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

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SAVE THE DATE: JULY 26-28, 1011

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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.

Embracing the Disruption

On the surface, engaging students in real experiences contextualized to their learning style seems like a very benevolent, common sense approach to teaching and learning. So why then is this paradigm so slow in being adopted in traditional education?

In his recent book, “Disrupting Class” author Clayton Christianson argues one of the larger reasons the existing stand and deliver approach has lasted so long is due to its management efficiencies… the economies of scale provided by herding students together, the nice numbers that come from Carnegie units and the sense of autonomy that comes with subjects in silos. Such efficiencies are more elusive and contrarian in constructivist learning environments, causing this otherwise common sense approach to be stunted in its adoption. That’s the perception anyway.

In realty, constructivist-minded schools can leverage tools such as Project Foundry® to both facilitate better teaching and learning as well as provide those certain management efficiencies seen in more traditional models. Project Foundry® is an online management tool used by students and teachers to streamline the project process, report learning standard completion and manage individual learning plans. The inquiry-based features integrated within Project Foundry® provide teachers opportunities to listen to student voice and provide feedback during the process rather than at the end. Likewise, the flexible nature of how projects, seminars and other learning activities are created and then managed allows the tool to support a learning model rather than dictate it. This all happening on top of individualized student learning plans that when cross-referenced provide a transparent, efficient way to ensure and manage student outcomes.

Learn more and sign up for a free trial of Project Foundry® at www.projectfoundry.org and look for “Disrupting Class” at amazon.com

Managing Project-Based Learning

Project-based learning (PBL) brings relevance to mundane facts and figures. PBL provides real life experiences that refine life skills. Here are four keys to successful PBL:

1. Make advisory time more than homeroom. Time needs to be allowed to build the relationships needed for engagement.
   
2. Start with small scope projects. Demonstrate the process from proposal to presentation to model the skills needed for PBL.
   
3. Streamline the paperwork. Find ways to simplify docume-ntation by using innovative tools  such as Project Foundry®. 
4. Build in short feedback loops. Don’t fool yourself into thinking more traditional class projects means PBL. Mentor, model and get out of the way.
   

The funny thing is there is a lot of chatter and embrace on the theory and purpose behind more hands on approaches learning, but in practice, too many are stuck with the legacy of how they've been taught.  Peeling back the layers and getting to where the muscle meets the bone, one will find the management of the model far outweighs the pile of books a school can collect and distribute to the innovative teachers doing true project-based learning.

Short Feedback Loops in Project-Based Learning

Student-centered project-based learning (PBL) is a powerful instructional method many educators appreciate, but often struggle with the implementation. As a former practitioner and current teacher trainer, I often see long or non existent feedback loops quickly kill the momentum of PBL in a school.

When this happens, students go back to drones doing the minimum required amount of work.Teachers throw up there hands and question the benefit of the model, while parents get ancy due to the the lack of tangible things to measure progress.

Usually classroom projects are what I say enable amateur habits, since the teacher assigns it, the studentswork on it without feedback... hand it in... present... get a grade and that’s it. Learning is in the feedback and it happens when there is ample time to reapply.

Minnestoa Trip

Last week I visited 10 project-based schools in Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin. Seven of these schools use Project Foundry and all ten are innovative project-based learning environments.

I gathered some great feedback in terms of how Project Foundry is working well and areas that can make it even more useful. Project Foundry aside, I wanted to share some of my PBL observations.

* Individual Workspace- Each student had their own space to study, research and interact in addition to the larger gathering classrooms. In many ways the classrooms remind me of conference rooms in a business office and the workstations as an office or cubicle. Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating cubicles, but I do think it's neat how the learning environment models what students will experience in the real-world working environment.

* Initiative- In each of these schools, you can't help but feel energy in the air. You see the ususal suspects engaged in what they're doing and observe an initiative would be surprising in a traditional classroom.

* Guides on the Side- I know, I know over used, but it says it so well. Teachers are looked at as mentors or coaches rather than monoliths of authority and information.

Great PBL Workbook

At last November's CES conference in Chicago, I found a great workbook which I finally had a chance to take a look at over the holidays. The book is titled, "Applying Standards-Based Constructivism: A two-step Guide for motivating Middle and High School Students," published by Eye on Education.

The 187 page book is great for practitioners entering more dynamic learning environments or those who are suspect of how student-centered project environments really impact positive change in education.

First off, I like how the book is organized in easy to consume, practical morsels of information and examples. I don't like recommending books I think people won't have time to read or cover theory. Throughout the book, the authors provide an accurate portrayal of how best-practice schools wean into PBL, rather than throw the baby out with the bath water. The text provide excellent frameworks and scaffolding for teachers. The advocate in me appreciates the authors frequent reminder that in order to reap the benefits of student projects, you need to adopt a paradym shift that involves being a 'guide on the side' or 'mentor in the center. Somewhat clichéd I know, but you have to admit the phrases are quite articulate.

I often run into traditional teachers who say, "I like the concept, but kids won't follow through and they'll only pick fluffy topics. Thus, this won't work for me." Another comment I hear often is, 'we don't have the time to do all that.' In many ways student-centered projects are like an starting a new year's exercise routine. You just need to start somewhere and anywhere's better than nowhere. This book is a great way to start somewhere. I highly reccomend picking up a copy.

The World of PBL Best Practices

Hello World!

Over the course of the last four years, I have met some truly passionate (and effective) educators; I've witnessed best and worst practices in secondary education and realized more than ever the power of engaging students in projects.

This blog is an attempt to share many of the insights I come across. Admittingly, I am an advocate for Project Foundry (http://www.projectfoundry.org) so don't be surprized if I refer to this often.