PBL Project Management

Project-Based Learning Management

https://www.edutopia.org/project-based-learning-guide-implementation

Managing PBL:

A primary goal of project-based learning is to train independent learners, capable of managing projects for themselves or a team. This brings the experience of school much closer to that of the world outside of school; indeed, the 'vibe' of schools that emphasize PBL, such as Hight Tech High or NuVu Studio, is much more like that of a start-up company than traditional school.

That said, projects at start-up companies still require management, which involves involves setting goals, encouraging students, and keeping teams on track, by having teams define:

• Why- the driving question or design goal- What is the real-life issue we are trying to solve?

• What- Deliverables- A lab report? A device? A research report? A video? A research poster?

• Who- who does the work?- assign team members as specialist- team leader, experimenter, researcher, media specialist, accountant

• How- How the work gets done

• Resource needs- materials, skills, specialized expertise

• When- Project schedule and due dates

Sample PBL Unit Plan Outline

based on John Spencer 'Tiny House' unit plan:

Video: https://youtu.be/6a_P-N3EFIc

Lesson 1: Entry Event/Project Launch

Teacher activities:

• • • Slide Show/Video/Hands-on experience

    • Set Up Groups

    • Basic vocabulary

Student activity:

• • • Warm up- What would be in your ideal room?

    • Brainstorm about topic

    • Generate Questions

    • Exit slip: Write down 1 thing you found interesting, 2 ideas you have, and 1 question you have

Lesson 2: Research/Empathy Phase

Teacher activities:

• • • Provide research grid to student groups

    • Direct Instruction in basic skills and content as needed

    • Lesson on effective internet research and sources

    • Lesson: How to interview

    • What collaborative research looks like

    • Collaborative research practice exercise

    • Introduce journaling methods and platform- Google Docs, Padlet, research grid

    • Starter Video content

    • Review basic terms

    • Check in with groups

Student activities:

• • • Internet research

    • Complete research grid/Padlet/etc

    • Share what you have learned with your group

    • Exit slip; questions

    • Stand-up scrum: 1 minute share with class

Lesson 3: Brainstorming Tiny House Designs

Teacher activities:

• • • Model how to do intra-group feedback

    • Provide examples of brainstorming sketches

    • Lesson on scale

    • Monitor groups

Student activities:

• • • Individual brainstorming & sketching

    • Group brainstorming and sketching

    • Rate ideas

    • Stand-up scrum: 1 minute share with class

    • Deliverable: Brainstorming list and sketches; questions

Lesson 4: Prototyping/Revising Tiny House Models

       Teacher activities:

• • • Instruct physical and /or computer modeling methods

    • Vocabulary- prototyping, etc.

    • Check-in with groups

      Student activities:

• • • Build prototype, document work

    • Critique

    • Revise

    • Exit slip on group collaboration

    • Stand-up scrum: 1 minute share with class; questions

    • Deliverable: Model/research report/documentation of process

    • To track progress, use the technology tools found in the business world, to the extent possible, such as Trello, Gannt charts, and Scrum or Kanban boards. Younger students can use similar tools but with simplified, analog versions on whiteboards or paper.

Lesson 5:  Project Launch: Public Exhibition

Teacher Activities:

• • • Teach how to create a video

    • Show video examples

    • Teach what should be in video- outline, story board

    • Teacher reflection

Student Activities:

• • • Create video or other digital media

    • Share work with your class and the world

    • Student reflections