PBL 101: An Introduction to PBL
Workshop Description
Gain the knowledge and skills to design, assess, and manage rigorous, standards-based projects.
Actively engage in project design and generate a project plan for your own use.
Who should take this workshop?
All educators who are committed to Project Based Learning. It's an ideal starting point for teachers and instructional coaches. (Plus, school & district leaders praise the benefits of experiencing this workshop firsthand!)
This course is our pre-requisite for ongoing support and advanced workshops.
Workshop Objectives
- Increase understanding of the Gold Standard Project Design Elements
- Deepen understanding of formative and summative assessment practices that support PBL design and implementation
- Increase awareness of student strengths, interests, and needs to make instructional decisions
- Reflect on the needs of learners and incorporate scaffolding strategies to support learning throughout a project
- Develop an awareness of the Project Based Teaching Practices and how they inform project design and implementation
- Explore, use, and reflect upon project management tools and processes that can transfer to the classroom
The essentials
- Instruction: Led by a member of PBLWorks' National Faculty – seasoned teachers, administrators, school coaches, and PBL experts
- Workshop Size: Up to 35 participants
- Workshop Length: 3 days
- Pre-requisite: none
What you'll be doing over 3 days
In PBL 101, you learn all about Gold Standard Project Based Learning and, most importantly, how to get started in your classroom. You'll walk away with a draft of a standards-based, PBL project unit, ready to finish and implement with your students.
Day #1
Design
During this first day, you'll establish a vision for the work by imagining your ideal graduate, and you'll build the foundation of a project that is deeply rooted in rigorous content.
Day #2
Assess
You'll develop the story of your project and outline your plans for using assessment effectively to monitor and support student learning.
Day #3
Manage
You'll build on your plans by learning about how to ensure successful outcomes for all students through scaffolding and project management.
Here's a glimpse at the on site workshop in action...
Why 3 consecutive days? Some of you might think it's a tall order to find the time for our workshop, but we believe it's essential. The work you'll be doing is deep and challenging and can be transformative for your practice. Three days creates the space for active, hands-on project planning, peer collaboration and feedback, and reflection on learning that leads to sustained change.
"I enjoyed the chance to completely immerse myself in the learning – and to work towards designing my project at the same time." – PBL 101 Participant
A few more things to know about PBL 101
PBL 101 models the PBL process. You'll be experiencing the same style of learning that you're designing for your students. The workshop models many features of Project Based Learning — from an engaging entry event to a final public product.
You'll experience a mix of learning activities. The workshop is a blend of direct instruction, video analysis, hands-on work, resource sharing, and peer collaboration and feedback.
You get access to a host of online resources. Online resources — including an in-workshop companion and post-workshop learning modules — provide continued support beyond the workshop days for your PBL design and implementation in the classroom.
You'll understand how PBL supports educational equity. Every workshop and every service we design reflects our mission to prepare all students for academic, personal, and career success.
It's part of a sustained learning journey. Real change happens over weeks, months, and even years, not overnight. After PBL 101, you can continue on your learning path by accessing online resources and coaching, as well as planning for support services to deepen your PBL practice.