PROJECTS

Web Links for Tools and Resources for Project Planning, Assessment, Collaboration, and More
[|**Harnessing the Power of the Web: A Tutorial for Collaborative Project-Based Learning by Global SchoolNet**] http://www.gsn.org/WEB/index.html Global SchoolNet promotes international collaboration and offers a tutorial for designing rich projects to share with others. The site offers projects, an exchange service, and collaborative tools and additional resources. [|http://www.pblnet.org] The PBLNet Design and Invention Center supports teachers, parents, and children interested in project-based learning, design, and invention. It features projects with lesson plans and extensions, and links to other PBL resources. [|**PBL Online by The Buck Institute for Education**] [|http://pbl-online.org] Based on work in project-based learning by the Buck Institute for Education, the George Lucas Education Foundation, Boise State University and additional university partners, PBL Online offers resources that support the design and management of projects for middle school and high school. The PBL Online Co-Laboratory offers a collaborative space for designing and sharing work and sharing projects. [|**The Project Approach created by Sylvia Chard**] [|http://www.projectapproach.org] The Project Approach Institute provides information on theory, planning, and project development, and offers educators an opportunity to submit projects for publication on the site. The site also features a child study center, a blog, and links to other resources. [|**Project-Based Learning Checklists by 4teachers.org**] [|http://pblchecklist.4teachers.org] This resource features customizable project checklists (in English and Spanish) for written reports, multimedia projects, oral presentations, and science projects. [|**Project-Based Learning with Multimedia by San Mateo County, California Office of Education**] [|http://pblmm.k12.ca.us] This site offers an overview and research on topics relating to PBL supported by multimedia. Some resources include: scoring rubrics, learning activities, curriculum ideas, technology guides, a database of example projects with analysis, and an interactive communication page for teachers and administrators. [|**Problem-Based Learning by the University of Delaware**] http://www.udel.edu/pbl This site offers news and resources on problem-based learning. Look for information on upcoming conferences and resources including sample problems, courses and syllabi, and stories of groups in action. Examine the PBL Clearinghouse and follow links to the Institute for Transforming Undergraduate Education and the Pan-American Network for PBL. [|**Teacher Tap by Eduscapes**] http://eduscapes.com/tap/topic43.htm Teacher Tap describe approaches to project, problem, and inquiry-based learning, and offers project guides and checklists for developing learning experiences for each. [|**Virtual Schoolhouse created by Michelle Swanson, Lois Ann Porter, Dio Morales and Charlie Cannon**] http://virtualschoolhouse.visionlink.org/pbl.htm The Virtual Schoolhouse is a joint initiative funded by the Department of Education and the Department of Labor. The site features an introduction on PBL and guides users by means of design principles, categorized by academic rigor, authenticity, applied learning, adult connections, active exploration and assessment practice. Each section provides sample projects. [|Back to top]
 * [|PBLNet by WestEd RTEC]**

Related Readings
[|**Criteria for Authentic Project-Based Learning**] http://www.rmcdenver.com/useguide/pbl.htm Researcher Nancy Kraft provides a list of criteria for authentic project-based learning, including recommended guidelines for evaluating the effectiveness of PBL in the classroom. [|**Edutopia**] http://www.edutopia.org/projectbasedlearning The magazine of the George Lucas Educational Foundation features a complete library on project-based learning, including articles, research, media clips and interviews, as well a large section about working projects in K–12 schools. The site highlights videos of student work and success stories from around the country. The “Take Action” section informs teachers/administrators/parents/policymakers how to make changes to better their schools and communities. [|**Fit for Life**] http://www.tes.co.uk/section/story/?section=Archive&sub_section=Extras+%26+updates&story_id=385046&Type=0 Guy Claxton, professor of Learning Science at University of Bristol Graduate School of Education, discusses the trend of “learning coaches” and describes learning dispositions in this 2003 article. [|**Foundations for the Road Ahead: Project-Based Learning and Information Technologies**] http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Research/Reports/The_Road_Ahead_Background_Papers_1997_/Project-Based_Learning.htm This is one of several reports being prepared for The Road Ahead, a program of the National Foundation for the Improvement of Education (NFIE), a nonprofit foundation of the National Education Association (NEA). The Road Ahead is funded by Bill Gates, co-founder and CEO of Microsoft Corporation, from proceeds from his book by the same name. The program involves 22 school/community partnerships in 15 states using technology-based learning activities that extend beyond the traditional classroom and school day. This draft is subject to review and revision and was prepared by staff of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). [|**Framework for 21st-Century Learning**] [|http://www.21stcenturyskills.org] Partnership for 21st-Century Skills, an advocacy organization, released this updated Framework for 21st-Century Learning to provide a vision for student outcomes in the global economy. [|**Getting a Grip on Project-Based Learning; Theory, Cases, and Recommendations**] http://www.ncsu.edu/meridian/win2002/514/index.html Archived research paper by Michael M. Grant examines the theoretical foundations, particularly constructivism and constructionism, and notes the similarities and differences among implementations, including project-based science, disciplined inquiry, and WebQuests. The author also provides a model describing seven characteristics common among the various implementations of project-based learning and offers advice and recommendations, including beginning slowly with implementation, teaching students to negotiate cooperative/collaborative groups and establishing multiple forms of performance assessments. [|**High Schools for the New Millennium**] http://www.gatesfoundation.org/UnitedStates/Education/TransformingHighSchools/default.htm The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation report highlights promising ideas for transforming secondary education so that students will leave high school with the skills necessary for college, work, and citizenship. [|**Inside the Black Box: Raising Standards Through Classroom Assessment**] http://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/kbla9810.htm In their article for Phi Delta Kappa International, Paul Black and Dylan Wiliam describe the findings of their landmark international study on formative assessment. [|**On Project Learning**] http://netc.org/classrooms@work/classrooms/jane/orientation/prolearning.html As part of the Travel USA project, featured on the Northwest Educational Technology Consortium’s Classrooms@Work site, educator Jane Krauss writes about control and responsibilities between teachers and learners in project learning. [|**Presidential Committee on Information Literacy: Final Report**] http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlpubs/whitepapers/presidential.htm Final report of the Presidential Committee on Information Literacy, released in 1989, addresses “The Importance of Information Literacy to Individuals, Business, and Citizenship;” “Opportunities to Develop Information Literacy;” and “An Information Age School,” among other topics. [|**Project-Based Instruction: Creating Excitement for Learning**] http://www.nwrel.org/request/2002aug/index.html This 2002 booklet in the By Request series from Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory summarizes research findings and benefits, and includes several examples of schools using project-based learning. [|**Project-Based Learning: A Primer**] http://www.techlearning.com/db_area/archives/TL/2003/01/project.php In this 2003 article, Gwen Solomon describes the concept of project-based learning, what it looks like, how to raise student awareness, the role of technology, and PBL and school reform. [|Back to top]

Blogs
http://usefulwiki.com/displays UK educator Linda Hartley explores and celebrates the use of displays in classrooms around the world. [|**Cool Cat Teacher Blog**] [|http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com] Georgia teacher and innovator Vicki Davis, co-creator of the Flat Classroom Project, offers insight into media-rich projects. [|**E-Learning Blog**] [|http://123elearning.blogspot.com] International teacher Julie Lindsay, co-creator of the Flat Classroom Project, describes ongoing innovations in using educational technology. [|**EduBlog Insights**] [|http://anne.teachesme.com] Edublogger Anne Davis provides practical and thoughtful insights into blogging with young writers. [|**Ewan McIntosh’s edu.blogs.com**] http://edu.blogs.com/edublogs/ Scottish educator Ewan McIntosh writes about extreme learning, social participative media, education, and the future. [|**iHistory Podcast Project**] http://ihistory.wordpress.com/ Australian secondary teacher David Fagg describes ongoing use of podcasts and MP3 players to study history. [|**Reinventing Project-Based Learning**] [|http://reinventingpbl.blogspot.com] Suzie Boss and Jane Krauss continue the discussion they launched with their book (by the same title), focusing on developing real-world projects for digital age learners. Blog includes link to a related international Flickr group, Reinventing PBL (http://www.flickr.com/groups/403864@N23/pool/). [|**The Thinking Stick**] [|http://www.thethinkingstick.com] Technology coorinator Jeff Utecht blogs from an international school in Shanghai, China. [|**Joyce Valenza’s NeverEndingSearch Blog**] [|http://joycevalenza.edublogs.org] A school librarian and digital-age literacy expert writes about information fluency, searching, teaching, and learning in the 21st century. [|**Weblogg-ed**] [|http://weblogg-ed.com] Edublogger Will Richardson highlights technology emerging trends and best practices using blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other Read/Write tools with K–12 learners. [|Back to top]
 * [|Classroom Displays]**

Podcasts
[|**Speed of Creativity**] [|http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2007/07/08/podcast170-reinventing-project-based- learning-by-jane-krauss-and-suzie-boss] This podcast by Wesley Fryer captures the NECC 2007 presentation “Reinventing Project-Based Learning: Your Field Guide to Real-World Projects in the Digital Age” by Jane Krauss and Suzie Boss, along with two international educators who joined the discussion via Skype. [|Back to top]

Collaborative Spaces
[|**Classroom 2.0**] [|http://classroom20.ning.com] Developed by teachers for teachers, this social networking site brings together educators who are interested in using Web 2.0 technologies in their classroom, as well as for peer-to-peer professional development. [|**Global Education Collaborative**] [|http://globaleducation.ning.com] This social networking site is for K–20 educators interested in promoting global awareness. Site uses a variety of digital tools (including video, forums, blogs, and photos) to connect educators and foster collaborative projects across distances. [|**PBLnet**] http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PBLnet This Yahoo group is for K–12 educators interested in project-based learning.