1. Out of the Gate PBL and Rockford Public Schools
Jacque Melin
Thank you for allowing me to present this proposal.
I retired from RPS in 1999 and retired from GVSU last year.
I just can’t seem to give it up completely and have been involved in grant work at GVSU since retiring.
We just completed year 1 of a three year grant on Project Based Learning and this is the grant., called Out of the Gate, where I would like to see RPS involved.

2. What is Project Based Learning (PBL)?
A teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging and complex question, problem, or challenge.
I thought you would especially like to know a bit more about Project Based Learning, so I offer this definition. PBL units are framed by a Driving Question. An example of a Driving Question is included in the article I included in your handouts – How might GVSU increase the amount of students in the College of Education?
This was an question posed to a combined economics and language arts classroom where students proposed solutions to this question – be especially looking at supply/demand principles and presentation skills.
Tell about some others – PBIS and designing a storage container for teachers.
See examples of projects and their driving questions at bie.org/ootg

3. As mentioned, last year, the College of Education at GVSU received a grant from the Buck Institute for Education
BIE does high quality training in Project Based Learning
You can go to California to be trained, or to Ohio. The training is approximately $1000 per teacher for 5 days, if you go to these sites, then you would also have to pay for lodging, meals and travel – making training approximately $2000 per teacher.
The grant that we received from BIE provides training for university faculty, for student teachers, and for their cooperating teachers at no cost to participants. BIE brings their national faculty trainers to GVSU for this training.
The grant provided for only the training – substitute teachers, meals for participants, supplies (except for book provided by BIE) are not included.
Out of the Gate Grant

4. High Quality PBL
The training in PBL provided by the BIE is of very high quality.
Participants learn to design PBL units with fidelity using 8 essential elements.
In your handout, I have included a description of each of these elements, but let me explain a few of them.
At the heart of each PBL unit are the content standards.
Each unit is designed by first identify the standards that will be involved and then, the final product is decided upon.
Then, by working backwards, assessments, instruction, assignments and products are developed around a challenging problem or question.
Students are surveyed on what they “need to know” in order to answer the driving question or problem.
Although direct instruction is still involved in PBL, it is pinpointed and differentiated to help students learn what they need to know.
Students also learn and use 21st century skills within a PBL unit as they collaborate and use team work to solve the problem or challenge, they incorporate technology skills, and they use communicate skills as they present their final projects to an authentic audience.
Use the GVSU example where students presented how to get more people to go into education to GVSU professors.

5. Training Project Slice PBL 101 On-line Coaching Support
Sustained Support Visits
Symposium
Training
Briefly talk about the components of the training

6. Project Slice involves a 2 day training where participants actually experience PBL as a learner.
This past year, the training was held at the Kent Innovation High facility, and in groups, we redesigned a space within the building – answering the driving question – How can we design a public space to promote a social benefit? At the end of the 2 day Project Slice, we presented our solutions to the students of Kent Innovation High.
Project Slice

7. PBL 101 PBL 101 is the heart of the training.
During this 3 day workshop, student teachers, their cooperating teachers and faculty from the College of Education work side by side to design the PBL unit that the student teachers will implement during their winter semester placement.
This takes place under the direction of the BIE national faculty and with a great deal of instruction on how to best manage a PBL unit.
PBL 101

8. Symposium
The grant year ends with a Symposium where student teachers and their cooperating teachers explain to the public what they did for their PBL unit.
This year, even though it was a snow day on April 16th, we had approximately 200 people attend and we have many districts who would like to be involved in this grant.
Since I will always be “Rockford proud” I so want to see Rockford High School and/or Freshman Center teachers be involved.

9. Training Project Slice – July 25 and 26, 2018
PBL 101 – November, 2018 – 3 days
On-line Coaching Support - ongoing
Sustained Support Visits – after school Jan. & Feb. 2019
Symposium – April, 2019
Training
Explain the dates for each component.

10. Student Teachers Placed with their Cooperating Teachers During GVSU’s Winter Semester – January through April
Student teachers must implement at least ONE PBL unit lasting 2 to 4 weeks.

11. In year one, our district partners were Lowell Area Schools, Kentwood Public Schools and Kent Innovation High. We had 16 teams of student teachers/cooperating teachers who participated.
We invited these school districts because BIE has a mission to show that PBL will increase achievement for diverse student populations.
The grant allows us to include up to 25 student teacher/cooperating teacher teams.
Most everyone is returning from our partners and additional teachers are being added from these districts.
Partners

12. Partners and
We would like to include Rockford as one of our partners this year.
I have spoken to Ryan Kelley and Dan Zang about this. Tom Hosford attended the Symposium and all are excited about this partnership and how it connects to Rockford’s present and future goals.

13. Needed From Founders Grant
5 Teachers Trained – 2018/19
$500 per teacher for summer honorarium and substitutes
$500 for special supplies toward project
Total = $5000
5 Teachers Trained – 2019/20
Grand Total = $10,000
Explain what is needed.
Authenticity might include having classes take field trips or might include the need for special materials to design an excellent PBL unit.

14. Impact 10 Teachers Trained in PBL – who could train others
10 Student Teachers Trained in PBL – who could become future RPS teachers
Countless students could benefit from being involved in PBL when their teachers are well trained.

15. Evaluating the Project
Field Supervisors from GVSU
Rubrics provided in the materials provided by BIE
Evaluating the Project