1. PBL Sara Hallermann PBL National Faculty Buck Institute for Education
Title Slide – on Screen as workshop begins 1

2. By the end of PBL 101, you will have started planning a project by:
O Understanding “Main Course” PBL
O Generating a Project Idea
O Refining a Driving Question
O Balancing Assessment Strategies
O Gathering Tips for Managing Projects
O All of the Above
WORKSHOP DAY TWO
You’ll have most of the morning to continue planning your projects.
But first, let’s talk about how to manage a project. 2

3. Video - Student as Worker, Teacher as Coach
Aviation HS Wing Project: Manage the Process [Time: 5:43]
CLASSROOM CULTURE. Watch the video, and look for some behaviors by the teacher and students that indicate a culture of inquiry and independence. 3

4. THINK SHARE
CLASSROOM CULTURE. What was the role of the teacher and the students? What behaviors promoted a culture of inquiry and independence?
Key point: student independence vs. teacher guidance 4

5. 5 (Optional: If participants are given this form)
This one of BIE’s Project Planning Forms: the “Teaching and Learning Guide.” It helps you plan lessons and arrange resources to support students in successfully completing project tasks.
On the left you list the knowledge and skills students will need in order to do the tasks required in the project.
On the right is a corresponding list of the ways you’re going to provide students with the knowledge and skills they need.
This is another example of backward planning, or in other words “unpacking” the tasks and products to determine what it takes to complete them. 5

6. 6 Here is another of BIE’s project planning forms, a Project Calendar.
This is a completed example (from the PBL Starter Kit):
This shows a typical 3-week project, 15 days long.
Note formative assessment mix of content and collaboration skills
Note checkpoints with deadlines for work in progress and practice presentation time 6

7. PBL Driving Question or Challenge Publicly Presented Product Need to
Know
Feedback
&
Revision
Inquiry
&
Innovation
Student
Voice &
Choice
Remember - one of the essential features of PBL is that a project gives students a “need to know” important content and skills.
Students are more motivated to learn because they’re engaged by the project.
Their engagement starts on Day One with an Entry Event that launches the project with a bang and starts the inquiry process by creating a need to know.
This is an optional part of your planning at this workshop.
If you have time and want to get this far, go for it, because it’s very important – and also fun to plan.
21st Century
Skills 7

8. “Yes, the Cold War!” – No One 8
Presenter’s Choice for a topic students are not naturally excited about.
(e.g., David’s American Archetypes project: “major events in the first 200 years of U.S. History” or Al’s “unit conversions” for a math project)
Much as we might like to think students are as interested as we are in the three branches of government, mitosis, quadratic equations, or early 20th-century American novels, it’s not always the case.
So unless your project is about some extremely interesting topic, your students need to be hooked on Day One so they’ll become engaged and start asking questions – beginning the inquiry process.
Don’t start the project by announcing, “Today we’re going to begin the Civil Rights project. Here is a list of requirements and deadlines.”
That’s a sure way to kill students’ interest.
“Yes, the Cold War!”
– No One 8

9. Simulation or Activity Provocative Reading Startling Statistics
EXAMPLE ENTRY EVENTS
Field Trip
Guest Speaker
Film, Video, Website
Simulation or Activity
Provocative Reading
Startling Statistics
Puzzling Problem
Piece of Real or Mock
Correspondence
Song, Poem, Art
Lively Discussion
Try one of these ways to launch your project.
(presenter may give examples)
The key goals are to:
Engage students’ interest: give them a reason to care about the project.
Begin the inquiry process: generate questions, a sense of wonder, a need to know more. 9

10. Video – Entry Activity: The Gender Project
(Optional video of an Entry Event)
LAUNCH THE INQUIRY. Watch the video, and look for how students are engaged. Think about how this activity might lead to inquiry. 10

11. THINK SHARE
LAUNCH THE INQUIRY. What struck you about the Entry Event and the students’ response? How would this event initiate inquiry?
(Optional/if people ask)
Details about the 6-week project:
DQ: How do we learn how to act as men and women?
Activities: Science lessons on genetics & animal behavior; History lessons and readings on gender inequity;
Analysis of advertising
Products: (1) video PSA’s about gender issues, presented to parents and other students
(2) Writing
(3) Gender word wall
(4) Computer animation about genetics 11

12. Checklist of Requirements Templates for contracts, lists, etc.
PROJECT PACKET
Team Roster
Project Calendar
Rubric & Assessments
Checklist of Requirements
Templates for contracts,
lists, etc.
Presentation/Exhibition
Schedule
Resource List
(Optional – some teachers may want this kind of detailed guidance)
Provide students with a set of project materials:
Make 1 copy per student, assembled in a packet or available for them to pick up/download
Place materials in clearly marked project center or online location
Point out their location after the Entry Event/Need to Know activity
Refer all logistical questions (stuff in the packet) to the project center, website, file, etc. 12

13. KITTY KARRIER PROJECT REQUIREMENTS ☐ Low Cost Materials
☐ No Metal Parts
☐ Fit Underneath Seat on Plane
☐ Open & Close Access
☐ Comfortable & Breathable
☐ Rigid Structure
(This will illustrate a point about formative assessment)
Let’s talk about an issue in assessment by looking at the “Kitty Karrier Project.”
Students had to create a low-cost product that consumers could use to “carry-on” their precious kitty cat onto airplanes.
They were given this checklist of the specifications.
SOME students MIGHT create a product like this. 13

14. KITTY KARRIER PROJECT REQUIREMENTS ☐ Low Cost Materials
☐ No Metal Parts
☐ Fit Underneath Seat on Plane
☐ Open & Close Access
☐ Comfortable & Breathable
☐ Rigid Structure
Or, students might create a product like this.
But they can still check every item on the list.
How do you avoid this from happening?
Checklists are not as good as rubrics for giving students qualitative feedback and more detail about how to do high-quality work. 14

15. “LASTDAY” Self and Peer Assessment Project Debrief and Celebration
The last day of the project is set aside for reflection, and maybe some celebration.
It’s important to leave time after presentations:
Opportunity for students to think about what they did, what they learned – which helps them remember it
Opportunity for the teacher to correct any misunderstandings about content, important concepts
Final self- and team assessment of collaboration, communication, critical thinking skills
Connect the project to other issues, applications, extensions
Look ahead to future projects: topics, challenges, what to work on
Generate feedback about the project: what worked, what didn’t

16. I’ll go over a few more tips about managing a project, drawn from BIE’s books, where you can find more.

17. Have products due at checkpoints
Don’t wait until Presentation day to see students’ work – you might be embarrassed in front of an audience!
To help students do high-quality work, check their work-in-progress throughout a project.
Set deadlines for turning in products, aka deliverables:
For example: sketches and prototypes, rough drafts, concept maps, models, storyboards, plans, proposals, research notes, practice presentations
Assess, don’t grade work in progress and practice presentations
Create opportunities for both teacher and peer feedback
Note: the sample Project Calendar (handout or Starter Kit page 65) shows several checkpoints.
Have products due at checkpoints 17

18. (or manages the process) Four is best Usually heterogeneous
TEAMING TIPS
Teacher decides teams
(or manages the process)
Four is best
Usually heterogeneous
“Slacker hardball”
Some tips on how to put students on teams:
Early in your PBL career, it’s usually better if YOU decide who goes on which team; prevents arguments, ensures balance
If you do want to involve students, fine, but make sure they know it’s not about working with their friends
FOUR team members is good; 3 can work, or maybe 5, but more than that and things can go wrong (not everyone has enough work to do, hard to coordinate schedules & tasks, etc.)
Have a mix of abilities and types on a team
some students have capabilities that really shine in a project, even though their grades or test scores may not be high (art, technology, leadership, presenting)
High-achievers need to learn to work with all types of people, and to divide tasks within a team (project management & leadership skills)
SOMETIMES it’s OK to let students with similar interests or abilities work together – for some project topics, or maybe near the end of the year once students know how to work in a PBL environment
SOME teachers recommend “slacker hardball” – if you have some students who didn’t do much work for their team in a project, put them together on the same team for the next project – so they’ll have to step up and learn how to do the work themselves. 18

19. “You’re fired!” – Advice From SOME Teachers 19
To help students work well in teams:
Discuss it with students and develop clear criteria for teamwork: use a collaboration rubric, contracts, set of expectations / norms
Practice collaboration skills before and during project
Have students self-assess and reflect on collaboration skills at checkpoints
Make your classroom culture like a workplace:
Hiring and firing policies– “Fired” students must complete the project on their own, or YOU become their “partner”
Team entry and exit plans (plan for what will happen if students come & go)
“You’re fired!”
– Advice From SOME Teachers 19

20. Meet with team representatives
Monitor team work. Do some formative assessment to see how well teams are working together and managing their time & tasks.
For example:
meet with team representatives doing specific tasks, e.g., researchers of particular topics, technology managers, or jigsawed content experts
sit with each team occasionally
ask students to discuss or write reflections on how well their team is working together, referring to a collaboration rubric or other set of expectations
Find the right monitoring style for your classroom:
-- helicopter (hovers closely over teams) vs. predator drone (stays on the perimeter and engages when necessary – recommended if possible)
Meet with team representatives 20

21. Ensure individual accountability
Do not let the Usual Suspects do the heavy lifting for the team.
For team-created products:
Structure tasks so each student contributes
Observe and collect reports on who did what work
have students assess themselves and their peers
To help ensure individual accountability in team presentations:
require shared presentation duties
question each individual (about any part of presentation)
If you want to get tough: tell them any student may be asked to do any part of presentation
Ensure individual accountability 21

22. Avoid death by repetitive presentations
This is a common problem if your project has several teams presenting on the same topic or creating the same product.
Some ways to avoid death-by-repetitive-presentations:
Presentations will differ if you have an open-ended DQ or a problem with several possible solutions
Presentations will differ if students have a choice of products / ways to present answer to DQ
Have students answer the same DQ but use varied texts, or focus on different places, times, people, cultures, etc.
Have teams take various points of view on a DQ, or various roles in a scenario
Ask students to focus their presentations on the process: how they did they work, how they used Critical Thinking Skills
Give student audience members an active role: ask questions, compare to their own work, write notes, etc.
Avoid death by repetitive presentations 22

23. CRITICAL FRIENDS TUNING PROTOCOL
PRESENTERS
Presentation: Project Title & Idea, Driving Question, Culminating Products or Performances, Entry Event*, and any concerns you’d like feedback about
7 min
EVERYONE
Clarification: Audience asks short clarifying questions
3 min
AUDIENCE
Good Stuff: Audience shares what they liked about the project
Wondering Stuff: Audience shares their concerns and probing questions
Next Stuff: Audience shares their thoughts on resources and improvements
4 min
Reflection: Group reflects on useful feedback, next steps
TOTAL TIME
25 min
Before you start working on your project planning, let me explain what we’re going to do after lunch today. (or during the last 1.5 to 2 hours of Day Two)
Critical Friends Tuning Protocol
We will be using this process to share your projects and get feedback from each other.
It will take about 25 minutes per team, so with ___ (number of teams), this part of the workshop will last from ___ to ___.
(note logistics: Which teams will be together, if the group will break out into other rooms, have different facilitators, etc.)
After this we’ll come back together as whole group to wrap up and discuss next steps.
Here’s what to do in each step:
Presenters will explain their project’s title, basic idea, the DQ, major products, and if you got this far, your entry event. Give a summary, not all the details. Conclude by stating any questions or concerns that you would like your colleagues to help you think about.
Then the audience has time to ask clarifying questions – factual questions which the presenters can respond to very briefly. For example, “how many students are in your class?” or “How long will the project be?” or “What subject are going to be included?” If someone asks a question that sounds like they have a concern, the facilitator will ask them to save it for the feedback time.
Then the audience has time to offer their feedback and ideas. During this time the presenters MUST remain silent. You’re like a fly on the wall. This is to give the presenters a little distance, to stop the urge to respond to everything or defend themselves. The audience should speak to each other, NOT to the presenters. Imagine they’re not there – use the 3rd person (“I like how they..” or “I wonder if they….”).
Start by saying what you like about the project
Move to any questions or concerns you have, what you’re wondering about. Remember to be diplomatic in how you say things.
Then offer any ideas you have you the project, any resources that might be helpful, and so on.
You don’t have to fill up all the time for each step, and it’s OK to go back to something you liked if you think of it later.
The last step is when the presenters reflect on what they heard and discuss some possible next steps for their project planning. You do NOT need to respond to everything the audience said – if some was not useful or incorrect, just ignore it. 23

24. CRITICAL FRIENDS TUNING PROTOCOL
Presentation: Project Title & Idea, Driving Question, Culminating Products or Performances, Entry Event*, and any concerns you’d like feedback about. 7
(last work time: prepare to present your project)
Here’s what you need to have ready to present.
OPTIONAL: Ask presenters to plan & share their ideas for assessment, too. 24

25. TO DOs:  Generate a Project Idea  Refine a Driving Question
 Determine Culminating Products
 Create an Entry Event*
WORK TIME!!! 25

26. DIFFERENTIATED TO DOs:  Write Entry Document and/or
Project Overview for Students
 List Criteria for Major Products
and/or Write Rubrics
 Plan Day-to-Day Activities
 Gather Content & 21st Century
Skills Resources
WORK TIME!!! 26

27. CRITICAL FRIENDS TUNING PROTOCOL
PRESENTERS
Presentation: Project Title & Idea, Driving Question, Culminating Products or Performances, Entry Event*, and any concerns you’d like feedback about
7 min
EVERYONE
Clarification: Audience asks short clarifying questions
3 min
AUDIENCE
Good Stuff: Audience shares what they liked about the project
Wondering Stuff: Audience shares their concerns and probing questions
Next Stuff: Audience shares their thoughts on resources and improvements
4 min
Reflection: Group reflects on useful feedback, next steps
TOTAL TIME
25 min
Leave this slide on screen during & after Critical Friends Protocol
After Critical Friends Tuning Protocol - Debrief:
Did you find that process helpful? Why?
Was it hard to follow the part about staying silent while you listened to people talk about your project? But can you see the point of this?
This process can be used among a faculty, during planning or after a project.
Or it can be used with students during a project: they can share their plans and get feedback from their peers. 27

28. bie.org/forums
Doe anyone have any last questions before we wrap up?
If you think of any more questions about PBL, feel free to contact me or post it online.
POST IT ONLINE. Keep in mind you might have questions that others are asking or could help answer, so use our Need To Know Forum. 28

29. me@bie.org twitter.com/biepbl youtube.com/biepbl 29
Replace with generic “Stay in Touch” slide
youtube.com/biepbl 29

30. Closing, Optional: “Lost Generation” video or some other inspiring one (See biepbl.ning.com)
(add the point)
This was created by a high school students for a contest sponsored by the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons).
Students were asked to make videos on the theme _______ (??) 30