Module Three - Developing your Project Plan and Project Management

Module 3.1: PBL & Choosing Multimedia

Project Based Learning: Steps to Remember

  1. Think about why you want to do this project.
    • Visualize the completed project.
    • Keep the enduring understandings as the primary focus
    • Make sure the project meets curriculum standards for your grade level.
  2. Strive for excellence and share your ideas and accomplishments.
    • Plan to exhibit and share your project when it is completed.
    • Plan to use your project as a basis for grants.
    • Plan to elicit feedback and continue to improve your project.
  3. Start with a simple, manageable, and interesting project and make a commitment to complete the project because:
    • It builds trust between you, your partner(s) and your students.
    • It creates pride of accomplishment.
    • It teaches your students the importance of following through and honoring commitments.
    • If your project is collaborative, set times to meet both virtually and physically to review and adjust the project plan.
  4. If working with a partner or partners, develop communication strategies for all aspects of the project.
    • Decide upon a vehicle for communication (email, phone, chat, etc.)
    • Decide upon a vehicle of collaboration (my-ecoach, googledocs, etc.
  5. Develop the project plan.
    • Determine the enduring understandings you want for your students.
    • Determine the factual content your students will need to know.
    • Create an assessment plan and identify the assessment tools you will use to measure learning.
    • Include both ongoing (formative) assessment for project improvement and summative assessment to evaluate the success of the completed project.
    • Use assessment to drive learning.
    • Decide how you will form collaborative student project teams.
    • Plan the calendar and time frame for the project.
    • Determine which decisions will be made by teachers(s) and which will be made by students.
    • Determine the real world purpose or connection for the project.
    • Plan how technology will be an integral tool for this project.
  6. Create a climate that allows risk taking and fun.
    • It is not necessary to "know" everything before beginning a project.
    • It is okay to learn with and from your students.
    • Engage students in the learning process by making them a part of the planning process after you introduce your vision of the project.
    • Be patient with yourself, your students, your partner(s) and the technology.
    • Be sympathetic to the needs of your students and partner(s).
  7. Anticipate future problems and constraints and create a plan to deal with them:
    • Curricular
    • Technical
    • Communication
    • Time
  8. Set ground rules before beginning the project.
    • Determine who will do what by when.
    • Be aware of differences in grade level, school climate, needs of students.
    • Discuss constraints and plan to deal with them.
  9. Modify your project plan after you introduce it to your students.
    1. hare project plan, vision with students, parents, colleagues and administrators.
    2. Determine final product with students.
    3. Involve students in planning for project assessment.
    4. Form project teams and begin projects, adjusting and modifying it needed to be successful.

This List is adapted and modified from Global Project Based Learning with Technology by Kiyomi Hutchings and Mark Standley, Visions Technology in Education P.O. Box 70479, Portland, OR

Task 3A: Project Based Learning - 9 Steps

Review the project based learning process and skill sets charts.

(to what is this referring?)

Read "Getting Started with Project Based Learning: Steps to Remember" above.

  1. Reflect on your teaching situation.
  2. List the three parts of the project based learning process you think will be the most difficult for you to accomplish.
  3. For each item you listed, explain why this will be difficult for you to accomplish.
  4. Share some of these with the group. Discuss how you can overcome these difficulties.

Choosing the Best Multimedia for your Project

Choosing the right multimedia application for your project requires careful thought and consideration. Factors to consider are:

  1. The applications and tools you have available
    This is a good place to start. Learn to use the applications that are already on the computers in your classroom/and or computer lab. Usually schools have limited funds for technology, so planning a project with software that you do not currently have can be frustrating unless you know you have funds at your school to purchase that software. Meanwhile, however, be aware of what applications you would like to have on your computers for future projects, and become an advocate for purchasing licensed copies of those applications. If possible find out who decides what technology is purchased and begin educating that person or those people. Also, look for grants that are good matches for what you want to do with your students, and begin to write grants.
  2. The ages of your students and their computer experience and expertise
    Young students can successfully create multimedia projects in simple-to-use applications such as KidPix. If the teacher creates templates with buttons, students as young as first grade can successfully create HyperStudio Stacks. Keynote (iWorks) Slide Show is another easy-to-do application once the master page is set up. PowerPoint can be taught to 3rd and 4th graders.
    iMovie, Movie Maker or Photo Story 3 can be used with 3rd and 4th graders, particularly if they have had some experience with other multimedia applications.
    5th and 6th grade students can learn to use Premiere as well as the above applications. Web authoring programs such as Dreamweaver, GoLive, and Netscape Composer can be taught to any student who can use a word processor.
    Older students will enjoy creating QuickTime VR , digital movies, HyperStudio stacks, PowerPoint presentations, web pages, and more sophisticated projects using applications like Macromedia Flash.
  3. Your skill and comfort level doing multimedia projects with students
    This is an individual decision. Some teachers are comfortable stretching themselves into new areas and learning along with their students. Others need to feel completely comfortable with a new application before teaching it to their students. Find your own comfort level. As you do more multimedia projects with students you will be able to branch out into new areas.
  4. The project's purpose
  5. The project's audience
  6. Your timeline
  7. Cost of the application per workstation or licensed copy if you need to purchase it
    If you are purchasing software consider the price per license or workstation. HyperStudio, AppleWorks, MovieWorks, iMovie, PowerPoint, are all fairly inexpensive with school purchase plans. Other applications, like PhotoShop and Premiere, are more expensive, and more sophisticated to use.
  8. Cost of peripherals such as scanners, digital cameras, external drives, etc.

Module 3.2 State Standards

This section includes the following components:

State Standards
  • Brief history of the standards movement
  • Why we have standards
  • Where to find the standards
Technology Standards The National Technology Standards for students and teachers were created in 1999 and are generally the guiding principles for technology use in the classroom. This is especially true in states such as California which have not drafted specific technology standards.
Information Literacy Standards Information literacy refers to "a set of competencies that an informed citizen of an information society ought to possess to participate intelligently and actively in that society"
Teaching Standards California requires that two levels of specified technology skills be achieved as part of the teacher credentialing requirements.
Standards Readings and Resources

 

State Standards

Why Do We Have Standards?
The creation and adoption of academic standards achieves the overarching educational goal of high academic standards for all students. This is an important milestone in American education because high academic standards for student skills will help provide educational equity. As educators, we need to assure that all students can attain these standards.
The current "standards movement" in American Education is based on the concept of high academic standards for all students in order to help provide educational equity and bridge the achievement gap.

Before the Standards Movement

In 1983 the National Commission on Excellence in Education published a federal report titled, A Nation at Risk. This report stated that at that time, our educational institutions failed to teach the right subjects, and that our students failed to study hard enough, and learn enough. It argued that the standards in public schools were slack and uneven and many teachers were not adequately prepared. This report was the beginning of the reform movement in American education.

In 1992, the U. S. Department of Labor established a commission to determine the skills necessary for the new "global workforce." The SCANS (Secretaries Commission for Achieving Necessary Skills) Report created standards for the skills our young people need to succeed in the world of work. It challenged educators to re-invent k-12 education to create a workforce for the emerging technology-based economy.

According to Challenging the Status Quo: The Education Record, 1993-2000 (http://www.ed.gov/inits/record/index.html), our educational system was not graduating students with the skills necessary to be part of the growing knowledge-based economy. Consequently, the U.S. Department of Education initiated a series of school reforms to improve education through benchmarks for measuring student progress and teacher quality. It was believed that our education system had for too long condoned low expectations and low standards for disadvantaged children, and that Federal programs often reflected those expectations.

In 1994, the Improving America's Schools Act re-authorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), and the Goals 2000: Educate America Act, to support state and local school reform efforts to create challenging academic standards and assessments linked to standards.

The Educational Excellence for All Children Act of 1999 re-authorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). encouraging the federal government, individual schools, school districts, and states to promote educational excellence for all children.

State Reform Movements

Since the U.S. Constitution does not mention education, education is the job of state and local governments. In California, task forces were created to suggest reforms. From 1987 to 1992, these task forces published several documents including: "It's Elementary," "Caught in the Middle," and "Second to None.” The state developed and revised frameworks for all content areas based on its seven-year textbook adoption cycle.

The Standards Movement

In the mid 1990s, the U.S. Department of Education developed the National Education Standards based on Goals 2000 (http://www.ed.gov/G2K/). Following this, individual states began to develop their own content standards. California's Public Schools Accountability Act of 1999 is attempting to improve education in California by providing rewards and interventions for improving student performance. These standards can be found as pdf files (requiring Adobe Acrobat Reader to download) on the SCORE (Schools of California Online Resources for Educators: http://www.score.k12.ca.us ) Web Site.
Where Can Standards Be Found?

California Content Standards

http://www.clrn.org/home/
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/
http://www.csun.edu/~hcbio027/k12standards/

California Teacher Standards (pdf)

http://www.ctc.ca.gov/reports/cstpreport.pdf

National Teacher Standards

http://www.nbpts.org/the_standards

Technology Standards

At the same time, technology standards have been developed. In 1999, ISTE published the National Education Technology Standards (http://www.iste.org/ ), and California has published its technology standards for teacher credentialing at: ( http://www1.chapman.edu/soe/faculty/piper/teachtech/calstand.htm).

ISTE has published National Technology Standards for both students and teachers. These can be found at: http://cnets.iste.org/search/s_search.html.

National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) International Society for Technology in Education

http://www.iste.org/

Teacher Technology Proficiencies

http://cnets.iste.org/teachers/
Chris -- there are new tech standards released in July 07 -- see Carrie Tibbs for link.

Information Literacy Standards

Why Integrate Literacy Standards?

Projects lend themselves to thematic planning and are generally cross curricular. Since literacy is a main focus in the state of California, literacy standards should be integrated into each project. The American Library Association has developed nine information literacy standards.

Wikipedia definition:

Information literacy standards are also embedded in the California Language Arts standards. See the chart on the previous page to locate the California Language Arts Standards.

Determining the Standards Your Project Will Meet

  1. Go to California Language Arts standards site and review the LA standards and identify an appropriate literacy standard that you will include in your project.
  2. Go to National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) site and review the five propositions of accomplished teaching.
    Do we want to spend time on this, or just let teachers know it's there?
  3. View the video tape of a teacher in action and write down “evidence”, specific examples of propositions you can identify.

    4. Propositions of Accomplished Teaching

    Evidence

    Teachers are committed to students and their learning.

     

    Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students

     

    Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning.

     

    Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience.

     

    Teachers are members of learning communities.

     
  4. Go to the National Education Technology Standards for Students (NETS) site and review student technology standards. How are these standards being addressed at your school or in your district?

Induction Standards for the Teaching Profession

http://www.ccbtsa.org/pdfs/Placemat-InductionRevised.pdf

Standard #16 Using Technology to Support Student Learning

  1. Interacts and communicates through a variety of electronic media
  2. Interacts and communicates with other professionals through a variety of electronic media to support technology-enhanced curriculum
  3. Uses technology resources inside and outside the classroom to create technology-enhanced lessons aligned with the adopted curriculum
  4. PT designs, adapts, and uses lessons addressing students’ to develop information literacy, problem solving skills and tools for lifelong learningCreates an environment promoting use of technology to access, select, & use information to solve problems and draw conclusions
  5. Uses technology as a tool for assessing student learning and to provide feedback to students and their parents
  6. Demonstrates competence evaluating data, determining outcomes, and reflecting on effectiveness of process and results of technology in lessons
Suggested and Outdated

Teaching Standards - California Teacher Credentialing Requirements For Technology Proficiency

  • Knowledge of basic computer hardware and software terminology
  • Operation and care of computer related hardware
  • Basic troubleshooting techniques for computer systems and related peripherals
  • Knowledge/understanding of legal and ethical issues
  • Knowledge/understanding of appropriate use of computer-based technology in teaching and learning.

Specific Knowledge and Skills:

  • Uses computer applications to manage records (gradebook, attendance)
  • Uses computers to communicate through printed media. (newsletters w/graphics and charts, student reports, course descriptions)
  • Interacts using email.
  • Familiar with computer-based collaborative tools (newsgroups, listservs, online chat)
  • Examines a variety of current educational digital media and is able to evaluate materials. (multimedia, internet resources, presentation tools, etc.)
  • Chooses software for its relevance, effectiveness, alignment with content standards and value added to student learning.
  • Competence in use of electronic research tools (access Internet to search for and retrieve information)
  • Ability to assess authenticity, reliability and bias of data gathered.
  • Identifies student learning styles, determines appropriate technological resources to improve learning.
  • Considers content to be taught and selects best technological resources.
  • Demonstrates ability to create and maintain effective learning environments using computer-based technology.
  • Analyzes best practices and research findings and designs lessons accordingly.
  • Demonstrates knowledge of copyright issues.
  • Demonstrates knowledge of privacy, security and safety issues.

Level 2

  • Uses a computer application to manipulate and analyze data (database, charts, reports from spreadsheets)
  • Communicates through a variety of electronic media (presentations w/images, sound, web pages, portfolios)
  • Interacts and collaborates w/others using computer based collaborative tools (threaded discussion groups, newsgroups, electronic list management applications, online chat, audio/visual conferences)
  • Demonstrates competence in evaluating authenticity, reliability, bias of data gathered; determines outcomes and evaluates success or effectiveness of process used.
  • Optimizes lessons based on technology resources available in the classroom/other locations.
  • Designs, adapts and uses lessons which address students' needs to develop information literacy and problem solving skills as tools for lifelong learning.
  • Creates learning environments inside the classroom, as well as computer labs that promote effective use of technology aligned with the curriculum.
  • Uses technology in lessons to increase students' ability to plan, locate, evaluate, select and use information to solve problems and draw conclusions.
  • Uses technology as a tool for assessing student learning and providing feedback to students and their parents.
  • Monitors and reflects upon results of using technology in instruction and adapts lessons accordingly.
  • Collaborates with others to support technology-enhanced curriculum.
  • Contributes to site-based planning/decision making regarding use of technology and acquisition of technology resources.

Task 3B: Thematic Planning

  1. Look at the enduring understandings you decided on for your project.
  2. Determine what standards will be met by your project.
  3. Open Inspiration and in the Main Idea box type your project title, and your enduring understanding.
  4. Create a mind map based on the standards you have chosen for your project.
  5. Website resources:Thematic Planning , Thematic planning for ESL, Creating Thematic Plans

Standards Readings and Resources

Readings: Web Resources:

This Standards PDF document includes the following articles:

  • California Standards for the teaching profession
  • International Society for Technology in Education
  • Leadership in Learning with Technology
  • Commission on Teacher Credentialing
  • American Association of School Librarians
Not sure this is the right pdf...84 pps..PBL

Module 3.3 Goals, Objectives, and Thematic Planning

Goals and Objectives Defined

Goals are the general or overall concepts we want our students to learn. Hutchings and Standley see goal setting as vision setting (Global Project Based Learning, p 68). They suggest the following questions:

  • What do I want for my students?
  • What do I want for myself?
  • What do I want for my community?
  • Why do I want to do it? (Connection with curriculum)
  • How will I reach my final goal? (What are the short term goals to meet final goals?)

Objectives are what Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe refer to in Understanding by Design as "enduring understandings." These are the concepts we want to be sure our students truly understand and not just learn.
Objectives are based on goals and are measurable. When writing measurable objectives it is important to consider the following:

  1. What is the intended learning outcome?
  2. What important cognitive skills do I want my students to understand?
  3. What social, effective, and metacognitive skills do I want my students to learn?
  4. What types of problems do I want my students to solve?
  5. What concepts and principles do I want my students to be able to apply? When writing measurable objectives it is important to know how you plan to assess whether the objectives have been met. Traditionally educators have planned curriculum and instruction by planning the activities before planning assessment. A more powerful model is to plan assessment at the same time you plan your objectives. By considering what assessment strategies you will use to measure content learning and understanding up front in the planning process, you are assuring that your objectives will be met. It is important to consider multiple assessment strategies and measures. Some examples are normed reference tests, teacher made tests, checklists, rubrics, portfolios, charts of what students know, want to learn, and actually do learn, projects, journals, and essays.

Finally, when writing a measurable objective consider what students will do to meet the objective.

  • Will students work independently, with a partner or in a group?
  • If students are to work in collaborative groups, how many students will be in each group and how will groups be chosen?
  • What tasks will be done in the classroom, and what tasks will be done elsewhere?
  • How often and where will students work on the project?
  • How long will this project take?
  • Who will determine what is to be learned and who will measure the outcome?

Goals and Objectives Readings and Resources:

Readings:

Web Resources:

This Planning and Classroom Management [PDF] includes the following articles:

  • Project Outcomes; Identifying Skills
  • Habits of Mind
  • Project Activities and Tasks
  • Examples of Project Activities
  • Scaffolding Ideas
Appears to be the same pbl pdf as above

Module 3.4 Project Management

Managing Your Project in the Classroom
What to do Before You Start the Project
Starting the Project (Pre-production)
Creating the Product (Production )
Concluding the Project (Post-Production)

Managing Your Project in the Classroom

They key to successfully managing your project within your classroom is well thought out, careful planning. Make sure you know whom to contact at your school/or district for tech support, checking out materials and tools, scheduling labs and laptop carts and basic troubleshooting.
Also be sure that you have all student acceptable use plans signed and returned, and if you are going to post the project on the Web it is advisable to get parent permission to post student work and photos (be sure to check you district's/school's acceptable use plan concerning the posting of student work/pictures first).
One of the critical elements of project planning is creating a realistic timeline and sticking with it. Of course assemblies, field trips, disaster drills and other unexpected events can and do happen, so plan for this by building in some “extra time.”
It is also critical to have a "Plan B" if the computer lab is booked solid, or several computers break down, etc. Plan ahead, and know when you'll need to use which resources.
Scaffolding the project is critical to the success of your project. Create a project plan or check list for yourself. This may look something like this:

Necessary Knowledge/Skills

Previously Learned/ Mastered by Students

Teach Before Doing the Project

Teach During the Project

Make sure you create a clear/useable timeline to map your project. It might look something like this:

 

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Week 1

 

 

 

 

 

Week 2

 

 

 

 

 

Week 3

 

 

 

 

 

Week 4

 

 

 

 

 

Borrowing school's digital camera (dates):
Computer lab scheduled for (dates):
Final projects due:
Culminating Event:

What to do Before You Start the Project

Plan the Project

  • Project Plan with Measurable Goals and Objectives
  • Anticipate Your Role
  • Anticipate the Students' Roles
  • Create a Parent Letter
  • Make Real-World Connections
  • Prepare Resources
  • Prepare Software and Peripherals
  • Organize Computer Files
  • Prepare the Classroom
  • Organize Online Materials
  • Organize books, manuals, paper, etc. so that students can work independently

Starting the Project

  1. Introduce the Project (1-2 days)
    • Share Goals with Students
    • Refine Project with Students
    • Review Project Documents
  2. Perform Pre-assessments (1 day)
    • KWL (Know/Want (Need) to Know/Learned Chart (1 day)
    • Pre-test knowledge and/or skills
  3. Plan Checkpoints/Milestones (at least 2 peer reviews plus teacher/student checkpoints to assure content learning)
    • Create an Assessment Documents or Checklists
    • Use Whole Class Design Review prior to having students begin project research
    • Do periodic Content Assessments
  4. Perform Other Relevant Activities
  5. Group Students (Collaborative grouping Techniques)
    • By Interest (based on KWL charts or sign sheets)
    • By Multiple Intelligences—balancing the groups to include a variety of learning styles and intelligences (using a Multiple Intelligence survey)
    • By skills (making sure that each group has a strong reader/researcher, writer, presenter, technology, organizer, etc.)
    • By free choice (not recommended UNLESS you have students who can responsibly handle this)
  6. Learn the Technology (1-2 days or class periods)
    • Generally your students will easily learn to use the technology. This will depend on both your and your students' comfort level with the technology as well as the age/grade level of your students.
    • Here are some models for teaching the technology to your students:
      • Teach one student in each project group how to use the technology and have that student teach the other members of his/her team.
      • Take one class period to teach the basics of the software or technology to the entire class.   Then give the class one more class period to experiment with the software to create a short sample project. You may or may not choose to have them save this project.
  7. Do the Preliminary Research and Planning
    • Research –in class, library and online
    • Assigned reading
    • Note taking skills
    • Hand in notes for review
    • Peer review of research notes
    • Final approval of research before continuing with project
  8. Concept Design and Story Boarding
  9. First Draft Productions
  10. Help Student Work Efficiently
    • Preparation
    • Use of Equipment
    • Keep Technology at Student Skill Level
    • Collaboration Techniques
    • Manageable Steps
    • Check and Assess Often
    • Redirect as Necessary

Creating the Product

  1. Schedule computer lab or lap top cart (if necessary). Schedule the check out and use of any necessary equipment (digital cameras, video cameras, laptops, PDAs, AlphaSmarts, or other shared equipment. Create and use a check out system with your students
  2. Schedule classroom computers (if doing project in classroom). Assign each team to a computer and schedule the time each team may use the computer.
  3. Make sure all students clearly understand the requirements for the final product.
    • Show sample project(s)
    • Create a template
  4. Establish and explain organizational and procedural standards for the technology including:
    • storing and naming files and folders (Names should be short and have no apostrophes, punctuation marks, symbols or spaces)
    • files for project should be kept in one folder.
    • Always save regularly
    • Always back up files to a CD, file server, and/or USB Flash Memory stick.
  5. Make sure all students know how to use the programs necessary for the project.
    • Pre-teach technology skills if necessary—1 class period
    • Make sure one person on every team knows how to use the software
  6. Create graphic organizers and check lists for students for project management (See Buck Institute materials -- Planning and Classroom Management [PDF]).
    Wrong link. I can't locate the correct one at the Buck Institute site, but will continue to search maybe this:
    http://www.bie.org/pbl/pblhandbook/tools.php#ppform
  7. Move about the classroom and assist project teams as needed
  8. Build in formative assessment
  9. Peer review
    • Focus on content
    • Focus on appropriateness of multimedia elements to support content
    • Teacher review of project with project teams (redirect as necessary)
  10. Teach/expect only the basic functions of the software initially. Add more multimedia elements as you see content is well presented and is clear.

Concluding the Project

  1. Assessing, Testing, Finalizing Presentations
  2. Whole Class Debriefing Session
    • What did we learn?
    • Did we collaborate well?
    • What skill did we learn?
    • What skills do we need to learn better?
    • Did we do our best work?
    • How can we improve the quality of our work next time we do a project?
  3. Fishbowl review of projects and process
    • Survey (and share results with class)
    • Class discussion and review of projects and process
    • Small group discussion and review of projects and process
  4. Self-Evaluation
  5. Celebration

Task 3C: Planning and Classroom Management

Review the management ideas (above) and the following tools from Planning and Classroom Management [PDF]

  • Project Resource Form
  • Student Weekly Planning Sheet
  • Student Planning Brief
  • Student Learning Log
  • Student Investigation Brief
  • Student Product Brief
  • Student Presentation Brief
  • Research Log

On a piece of paper jot down all the constraints and challenges you can think of that you need help with to manage your project. In a group of 4 people, share your “issues.” Help each other resolve those issues using the tools cited here, or other tools and methods you all have used in your classrooms.
Share out continuing concerns/needs (poster paper) and great management ideas. Select the tools you will use to manage our project and included them in your project planning.

Module 3.5 Collaboration

Why Collaborate?

Collaboration allows us to:

  • Learn from the ideas of others
  • Benefit from the strengths and talents of others
  • Generate more ideas for solutions

Strong communication skills are essential for productive teamwork. Collaboration not only helps build strong communication skills, but it allows the opportunity for all team members to benefit from the strengths of one another.

Setting up Collaborative Groups

What is Collaborative Learning?
Collaborative learning is a way of structuring your classroom so that your students work together to accomplish shared goals and products. By working together the learning of each individual is maximized. In a collaborative group each student is individually responsible for the success or failure of the entire group. Business and industry leaders tell us that they want schools to teach students to work collaboratively on projects because this is a necessary work skill.
How to Set Up Collaborative Groups
There are many ways to set up collaborative groups. How you set up your groups will depend on the activity, the age, ability and social skills of your students, and the time you plan for your collaborative group activity. For some students collaborative learning can be a frustrating experience if it is not properly set up.
If you have not use collaborative learning groups before, you will find it takes a little practice. Here are some good general guidelines to follow:
When setting up collaborative groups try to foster groups that encourage positive interdependence. This means that the students in each group need each other's skills to succeed. Make sure you have a system in place for individual accountability. Know how you will make sure each student does his/her fair share of work, and that all students learn. At the end of each group period give your group time to process and reflect on how the group performed. This can me done using a feedback form. Before you begin your collaborative group project make sure the rules and guidelines for group work are clear and are understood by all students. Spend some reviewing and building social skills those collaborative activities that these social skills. Each member of a collaborative group should be assigned a specific role. Roles will be determine by the task assigned to the collaborative group.

Typical roles are:

Typical roles are:

  • Group Leader - Is responsible for the organization of the group and for leading discussions
  • Recorder or Scribe - Keeps group notes, logs, journals, etc.
  • Reporter - Does oral presentations
  • Materials Monitor - Gets, distributes, and maintains materials for the group

Other roles may be:

  • Checker - Makes sure all information is correct and everyone is on task
  • Encourager - Makes sure everyone is working in a positive manner
  • Cheerleader - Keeps the group motivated and engaged
  • Praiser - Makes sure everyone's ideas are validated
  • Taskmaster - Kepts the group on target
  • Quiet Monitor - Makes sure noise level is appropriate
  • Time Keeper - Makes sure groups "deliverables are finished on time.

Things to do when you set up collaborative groups:

  • Define the task or lesson
  • Decide group size
  • Decide how students will be assigned to groups
    • Decide by abilities and skills
    • Decide by free choice
    • Decide by topic of interest
  • Determine room arrangement
  • Prepare materials that will be needed by each group
  • Assign roles and define the job for each role
  • Define the final expected outcome or product
  • Determine how you will assess both group and student learning
  • Define specific behaviors expected during group work
  • Provide ongoing time for reflection and feedback on group process and accomplishment of tasks (Embedded or formative assessment).

Collaborating with Parents/Community

Why is collaboration vital to your Project? When we speak of the pbl component "collaboration" we are usually thinking inside the classroom student to student, student to teacher, or teacher to teacher.   We need to also consider student/teacher to parent/community.

The Center for School, Family, and Community Partnerships provides surveys for teachers and parents in elementary and middle school grades, and teachers, parents, and students in high schools. The quantitative information collected from the surveys helps parents and schools develop a comprehensive, successful partnership program based on Epstein's six types of involvement.

How can you use technology as a tool to help you collaborate with parents? How can you design your project to include input from the community?

Your classroom web site can be used as a communication tool between the classroom and those outside of the classroom.
How to Set Up a Class Web Site for better Collaboration:
In addition to posting projects online think about making the project page a part of a classroom web site. According to David Warlick classroom web sites are created by teachers to help their students attain specific educational objectives. Qualities of a good classroom web site are:

  • Use of the internet for teaching and learning
  • Give the students educationally appropriate web sources
  • Provide the students a workspace for collaboration
  • Provide context for what the student is learning
  • Be a communication tool for parents organized with usability in mind.
  • Knowing some basic html code is not that difficult and is often very beneficial. Every teacher should know a little.

Task 3D: Collaboration

Think about the students you've taught and the students you will teach this coming year.
How have you organized collaborative or cooperative groups.
How do you envision setting up your collaborative groups for the project you are going to plan during this institute?
For more information see:

  1. The Cooperative Learning Center, University of Minnesota
  2. Setting Up Collaborative Groups

Web Resources:

  • Filamentality - A template for creating a web page; Doesn't provide workspace for students
  • Kiko - A template for constructing WebQuest activities
  • TrakStar - Can create annotated web tours, lists of web links for students to visit and put comments and assignments associated with the links; Doesn't provide workspace for students
  • Server.com -Was not created as a tool for educators but can be used as such and is very simple to use; can design an online discussion using this tool
  • Ditto.com - A visual search engine
  • Think.com - Oracle's Online collaboration tool for school projects
  • Gaggle Email Accounts - Free student email accounts that are teacher controlled.

Module 3.6 Facilitation

The Changing Role of the Teacher

In project based learning, the role of the teacher is to facilitate and engage the students in the learning process. Instead of being the "dispenser" of knowledge, the teacher guides the students through the project, helping them organize and manage the various project activities and providing access to the tools, resources and assessment instruments they need to complete and reflect upon the project.
Reflect on your teaching style.

  • To what extent do you prefer to direct the learning activities in your classroom?
  • To what extent do you guide your students to direct their own learning?
  • To what extent do state tests control how you teach?
  • To what extent do you use learning centers?
  • To what extent do you use small group instruction?
  • If you use small group instruction what are the other students doing?
  • To what extent do you use a lecture method?
  • How do you know what your students have learned, and what they understand as a result of the learning experiences you've provided for them?

Read Meaningful, Engaged Learning from the NCREL Web site.

Children are natural learners. Preschoolers acquire language and motor skills at a rapid rate. Most three and four year olds will proudly tell you how smart they are. Yet when they enter school we begin to see students who struggle with learning, and who each year become less and less interested in learning and more and more disruptive. Schools are supposed to inspire learning, to motivate students to want to learn, and to provide rich resources and tools that enhance the learning experience.

Traditionally the teacher has been the imparter of knowledge. As a profession, for generations we have followed a model in which we either tell the students (lecture) what we want them to know, or we assign chapters in a book that tell what we want them to know. Consequently text book publishers have had great control over educational content. In this model publishers provide "Teacher's Guides" and learning is scripted by others. We then test students to see if they have acquired the "facts" that have been presented and grade them on a bell shaped curve. Then we move on to the next topic. In this model technology is seen as a tool for drill and practice or to test comprehension.

The Constructivist model requires us to engage our students in the learning process. The teacher becomes the facilitator of learning who guides and points students to appropriate resources and information. Learning is no longer the memorization of facts for a test with scores recorded and compared on a bell shaped curve so that some students are excellent, some are failures, and most are average. In this model students at the bottom end of the curve lose their self-esteem and consequently their motivation to learn. In the Constructivist model learning is continuous, and concepts are revisited in a spiraling curriculum. All learners move form what they currently know and understand to the next level on knowledge and understanding continuously throughout their lives.

Take a look at the examples below. On the left the teacher imparts knowledge to the student. The student is tested and scored, placed on the bell shaped curve. In the Constructivist model both students and teachers are life-long learners. The teacher becomes the facilitator and learning is constantly assessed and reassessed by both students and teacher toward the goal on constant learning as in the Formative Assessment model below.

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In the traditional model the student is tested and scored, placed on the bell shaped curve. In the Constructivist model both students and teachers are life-long learners. The teacher becomes the facilitator and learning is constantly assessed and reassessed by both students and teacher toward the goal on constant learning as in following the Formative Assessment model. Reflect on the extent to which your students are engaged in learning. When are your students the most engaged in learning? How do you know they are learning?

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