Giving Compass' Take:

• Michael Niehoff, writing for Getting Smart, discusses which tools and resources can drive progress toward implementing high-quality project-based learning.

• How are educators responding and adapting to new tools and learning styles? How is the introduction of these concepts impacting the broader education system?

• Read about how to succeed with project-based learning.

I am a major proponent for both high-quality project-based learning and technology integration. I see PBL as the ultimate pedagogy and also as a great means, or support, for tech integration. Often, tech integration is featured, taught and used in isolation – in other words, tech for tech sake. But used in the powerful and relevant world of high-quality projects, students can go deeper than before, while also producing more professionally than ever before.

Here are some technology tools and resources, but connected to PBL pedagogy, practice and teaching methods:

  • PBL Work: As a National Faculty Member of the Buck Institute PBL Works, I’m naturally a bit biased. But I think if you check with educators from around the globe about the best initial and overall go-to web-based resource for PBL, PBL Works would undoubtedly be a month the first and foremost mentioned.
  • Getting Smart: This is one of the leading blogs and resources for PBL and all things personalized, progressive and transformational about PBL.
  • Edutopia: This website, published by the George Lucas Foundation, has long been seen as one of the most active, influential and relevant of professional online blogs and resources.
  • Sustained Inquiry To inquire is to seek information or to investigate – it’s a more active, in-depth process than just “looking something up” in a book or online.
  • Student Voice & Choice Having a say in a project creates a sense of ownership in students; they care more about the project and work harder.
  • Public Product There are three major reasons for creating a public product in Gold Standard PBL. First, like authenticity, a public product adds greatly to PBL’s motivating power and encourages high-quality work.

Read the full article about applications that support high quality PBL by Michael Niehoff at Getting Smart.