Clearly articulating STEM schools

This week I attended the National Charter School Conference in Atlanta, GA. While there, I attending a session titled, "Designing STEM Schools to Build America's Future". The panel of Bill Kurtz (Denver School of Science and Technology Public Schools) and Jan Morrison (Teaching Institute for Excellence in STEM) was moderated by Deborah McGriff (New Schools Fund).

Overall, it really sounds like Bill and DSST are doing some great things. Jan did a great job of articulating the need to correctly identify the good from the bad ( i.e.- fake PBL and lazy curriculum integration).

All that being said, I was disappointed in how the DSST model was presented. The elevator pitch of the school was indistinguishable from most any other traditional school vita. They highlighted core curriculum of all the usual subjects, a commitment to excellence and community connections with mentors. In my mind, reiterating these is the equivalent of someone saying they are coming out with a revolutionary new car and when asked what makes it different they respond, "it travels on roads". Why highlight these as your first points of when trying to show what makes you different? Additionally, Jan's point about intentional design and clear language were contradictory to the latter half of her presentation as she later uses old paradigms to describe key pieces of good STEM. I guess perhaps this is a symptom of her heavy higher ed academic background and her macro role.

During the presentation and questions, I realized, despite the blazay elevator pitch, DSST and Bill are doing great things significantly different from the traditional vita they started with. For instance:

- Intentional integration of subjects (especially in 11,12)
- Modified block for 11,12 with co-teaching for even larger time blocks
- Rigorous capstone project
- Expectation that an 11 minute lecture is too long (10 or less)
- Seniors/freshman mentorship/TAs

The problem I have with schools that use the traditional messaging and de-emphasize the differences of the practical details, such as different scheduling, non-coursework for credit, different role of teachers, it that it gives those who have the same first three powerpoint slides of their school vita a false pulse on their improvement/innovation and impacts their subsequent decision-making.

From my experience traveling, meeting and working with schools from across the country, higher up folks don't take the time to understand the nuance and end up approaching things with a same as usual response only adding new labels.

To this point, both Jan and Bill pointed out that PBL has too many meanings. In an many ways, the good implementations of PBL are shadowed out by the watered down versions in the mainstream causing a mixed message of the method's possibility. Totally agree, but don't agree with Jan that 'Design Focused' is any more clear or intuitive for PBL as a label. I also found it amusing and self-serving that she trademarked this everywhere in her presentation. Red flag alert.

Jan and Bill also emphasized how integrated curriculum is not simply doing a math class with a bolt-on worksheet and needs to be more holistic and [my word for what they said] constructivist.

By the end of the session, I gained some good perspective on this STEM example. Bill and his staff are doing great things. Likewise, I felt validated that some of the good things they were doing different are inline with what we see and think is better education. It's interesting to see how research/management organizations are characterizing STEM schools and will be even more interesting to see how real the differences of STEM schools are articulated moving forward. I hope the nuance of what they are doing does not get lost in the attempt to sound good in attracting others from old, inadequate paradigms.

3rd Annual Project Foundry Un-conference

==================================

SAVE THE DATE: JULY 26-28, 1011

==================================

Announcing the 3rd Annual Project Foundry Un-conference

We are thrilled to be announcing our third annual Project Foundry Un-conference! This year hosted at Northwest Passage High School in Coon Rapids, MN July 26- 28, 2011.

Mark your calendars and plan on joining the estimated 100+ innovative educators gather for an event like no other conference you've attended before (unless of course you've attending one of the first two ;)

More details will be forthcoming within the next month, but here are some basics:

* Cost: $150/ individual, $300/ team (early bird special)

* Tentative Schedule:

- Tuesday July 26th_: New to Project Foundry Workshop

- Wednesday July 27th_: 1st day of Un-conference, keynote, PM entertainment

- Thursday July 28th_: 2nd day of Un-conference (close at 2pm CDT)

* Travel: Coon Rapids is a short 30 minute drive from the Minneapolis/St.

Paul airport (MSP). Hotel suggestions will be announced soon.

* Quotes from Former Attendees:

_"I've been to both PF conferences. Each time I've been inspired and

energized by the attendees and their devotion to relinquishing

responsibility for learning to their students. They embody the notion that

a teacher's role is to create learning experiences that provoke

reflection. Most of all it's a blast to be in the company of folks who

love what they are doing. The evening carousing is a plus!"_

_"_Being able to hear and see the veteran's forms and assessments was

extremely valuable and encouraging. The general un-atmosphere was

refreshing as it involved all in attendance in setting the agenda, leaving

no one out - unless of course they didn't contribute."

"I found the "show and tell" sessions very helpful - having models of

practice and hearing the rational behind the practice informed our next

steps in our program and how we can make PF a strong tool to support those

steps."

"Meeting fellow PBL colleagues was great and getting new ideas and making

network contacts will be very useful this coming school year."

_"Such a great opportunity to be amongst other educators who are really

revolutionizing education."_

Project Foundry Summer Conference

Join us in Janesville, WI July 21-22, 2009 for the first annual 'How to better leverage Project Foundry' conference. Network with innovative schools from Maine to California and everywhere in between. Excited to have Peter Pappas keynote the conference and just as excited that Suzie Boss (co-author of 'Reinventing PBL') will be attending.

http://www.projectfoundry.org/news/summerWorkshop2009.html

Project-based Learning management done right.

Malcom Gladwell on Education

Upcoming PBL Institutes

Now is the time many folks are starting to think about their summer professional development plans.  Since not everyone in the trenches always has the time to research some of the better project-based learning summer institutes, I'd thought I'd inventory them here.

April 14 -16, 2009
"Big Picture Learning’s Schools, Innovation, and Influence Conference"
http://www.bigpicture.org/2008/10/bp-schools-innovation-influence-conf/

June 15 - 17, 2009
Project-based Learning Dissemination Workshop

http://www.rhinelander.k12.wi.us/ncss/

July 21- 22, 2009 
'How to Better Leverage' Project Foundry Conference

http://www.projectfoundry.org/news/summerWorkshop2009.html

July 27 - 30, 2009

EdVisions Summer Institute

http://www.edvisions.com

August 3 - 6, 2009

Big Picture Big Bang 

http://www.bigpicture.org/2008/10/big-bang-viii/

All Summer Long

BIE Project Based Learning Academy  
http://www.bie.org

Of course, I would tell you once you have the theory and confidence in the pedagogy, remember to figure out project management, how you'll manage individual learning plans and if standards-based reporting will suffice for your summative transcript. Despite living in a standards-based world, the traditional institutions still don't get it unless you provide a course-based conduit.

Buck Institute for Education PBL Handbook

Anyone who wants to knows anything about the actual 'how to' of project-based learning needs to have the Buck Institute for Education PBL Handbook (http://www.bie.org).

I appreciate the handbook's practical framing and real examples.  In addition, the handbook articulates the requirement that doing PBL demands a paradigm shift, not just an adjustment to a classroom. As scary as this may sound, the handbook provides guidance and concrete ideas on how to frame, scaffold and model such a change.

Too often I see people with the best intentions try to create better learning environments by keeping the same structure and people. It's not only education, but any organization systemically making a fundamental change requires a certain level of autonomy  and distance from the existing system. Otherwise, the new system will have to conform to the old incrementally undermining the hopes and discernment of the new system. Ultimately, this is how many project-based schools are undermined... "We want something different, but wait it needs to look the same."

The Buck Institute of Education Handbook is one of those transformational resources that can take the theory and make it real.

 

Eye Opening Videos

The rationale for utilizing project-based learning as the primary means of instruction is a movement that's rooted in much more than simply doing something different for sake of doing things differently.

The information we know as humans doubles every few years.  The economy more and more values people who ask the how and why questions over the what and where questions. Tools like Project Foundry make tracking individualized learning plans possible and a variety of learning experiences manageable.

The following two videos offer a more compelling and profound way of articulating these reasons.