PBL Journey

Today was Day 1 of a Project Based Learning training for me and some colleagues using the Buck Institute Model.  In order to understand the process and help guide teachers through it - we have been working on developing our own PBL unit.

Note I said "unit." One of the big a-ha moments for me today was that PBL is not really anything new - we have all done projects.  Instead, it is reframing our thinking.  Instead of the project being the "dessert" at the end of a unit - the project is the unit.  And, in the process, the design mirrors much of what many of us already do: formative assessments, use of essential questions, teaching concepts - not just content, and authentic learning experiences.

We worked today on developing some "driving questions."  These were actually  much easier for me than I thought they might be  - perhaps in part because developing "big ideas" and using the UbD model has become second nature for me.  Anyway - nothing is perfect so here are the questions I developed and feedback is welcome!

•   What does art tell us about the values/beliefs of culture?
•   In what ways has science and technology helped humankind meet it's basic needs?
•   To what extent is the Industrial Revolution still occurring?