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The secret to creativity with project based learning

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The secret to creativity with project based learning

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Students can't learn to become a "good person" by doing a worksheet, and their creativity can't be measured by taking a test. With that said, as teachers, we often feel that it is our duty to teach them to master academic standards, while also empowering them to think creatively, work together, and above all, learn to be upstanding citizens who care about others.

We have been able to bridge the gap between the classroom and the real world using high-quality project-based learning (PBL). Engaging students in projects that connect them to their local community opens up the door for them to show compassion and give to others in need. During the projects, students learn to work in teams, all while flaunting their individual creativity. Developing this style of projects does not have to be difficult or time-consuming. Plus, seeing the developmental growth of your students is 100% worth it.

Brandi Zivilik

Encouraging students to make a difference gives them a bigger purpose in life and motivates them in and out of the classroom. It lets students know that their thoughts and ideas are important and worth listening to. Additionally, learning is more enjoyable because they feel there is meaning behind it.

One way to engage students in this type of meaningful learning is through project-based lessons that ask students to solve real-world problems. PBL provides students an opportunity to apply what they have learned on a deeper level and develop skills that will make them successful in college and beyond. An example of this was a project I implemented last year where my students had to research a cause they were passionate about, and work together to raise awareness of it by creating fliers, fundraising sites and more.

To kick off the project and hook the students, I had a guest speaker from the WE organization come in and speak to my 6th-grade class about making a difference in the world. During the speech, he asked the students about what causes are important to them, and their answers included a wide variety of topics from suicide prevention to pollution of water in third-world countries.

Each student had his or her own reason for selecting a cause, which made each group enthusiastic about researching and presenting their information.

My classroom ran like a business, and students were challenged to act as advertising analysts to create a campaign to support their cause. Although each group had a different focus area, they were completing the same tasks and learning the same skills. Students set goals at the beginning of the project, and every day they wrote a three- to four-sentence summary of what they accomplished and how it impacted their final product.

During the project, they had to identify their audience, work within an ad budget, and consider how different ads appeal to different audiences, to help with research. Creating cross-curricular, project-based lessons from scratch is extremely time-consuming, so I use Defined STEM to provide students with credible, vetted resources including text, articles, and videos.

Each project required students to research, develop their ideas, analyze their results, and share the data through an end-of-project presentation. They reviewed a wide variety of ads to identify the power of symbols and patterns while analyzing market research reports to determine which advertisement would work best for their audience. Students were able to spread awareness in a variety of creative ways, such as sharing posters and TV announcements in whatever way they could. Some even started their own GoFundMe accounts, and one student asked that I receive board approval for her to sell the bracelet she designed to raise money for the water crisis in Afghanistan. I look forward to seeing her do it!

PBL offers creative freedom, which gives the students a sense of agency, purpose, and bring even more relevancy to learning - engaging them in making an impact in their community and exposing them to local careers. Not only do authentic, community-focused tasks prepare students for what they may encounter as an adult, but it also empowers them to think creatively, work together, think about their future, and above all, learn to be upstanding citizens who care about others.

Pamela Brennan

The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton, is a staple for students in the Hopatcong School District. My class had just finished the part where Ponyboy, Johnny, Cherry, and Marcia met at a drive-in movie and I asked, "Have any of you ever been to a drive-in movie?" There was only one hand up. That is when I had the idea of recreating our own theater.

I spoke with the other 8th-grade teachers about weaving the recreation into a PBL opportunity. We brainstormed how to fit the recreation of the drive-in project into the subject area. Bringing teachers from different disciplines together to work on a common project and teach the concept to students who meet at different times is the true definition of collaboration.

In math, students worked with a drive-in movie owner to share business history, do cost comparisons on running a drive-in versus a traditional theater, and discuss proportions and ratios, which came in handy as the students had to figure out projector and screen size and the distance to project on the outside wall of school building. The science teacher worked on a quick lesson about "What makes popcorn pop?"

English classes worked in groups to research a variety of topics, including the history of drive-in theaters and the vocabulary associated with them. Students then reproduced advertising posters and a newsletter from the 1960s that revolved around the plot and characters from The Outsiders.

The community involvement with this project really made it come alive. Members of a local car club volunteered to bring their old cars to the movie and were thrilled to share their love of cars with a younger generation. The PTO volunteered to set up and run a concession stand, purchased 30 copies of the book to give away as prizes, and provided each moviegoer with treats.

Observing students at work was my favorite part of the whole process. They were able to discover their strengths and focus on tasks that interested them. The project also allowed students to push past their comfort zones. Students had an "I Can" attitude, and a large project was completed in a short amount of time with input from all. No one worked in isolation.

When you involve the community in student learning, everyone wins. Adults feel more connected to their children and the school, while students are empowered to use their knowledge to make their community a better place to live. Projects like this empower students to learn, bring relevancy to learning, and teach them to be overall "good people."

For more, see:

Brandi Zivilik is a 6 th -grade social studies teacher at Viking Middle School in Gurnee, IL. Connect with her on Twitter:

Pamela Brennan is a teacher at Hopatcong Middle School in Hopatcong, NJ.
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How Project-Based Learning Unleashes Students' Creativity

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Students can't learn to become a "good person" by doing a worksheet, and their creativity can't be measured by taking a test. With that said, as teachers, we often feel that it is our duty to teach them to master academic standards, while also empowering them to think creatively, work together, and above all, learn to be upstanding citizens who care about others.

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Students who demonstrate a growth mindset believe their abilities develop over time, tend to seek out opportunities to gain new knowledge and broaden their skills, and do not typically shy away from challenges (Kazakoff & Mitchell, 2017)

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Students who demonstrate a growth mindset believe their abilities develop over time, tend to seek out opportunities to gain new knowledge and broaden their skills, and do not typically shy away from challenges (Kazakoff & Mitchell, 2017)

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6 Tips to Help Students Develop a Growth Mindset in the Classroom | Lexia Learning

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Don’t have time to read? Listen Now » Between two students, one with the motivation to persevere after a mistake and one...

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Promoting growth mindset in project based learning

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Promoting growth mindset in project based learning

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March 10, 2016
4 Ways to Promote Growth Mindset in PBL

Originally posted on GettingSmart.com.

"I can't do this! I hate geometry! I'm too dumb for this!"

In our classroom, the word "can't" was the worst four-letter word a student could use; after all, even the last three letters of "geometry" insist that you T-R-Y....TRY!

The student's outburst is a classic example of fixed mindset. Fixed mindset tells the student to avoid challenges or to give up easily. Project Based Learning helps students understand that intelligence is just like any other skill - it can be developed. In a 2014 TED Talk, this is what Carol Dweck describes as growth mindset. The image below shows key differences between fixed and growth mindset.

So, how does PBL promote growth mindset?

Think of a student who shuts down at the first sight of adversity. In Gold Standard Project Based Learning, teachers - as lesson designers and project managers - have a unique opportunity to craft experiences which encourage a growth mindset. Giving special attention to specific Essential Project Design Elements and Project Based Teaching Practices, we can promote growth mindset in PBL.

Here are 4 Ways to Promote Growth Mindset in PBL:

1. Build the Culture

Help students learn from failures. In a recent Google Hangout on Building the Culture in Gold Standard PBL, my fellow BIE National Faculty member Jeanine Leys told a story about how her school celebrates failure. They even use a classroom tool called "raindrops and rainbows" to keep track of failed ideas and how they are necessary for eventual success. In his book Freedom to Fail, Andrew Miller offers a bevy of strategies for ensuring that students experience small, constructive failures as a means to greater achievement. How will you celebrate failure in your classroom?

2. Manage Activities to include Critique & Revision
Carol Dweck reminds us that constructive criticism is feedback that helps the student understand how to fix something. This rings true to the Gold Standard PBL practice of Critique & Revision.

Build in checkpoints for students to have opportunities to revise and improve their work.

Formulate a system to teach students to examine each other's work and provide suggestions for improvement.

When managing a project, using protocols for peer critique can harness the power of constructive criticism.

The Gallery Walk and the Tuning Protocol are two protocols that we can model and practice with students to structure feedback on three levels:

from teacher to student

from peer to peer

from expert to student

3. Manage Activities to include Reflection

In Setting the Standard for Project Based Learning, PBL experts from BIE suggest that teachers can offer opportunities for students to reflect both outward and inward. Keep in mind that reflection can be ongoing throughout the project, as well as come at the end of the project.

Use this document to help students think about what they did in the project and how well the project went. This reflection tool will support students as growth mindset is developed via personal and team accountability.

4. Sustained Inquiry

When you design a project (you can use this Student Learning Guide and Project Calendar), build in opportunities for scaffolded challenges and sustained inquiry over time. Sustained Inquiry promotes growth mindset; students can take ownership of their learning as it is developed over a period of time.

One strategy to achieve sustained inquiry over time begins with the Question Formulation Technique. Students create a list of questions, frequently revisit questions, and pose new questions to affirm all students' intellectual abilities as they grow. This way, students gain a sense of learning and persistence in meeting the task at hand.

Click Here for more ideas and resources on Sustained Inquiry within Gold Standard PBL.

No matter which strategy you choose, always remember to communicate high expectations and assure your students that you will support them as they T-R-Y...Try! There's nothing better than a TRY to defeat failure and promote growth mindset.

Are you promoting growth mindset in your PBL classroom? Give these strategies a try and let us know how it goes! Please share your responses in the comment section below.

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Originally posted on GettingSmart.com. "I can't do this! I hate geometry! I'm too dumb for this!" In our classroom, the word "can't" was the worst four-letter word a student could use; after all, even the last three letters of "geometry" insist that you T-R-Y....TRY! The student's outburst is a classic example of fixed mindset.

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Project based learning allows for meaningful collaboration

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Project based learning allows for meaningful collaboration

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John Spencer

Posted on January 27, 2018

We often hear about the need for students to learn how to program in order to be ready for STEM fields and the Information Economy. It's what we've been hearing for over a decade. However, there's a fascinating piece from the Washington Post that explores how the so-called "soft-skills" might be even more vital than ever.

For years, Google focused on hiring the best computer science students who excelled in their core content area, positing that innovation required the best computer science minds in the world. But when they tested this hypothesis, they were shocked by the results.

According to the article:

In 2013, Google decided to test its hiring hypothesis by crunching every bit and byte of hiring, firing, and promotion data accumulated since the company's incorporation in 1998. Project Oxygen shocked everyone by concluding that, among the eight most important qualities of Google's top employees, STEM expertise comes in dead last. The seven top characteristics of success at Google are all soft skills: being a good coach; communicating and listening well; possessing insights into others (including others different values and points of view); having empathy toward and being supportive of one's colleagues; being a good critical thinker and problem solver; and being able to make connections across complex ideas.

Don't get me wrong. Students need to master content standards. But Google's survey proves that many teachers have been saying for years: that the so-called "soft skills" aren't soft at all. Fortunately, when students engage in PBL, they develop these skills and disciplines needed to thrive in the Creative Economy.

But it goes beyond economics. When students engage in PBL, they experience the sheer joy of learning. They are able to hit a state of creative flow and learn that there's something deeply profound about creativity. They become self-directed, independent thinkers.

The following are some of the trends that I notice when students engage in project-based learning. This is not a scientific study so much as observations I've noticed from my own experiences.

#1: Students learn how to engage in meaningful collaboration.

When students engage in PBL, they often get the chance to work on collaborative projects, where they work interdependently to solve problems. Initially, this was really challenging for me as a teacher because I hated group projects as a student. I hated doing all the work and then watching everyone else get the credit. But then I realized something. Collaboration isn't just a skill. It's a discipline. It's something that takes years of practice. So, I started to embed structures that would help guarantee that every student participated in collaborative projects. It didn't work every time but slowly, I watched students learn how to engage in meaningful collaboration.

When students genuinely collaborate in PBL, they learn how to speak up and listen. They learn how to ask incisive questions, how to contribute to the team, and how to give and receive critical feedback. Which leads to the next point . . .

#2: Students learn to see nuance and multiple perspectives.

When I did that History Day Project in the eighth grade, I encountered perspectives on the integration of baseball that I would have never experienced in reading a textbook. The same thing happened with my eighth grade students. When they were immersed in a PBL environment, they got to wade into the nuance of multiple perspectives.

Teachers can tap into this idea by specifically asking students to consider new perspectives. During the initial inquiry phase, it can help to let students ask multiple questions on their own and then share their questions together. When they engage in research, it can help to ask students to find sources from various perspectives and deliberately wade into the nuance of the ideas. As they ideate together, you can utilize a structured brainstorming approach that encourages them to examine ideas from multiple angles.

#3: They become divergent thinkers.

The best project-based learning units encourage students to tackle problems from a unique perspective. This is at the heart of divergent thinking. It's the ability to explore problems from different angles, use materials in different ways, and ultimately grow into innovators. Here's where creative constraint comes in. Teachers often have to work with limited resources or tight schedules. They have to hack the standards to tie them into a PBL unit. But in the process, they are helping students to think outside the box by "thinking inside the box." Here's what I mean:

When students learn to "think inside the box," they are practicing the type of divergent thinking that they will need in the future. This is the type of thinking that can't be replaced with artificial intelligence or automated with a machine.

#4: They learn project management.

When I talk to people in business, in the arts, and in the STEM fields, I often hear people mention that they wished they had learned how to do project management when they were younger. If we want students to think like artists, entrepreneurs, and engineers, they need the chance to engage in project management. When students have full ownership of the project process, they learn how to engage in project management. Here, they are able to set goals, monitor progress, make adjust, and reflect on their learning.

Project management is about more than just setting a schedule. It's the idea of following through on your plans and continuing with tasks even when nobody is looking over your shoulder. It's what happens when you learn how to set meaningful, realistic goals and break those down into tasks.

#5: They develop a maker mindset.

One of the most tragic things I hear students say is "I'm just not the creative type." I don't buy it. I don't believe there is a "creative type" out there. We're all creative. Every one of us. And PBL is a great chance for students to own the entire creative process, leading to a maker mindset where they can think like designers, artists, and engineers. When this happens, students are able to embrace a larger definition of creativity and value the creative contributions of those around them.

We often hear that our current students will work in jobs that don't exist right now. But here's another reality: our current students will be the ones who create those jobs. They will have to rewrite the rules. Some students will be engineers or artists or accountants. Some will work in technology, others in traditional corporate spaces and still others in social or civic spaces. But every single one of them will need to think creatively in their jobs.

As students work through PBL, they are able to experience a broad spectrum of creative thinking. They learn how to think like an artist but also think like an engineer or a hacker. At one moment, they might be building empathy by doing an interview. In another moment, they might be doing prototyping in an engineering project and or engaging in information literacy for a publishing project. Over time, they see that creative work is interdisciplinary. And this ultimately leads to a maker mindset, where students learn to view the world differently and find new solutions to complex problems. Which leads to the next point . . .

#6: They become problem-solvers and critical thinkers.

PBL encourages students to solve complex problems by engaging in inquiry, research, and ideation. This is the kind of work that you don't accomplish in filing out a packet or doing a worksheet. It requires students to view problems from multiple angles and sometimes even navigate multiple systems in order to solve these complex problems.

Not only are they solving the problems but they are taking it to the next level and actually creating the solutions. So, they are able to see that problem-solving actually connects to real-world contexts. I remember when we were doing our Tiny House projects and a student said, "I get it now. I understand why people need to know proportional reasoning." He needed a complex problem, rooted in a real-world experience, for that concept to make sense.

Note that this doesn't always work. There are moments when it gets frustrating. However, that's also part of the problem-solving process. Students get the opportunity to fail forward. Which leads to my next point . . .

#7: They develop iterative thinking.

Project-based learning includes a phase for revision. In some cases, it's more about feedback and revision while other projects require testing and revision. But the idea is the same. Students test, revise, and iterate. This is one of the areas where I see a big disconnect between school (where you are graded once and move on) versus life (where you are constantly improving and iterating). I want students to learn how to figure out what's working, make sense out of what's failing, and then create a better iteration. But this requires a shift toward mastery-based grading as well as the freedom to make mistakes. For all the talk of "high standards," iterative thinking only works when students experience slack. And yet, when they have this permission to fail, they can then improve their work and develop endurance.

#8: They are more likely to develop a growth mindset.

Iterative thinking ultimately leads to a growth mindset. It's counterintuitive but the best way for students to have higher standards is to experience the permission to fail. This doesn't mean we embrace failure but that we treat failing as a part of the learning process. After all, fail-ure is permanent and fail-ing is temporary.

Note that failing isn't fun. It actually sucks when stuff doesn't work out. And that's an important reminder. Sometimes PBL isn't fun. Sometimes it's really, really frustrating. I have had students cry when something didn't work. It wasn't because of a grade, either. They were simply so into their project that they wanted it to work. But eventually, when it did work, they were able to develop a growth mindset.

#9: They grow more empathetic.

One of the PBL approaches we will explore is design thinking, which is centered around the idea of empathy. In some models, empathy is the starting point. Other times, it occurs in the research and ideation phases. But regardless of when it happens, if students are going to launch heir work to an audience, they need to design products out of a place of empathy.

This is one of those areas that goes far beyond the corporate world. We have a crisis of empathy in the U.S. I see it every time I go to Facebook. People talk over one another and lob easy insults at the opposite side. Trapped in their echo chambers, they move into a place where they miss the pain that others are experiencing. But I think we can change this as educators when we ask students to engage in empathy-driven design thinking.

#10: They increase in metacognition.

When I first saw the metacognition cycle, I thought, "Man, this seems so similar to aspects of PBL." This is because PBL encourages students to plan, monitor, and reflect throughout the entire process.

So, if we want this for students, they need to work on projects. Real projects. The kind of projects that they get to own. And ultimately that requires a teacher who is wiling to take the leap and make PBL a reality.

Share your thoughts in the comment section below. Here are a few ideas:

Share your favorite project you did as a kid

Share your favorite project you've done with your class

Share what else I'm missing. What are other skills do they develop when using PBL?

Curious about getting started with PBL? Please leave your email address below and click the yellow subscribe button to receive the free Project-Based Learning Toolbox. This toolbox includes a set of projects and mini-projects, along with a Getting Started with PBL guide and a set of assessment resources you can use within the project-based learning framework. I will also send you a weekly email with free, members-only access to my latest blog posts, videos, podcasts and resources to help you boost creativity and spark innovation in your classroom.

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10 Things That Happen When Students Engage in Project-Based Learning

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John Spencer Posted on January 27, 2018 We often hear about the need for students to learn how to program in order to be ready for STEM fields and the Information Economy. It's what we've been hearing for over a decade.

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Much like resourcefulness and inventiveness it is less a trait and more a proficiency that can be taught. 

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Much like resourcefulness and inventiveness it is less a trait and more a proficiency that can be taught. 

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I love all the words that I see in the brainstorming session ... collaborate, teach the language, work through a challenge,  choice, creativity , hands on, work though a challenge ... In addition to the language of design thinking - brainstorm, test, create.

Thanks!

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Have students identify the goal or challenge. Sometimes, important things about a problem or challenge are ignored or an assumption is made to quickly solve the problem. Students then fail to see the big picture. Defining the goal or challenge gives students a clear idea of the problem so that they can explore several solutions to it.

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Have students identify the goal or challenge. Sometimes, important things about a problem or challenge are ignored or an assumption is made to quickly solve the problem. Students then fail to see the big picture. Defining the goal or challenge gives students a clear idea of the problem so that they can explore several solutions to it.

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(Eileen Weisslinger)

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Have students collaborate to test problem solutions through asking "What would happen if...?" or turn it around by asking "What would happen if the problem goes unsolved?"

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Have students collaborate to test problem solutions through asking "What would happen if...?" or turn it around by asking "What would happen if the problem goes unsolved?"

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(Eileen Weisslinger)

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Engage students in problem-solving through creative prompts (ask students to design a game with rules for example).

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Engage students in problem-solving through creative prompts (ask students to design a game with rules for example).

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(Eileen Weisslinger)

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This can be very challenging, but try teaching students the value of the "process" of learning over the end result.

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This can be very challenging, but try teaching students the value of the "process" of learning over the end result.

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(Eileen Weisslinger)

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No one-size-fits-all, so perhaps offer different ways for students to approach content (choices).

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No one-size-fits-all, so perhaps offer different ways for students to approach content (choices).

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(Eileen Weisslinger)

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Teach the language of growth mindset to your students and faculty so that everyone is speaking the same language.  An example is instead of saying "I can't ___," say "I can't ___YET."  A common language may help to motivate and validate the growth mindset approach.

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Teach the language of growth mindset to your students and faculty so that everyone is speaking the same language.  An example is instead of saying "I can't ___," say "I can't ___YET."  A common language may help to motivate and validate the growth mindset approach.

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(Eileen Weisslinger)

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Have students collaborate with others...place the creative students with the students who have trouble stepping out of the box.

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Have students collaborate with others...place the creative students with the students who have trouble stepping out of the box.

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Kim Fludd

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Have students participate in on more hands on learning activities.

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Have students participate in on more hands on learning activities.

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Kim Fludd

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Throw out different topics to the students and just have them brainstorm. No right or wrong answers...just allowing them to come up with different ideas among their classmates.

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Throw out different topics to the students and just have them brainstorm. No right or wrong answers...just allowing them to come up with different ideas among their classmates.

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Kim Fludd

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When giving an assignment, showcase a couple of final products so they have something to refer to but refrain from putting an actual checklist in the front of them. This will push them to produce an end product that is not guided by you

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When giving an assignment, showcase a couple of final products so they have something to refer to but refrain from putting an actual checklist in the front of them. This will push them to produce an end product that is not guided by you

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Kim Fludd

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Demonstrate what growth mindset looks like to the students by working through a particular challenge. This offers them real life connections.

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Demonstrate what growth mindset looks like to the students by working through a particular challenge. This offers them real life connections.

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Kim Fludd

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Have students research topics that interest them.

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Have students research topics that interest them.

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Kim Fludd

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Students become stuck in a fixed mindset and have trouble starting a creative project or process. They often want to follow specific steps, check off boxes, and avoid innovation, revision, or any potential failure.
Question: How can I encourage a growth mindset and independent thinking so that my students will actively and effectively engage in the creative problem-solving process?