Project Based Learning: Engaging Class in Independent

The foundation of Project Based Learning lie in this tradition. Project Based Learning is realized from the emergence of a method of teaching and learning as the result of two important developments. First, there has been a revolution in learning theory.  Research in neuroscience and psychology has extended cognitive and behavioral models of learning---which support traditional direct instruction---to show that knowledge, thinking, doing, and the contexts for learning are inextricably tied. We now know that learning is partly a social activity; it takes place within the context of culture, community, and past experiences. 

Research shows that learners not only respond by feeding back information, but they also actively use what they know to explore, negotiate, interpret, and create. They construct solutions, thus shifting the emphasis toward the process of learning. In addition, cognitive research has revealed much more about the nature of problem solving. Education has benefited from this research, as teachers have learned how to effectively scaffold content and activities to amplify and extend the skills and capabilities of students.

Second, the world has changed that schools must now adapt to a new century. It is clear that children need both knowledge and skills to succeed. 

This need is driven not only by workforce demands for high-performance employees who can plan, collaborate, and communicate, but also by the need to help all young people learn civic responsibility and master their new roles as global citizens. In a sense, the need for education to adapt to a changing world is the primary reason that Project Based Learning is increasingly popular. Project Based Learning is an attempt to create new instructional practices that reflect the environment in which children now live and learn.

Remember that Project Based Learning is a field that place us as a practitioner or as a teacher will help create by our  actions and leadership in the classroom

Defining Standard-Focused Project Based Learning

Project Based Learning defines as a systematic teaching method that engages students in learning knowledge and skills through an extended inquiry process structured around complex, authentic questions and carefully designed products and tasks. 

This definition encompasses a spectrum ranging from brief projects of one to two weeks based on a single subject in one classroom to year long, interdisciplinary projects that involve community participation and adults outside the school. More important than the definition itself are the attributes of effective projects. Outstanding projects:

Project Based Learning also addressed as a singular need in the field of Project Based Learning in which to create standards-focused projects that fit well with the era of accountability and performance. Often, projects have been used as fun or change-of-pace events completed after students have been pushed through homework assignments, lectures, and tests. 

In Project Based Learning, students are pulled through the curriculum by a driving question or authentic problem that creates a need to know the material. The Driving Question is tied to content standards in the curriculum, and assessment is explicitly designed to evaluate the students' knowledge of the content. 

Similarly, Project Based Learning is sometimes equated with inquiry-based or experiential learning. Project Based Learning is designed to acknowledge the importance of standards and evaluation of student learning. In an era of accountability, with testing and performance uppermost in the minds of parents and educators, it is imperative that all instructional methods incorporate high standards, rigorous challenges, and valid assessment methods. The Benefits of Project Based Learning