currently do with my students, especially in reflection and feedback.”
- “I have a better grasp on how to organize, design, and implement a project in our school. I could not have done this without the guidance of our PBL instructors!”
Representative comments about what attendees found to be of greatest value included:
- “The collaborative ideas for reaching all students in the classroom in innovative ways.”
- “Leaving with a project I can implement!”
