The Most Tragic Example of PBL

I am sad to even think about this and write about this but because the tragic Parkland event occurred close to when this unit on Inquiry learning started I can't help but notice the incredible real-world examples of what teens are capable of when they choose a topic they are passionate about.  As I summarized in the first post, PBL should have a real world connection that is student driven with an authentic audience.  The speech that Emma Gonzalez wrote for the March for Our Lives is a perfect example of Project Based Learning done right.  We can talk about rhetoric and delivery and purpose and style but Emma nailed it with her six minute pause.

I can think of countless PBL units that these students have exemplified:  How to use social media to create change, How to Organize a Protest Event, How to Write an Effective Speech.... The list can go on and on.  I have seen outstanding posters, posts, speeches and blogs.  Not for an A or for credit on an assignment but because of intrinsic motivation.  The best work always comes from the root of motivation and PBL starts with (or at least should start with) motivation. 

Laurel's Freiburg Adventure

My next example of PBL is a little more upbeat and a little closer to home.  About eight months ago a friend who lives in Germany invited my daughter to spend a semester as an exchange student.  Much to my surprise, Laurel, who knew not one word of German said YES.  And so began her own little Inquiry Project- Answering the question how do I become fluent in another language?  It has been so interesting to witness this learning process.  First we looked into immersive language schools.  She started her journey by going to language school for 6 weeks.  She was with six adults from all over the world.  The only language spoken during school was German.  She would come home and do homework for hours.  She researched other online language programs to supplement her learning.  After 6 weeks she switched to an all girls high school for her remaining five months.  She has learned a lot of German but that is only the beginning.  She has also learned so much about how she learns.  She is using Kahoot to make vocabulary drills to master vocabulary on long train rides- not for an A on a quiz but so she can better socialize with her peers.  She is setting personal goals like going to a bakery to ask for a treat (rather than just going to a store where she can pick something up herself) and taking solo trips to visit friends far away.  Every week she posts a blog where she is practicing her writing and photography skills.  I see her comparing and contrasting her American high school and noticing cultural differences that she never really cared about when we talked about them in the isolation of her home country.    The biggest change I am witnessing is her motivation.  This is a person who took the minimum of two years of Spanish and really did not show any great interest in learning another language and now she is blossoming and becoming the first bilingual person in our household.  I would love to see her pursue more inquiry based learning projects that have authentic outcomes rather than grades because I have never seen anyone work so hard to earn zero credits :)

In case you are interested:  This is her blog

5 Keys to Rigorous Project Based Learning

There is a huge difference between a project and project based learning. The video from Edutopia summarized 5 keys to rigorous PBL

1. Real world connection- authentic problem that drives the curriculum
2. Core to learning- academic rigor- not an add on at the end- this is HOW they learn the content
3. Structured collaboration- allowing students to work together but giving them structure within to work
4. Student driven-
5. Multifaceted assessment- integrated throughout entire PBL unit also includes self assessment, students are part of the process not just something that is done to them
   
   
   Want to read more: Blog about Project VS PBL