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Example of Project Based Learning: Rights of the Child(Tentative Global Collaborate Curriculum) 

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Example of Project Based Learning: Rights of the Child(Tentative Global Collaborate Curriculum) 

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Project Based Learning: Rights of the Child Lesson Plans

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Requirements for ¨Be the Change¨  The Rights of a Child Project	

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Requirements for ¨Be the Change¨  The Rights of a Child Project	

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How will you advocate for your right? Choices

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How will you advocate for your right? Choices

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ThingLink: Create unique experiences with interactive images, videos & 360° media

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Easily create interactive and immersive visual experiences for online communication and learning. Start a free trial!

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Flip is a video discussion and sharing app, free from Microsoft.

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Flip (formerly Flipgrid) is a video discussion and video sharing app, free from Microsoft, built for classrooms and beyond. Learn more.

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If you haven't already heard, TodaysMeet has closed its doors. While you can download transcripts of your past chats, you're gonna need to find a replacement tool for any future live chatting or backchanneling. We've done our research to help you narrow it down to three great options that range from TodaysMeet-style live chat to different types of live student response: Mentimeter, GoSoapBox, and Backchannel Chat. Check out our comparisons below, and make sure to click through to our more detailed reviews.

Price: Mentimeter is free with limited questions. The Basic version at $4.99 per month allows for unlimited questions, quizzes, more support, and the ability to export results. The Pro version costs $11.99 per month and adds options for customization and branding.

Platform: Web; iOS and Android apps available for interactions

Like TodaysMeet, Mentimeter enables students to provide real-time, online responses and feedback during class. Teachers can use Mentimeter as a presentation tool and select from a variety of response options such as questions, polls, word clouds, reactions, and more. Since there are numerous ways to engage, it's easier to get the whole class involved. Unfortunately, the free version has a two-question limit, so you may want to consider upgrading.

Price: Free for classes of 30 or fewer. Six-month, larger class subscriptions range from $99 (for up to 75 students) to $279 (for up to 400 students).

Another option for real-time student feedback, GoSoapBox offers polling, a discussion tool, and a quiz feature. There's also a Confusion Barometer tool that allows students to toggle their status from "getting it" to "confused" so teachers can gauge the level of understanding. Keep in mind that kids can comment anonymously on posts so it's important to set clear expectations for respectful online behavior and communication.

Price: The free version supports 30 students and has limited capacity for discussions and no private messages or avatars. The full version costs $15/year for 50 students or $299/year for 80 students.

Platform: Web, iOS, Android

As the name states, this tool is another solid choice for setting up real-time discussions online. As with Mentimeter and GoSoapBox, Backchannel Chat may appeal to more introverted students who aren't as comfortable giving feedback or responding to questions out loud in class. While the other tools offer numerous ways to engage, this site focuses solely on the discussion format, with an option to "vote up" responses. Helpfully, the free version provides a transcript of all chats for teachers and students to review.

Looking for something more involved? Slack or Microsoft Teams could also fit the bill. Both offer platforms for chatting, file sharing, and collaborating. While they can be used as a backchannel during certain classroom activities, they also offer a shared workspace during the rest of the school year.

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3 Backchanneling Websites to Replace TodaysMeet

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If you haven't already heard, TodaysMeet has closed its doors. While you can download transcripts of your past chats, you're gonna need to find a replacement tool for any future live chatting or backchanneling. We've done our research to help you narrow it down to three great options that range from TodaysMeet-style live chat to different types of live student response: Mentimeter, GoSoapBox, and Backchannel Chat.

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Project Based Learning for all. We build the capacity of teachers and school leaders to design and facilitate quality Project Based Learning.

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"A choice board is a graphic organizer that allows students to choose how they will learn a concept. The choice board below has nine squares. (There is no minimum or maximum, however nine seems to be a good number.) Inside each square is an activity. Students can choose one or several activities to complete. Choice boards can be organized so students need to finish one square before moving to the next, they can be random, or can be organized in a specific way. The level of difficulty of the activities can vary or stay consistent."

Tic-Tac-Toe Boards and Menus are two different types of choice boards.

"A menu offers students a way to make decisions about what they will do in order to meet class requirements. A menu could be for a single lesson, a week-long lesson, or even a month-long period of study. Once the teacher has decided on what the essential understandings and/or skills are, she/he can begin to create a menu."

"Tic-Tac-Toe choice boards give students the opportunity to participate in multiple tasks that allow them to practice skills they've learned in class or to demonstrate and extend their understanding of concepts. From the board, students either choose or are assigned three adjacent or diagonal tasks to complete.

Choice boards address student readiness, interest, or learning preferences. They are easily adapted to a subject area."

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Choice Boards, Menus, & Tic-Tac-Toe by Sarah Dillard

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by Shannon Dauphin

Project-based learning is becoming increasingly popular as teachers look for a way to make lessons stick in the minds of their students. According to Edutopia, studies have shown that students who use project-based learning remember the material much longer and have healthier attitudes toward education.

Project-based learning is based on the idea that students learn best by tackling and solving real world problems. Students are much more engaged with the subject matter and look to the teacher as more of a coach who guides them through their own reflections and ideas. Project-based learning often involves students working in pairs or groups, thus facilitating a deeper understanding of cooperation and communication in solving problems.

Ready to try project-based learning in your classroom? These tried-and-true resources are sure to get you on the right track. Beyond

1. Edutopia. A wide-ranging resources that includes in-depth research on project-based learning as well as examples, blogs and much more, Edutopia is a comprehensive look at what makes project-based learning so successful. Start here to connect with other teachers via social media and let your online collaborations lead to classroom projects.

2. Buck Institute for Education. This comprehensive website offers a deep look into project-based learning, including a plethora of projects to keep your classroom both educated and entertained. Plenty of research to back up the theories presented, inspiration in videos that depict the reach of project-based learning and professional development services make this the first stop for all your needs.

3. Project-Based Learning: The Online Resources for PBL. Sponsored by the Buck Institute for Education, this is a one-stop shop for all things concerning project-based and problem-based learning. From definitions to designs, to the opportunity to purchase handbooks for further study, this site can get you started with all you need to know to engage your classroom.

4. Project-Based Learning Checklists. Want some help keeping track of the projects your classroom participates in and the progress students make in each? These checklists are designed to help you guide students through projects that teach them everything from the kindergarten basics of writing to senior multi-media challenges.

5. GlobalSchoolNet.org. Project-based learning can reach across the globe and create unique opportunities for students to work with those in other countries. This site helps you learn how to start a cross-cultural project-based learning experience that is sure to open young minds to the world view.

6. Online Internet Institute. Project-based learning that focuses on technology can not only engage students, it can also help prepare them for a world where technology will only get bigger, faster and better. This professional development site offers workshops, courses and inspiration for projects that put technology front and center.

7. PBL Exemplary Projects. This site offers a wealth of information on assessing projects, dives into research on project-based learning and offers many unique projects to try. From geography to biotechnology, this site is a perfect launching pad for adding new projects to your curriculum.

8. Intel Teach Elements: Online Professional Development Courses. Not quite confident in your ability to launch an effective project in your classroom? These video courses give you the in-depth information you need to move into a new way of teaching.

9. Houghton Mifflin's Project-Based Learning Space. A brief resource for teachers, this site offers in-depth discussion of project-based learning, including an overview of the issues surrounding it, the student's role in the process and several projects to get you started, including the popular "egg drop" experiment and "Mission to Mars," a project suitable for various age groups.

10. High Tech High. Need even more inspiration? High Tech High teachers documented the success of their project-based learning efforts to share with other educators. These in-depth projects can be recreated in your classroom or can be used as a launching pad for projects of your own design.

11. PBL Lab. This project-based learning initiative by Stanford University focuses on the five P's: problem, project, product, process and people. An excellent guide to those who want to see how collaboration and knowledge sharing works across disciplines, this resource aimed at post-secondary students can be a good inspiration for anyone who wants to incorporate project-based learning into their curriculum.

12. ThinkQuest.org. Though this learning platform phased out in July 2013, the extensive library archive of projects remains. This library can guide you through numerous projects and help you find the inspiration to create unique projects for your own classroom.

13. YouTube for Teachers: The best video library on the planet. No explanation needed.

From integrating technology into the classroom to teaching science by hands-on experimentation, project-based learning is not only educational, but often entertaining as well. These timeless resources are an excellent place to begin your new classroom adventures.
Shannon Dauphin Lee has been writing professionally for two decades on a wide variety of topics, including education; this article was written by onlineschools for TeachThought
Experienced Teacher Resources

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12 Timeless Project-Based Learning Resources

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by Shannon Dauphin Project-based learning is becoming increasingly popular as teachers look for a way to make lessons stick in the minds of their students. According to Edutopia, studies have shown that students who use project-based learning remember the material much longer and have healthier attitudes toward education.

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12 Results

Student Handouts

This checklist helps teachers prepare for project presentations before they start.

Student Handouts

This documents helps capture thoughtful feedback from the audience for student presentations.

Student Handouts

Explains PBL, details the project, addresses assessment issues, and informs parents how to help.

Student Handouts

This contract can be used by a project team to agree upon how they will work together.

Student Handouts

May be filled in by project team members to record agreements about how they will work together.

Student Handouts

This document helps a team organize what needs to be done, by which team member, and by when.

Student Handouts

This document helps a team keep track of project tasks, who is responsible for them, and by when.

Student Handouts

This document helps students organize their presentations with a specific audience in mind.

Student Handouts

This document helps students think about what they did in the project and how well the project went.

Student Handouts

This document can be used to help students reflect on how they worked, and on the project itself.

Student Handouts

This form may be used during a project to have students report on what their team accomplished on a particular day or week.

Student Handouts

This form may be used by students to track progress on a project and have them report on what they individually accomplished on a particular day or week.

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of videos, planning forms, rubrics, blogs, and more. Whether you want to learn about PBL, or find classroom resources, our materials will support your journey.

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As of June 16, 2018, Today's Meet is closed (read the full details here). That iconic technology in the classroom backchannel chat platform for classroom teachers and learners, the one that for ten years was the first name thought of when discussing feedback and collaboration, one that quickly became a staple in classrooms and conferences. I went to my PLN for thoughts on what they'll use instead. It turns out, there are good technology in the classroom options, depending upon whether you primarily use Today's Meet for:

Backchannel and student response

Polls, forms, or surveys

Warm-up and exit tickets

Here are some webtool technology in the classroom replacements you can use for summer or fall classes:

Backchannel and Student Response

A backchannel is a way for students to chat about lesson material while it's being taught. It occurs in real time, but is non-intrusive to classwork. The teacher can throw a question out to students and evaluate learning or needs based on answers. Or, students can pose a question and get answers from classmates. Here are three options you will like:
Free
Socrative is one of the most well-known and widely used student response systems and for good reason. It is a robust, intuitive tool that makes forms and surveys easy to create for teachers and a snap to join for students (for example, no login required - just a class code). Questions can be prepared in advance or posed on the fly in a variety of formats such as True/False, Multiple Choice, and Space Race. Answers can be displayed on the screen anonymously.

Twitter
Free
In the hands of students, Twitter is commonly viewed as a gossipy distraction that takes students away from the important work done at class and home. But more and more teachers are recognizing its value as an easy-to-use and quick-to-set-up backchannel and student response system. Students sign into personal accounts (when age-appropriate) or a class Twitter account. Using a unique #hashtag, they post comments, responses, and questions related to classwork. Teachers can project the stream onto the class screen for everyone to see.

Twitter can also be used as a poll or a warmup/exit ticket.

Polls, Forms, and Surveys

Polls, forms, and surveys are great options when teachers need to create sign-up sheets, push out formative assessments, auto-grade quizzes, and more. Today's Meet made it part of an easy-to-access classroom ecosystem that could be quickly shared (anonymously) with all students and intuitively used. In its place, most teachers will first think of Google Forms because of the breadth of Google's penetration into the education market (last year, G Suite for Education had more than 70 million users and more than half of the primary/secondary school market), but there are other options that offer more choices, in different ways, and might be the perfect solution for your class.

JotForm
Free/fee
For many, JotForm is the essential forms creation tool whether on PCs, Macs, or mobile devices. It offers what could be an endless supply of professional-looking templates that can be used to sign up volunteers, get feedback on events, enroll people into classes, ask for donations, collect payments, and much more. Its drag-and-drop interface makes building forms intuitive, quick, and easy. As with Google Forms, new questions can be dependent upon the user's response to prior questions. Completed forms are shared via a link, social media, or integrated into DropBox, Google Docs, and other popular platforms.

Pear Deck
Free/fee
Pear Deck is an interactive slidedeck that integrates polls, surveys, and quizzes into lesson planning seamlessly, painlessly, and intuitively. Teachers sign in with their Google or Google classroom account, the latter giving them the ability to import the class roster. Students join the presentation with a teacher-provided class code. Once in, students see the same slides the teacher displays on the class screen, including interactive assessments pushed out as multiple choice, drag-and-drop quizzes, short answer, or a drawing. From their dashboard, teachers can monitor who responds and how, display results anonymously on the class screen, and analyze data.

Pear Deck can also be used as a warmup/exit ticket or a backchannel.

Survey Monkey
Free/fee
Survey Monkey includes most of the characteristics teachers like in polls and surveys with the addition of a wide variety of education-themed templates such as course feedback, project research, parent information, parent engagement, and curriculum planning. It works on most platforms and all digital devices. Education discounts are available upon request.

Survey Monkey can also be used as a warmup/exit ticket.

Warmup and Exit Tickets

Warmups are 3-5-minute unassisted class starters to assess what students know about a topic or remember from a previous class. Teachers can then review or reteach as needed. Students are expected to complete these by themselves -- with no collaboration. Exit tickets are quite similar but act more as formative assessments to measure knowledge gained from the class as a last step before they leave.

Here are popular options:
Free
Tozzl.com is a digital pinboard where students answer questions or share ideas that can be viewed by all classmates. It includes optional sections for chatting, file sharing, to-do lists, and videos. The teacher posts a question on the class Tozzl that can include a video, an image, text, or other forms of media. Students join the Tozzl (no registration required) via a link or room number and add their thoughts. It can be private or public.

It can also be used as a backchannel or a warmup/exit ticket.
Free
Flippity is an add-on to Google Sheets that appends a ton of functionality to what is typically considered a data-intensive environment. Because teachers are familiar with Google Sheets (if you're one of the millions of Google schools), it is easy to create warmups and exit tickets using Flippity templates like a quiz show, flashcards, crossword puzzle, hangman, memory game, word search, and more.

No registration is required, but students must have a Google account to use it.
Free/fee
Flipgrid poses questions which students answer in a (very) short video format. All class answers are collected into a grid that can be shared and viewed. The class is easy for a teacher to set up. Students enter with a code (no registration required) and add their answer with the digital device camera. They love the video format and can redo any video they aren't happy with.

Flipgrid can also be used as a poll.

***

Today's Meet will be missed, but with a touch of creativity and flexibility, you can accomplish the same goals and more by using any number of these stellar tools.

More Closures
Wikispaces (replacement options coming soon)
has been teaching K-18 technology for 25 years. She is the editor/author of more than 100 ed-tech resources, including a K-8 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in ed-tech, Master Teacher, webmaster for four blogs, an reviewer, CAEP reviewer, CSTA presentation reviewer, freelance journalist on ed-tech topics, and a weekly contributor to . You can find her resources at Read Jacqui's tech thrillers, To Hunt a Sub and Twenty-four Days.

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Technology in the Classroom: Alternatives to Today's Meet

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As of June 16, 2018, Today's Meet is closed (read the full details here ). That iconic technology in the classroom backchannel chat platform for classroom teachers and learners, the one that for ten years was the first name thought of when discussing feedback and collaboration, one that quickly became a staple in classrooms and conferences.

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Online Tools | Project Based Learning | BIE

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5 Keys to Rigorous Project-Based Learning

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Well-designed project-based learning (PBL) has been shown to result in deeper learning and engaged, self-directed learners. Learn more about the five core elements of successful PBL.

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project-based learning: differentiating instruction for the 21st century

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21st century learning; critical thinking; differentiated instruction; differentiation; pbl

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education / decision-making & problem solving

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education / teaching methods & materials / general

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education/teaching methods & materials - general

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methods of instruction and study (general)

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education / decision-making & problem solving

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education / teaching methods & materials / general

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education/teaching methods & materials - general

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methods of instruction and study (general)

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Project-Based Learning: Differentiating Instruction for the 21st Century

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Increase achievement and engagement for all students in 21st century classrooms! Project-based learning has emerged as one of today's most effective instructional practices. In PBL, students confront real-world issues and problems, collaborate to create solutions, and present their results. This ...

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hacking project based learning: 10 easy steps to pbl and inquiry in the classroom (hack learning series) (volume 9)

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education/teaching methods & materials - general

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project based learning; inquiry; pbl; project-based; formative assessment

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Hacking Project Based Learning: 10 Easy Steps to PBL and Inquiry in the Classroom (Hack Learning Series) (Volume 9)

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It's time to say Yes to PBLProject based learning can be messy, complicated, and downright scary. When done right, though, PBL and inquiry are challenging, inspiring, and fun for students. Best of all, when project based learning is done right, it actually makes the teacher's job easie...

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Crossing the Great Divide | Origins Online

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Community Level 3 - Comfortable Materials: String or chalk How To Play: Using string or chalk, create a center line in the space. Starting in one, big line, players break into teams of 4 to 6. Teams line up facing each other across the room or space.

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Build skills that promote a successful transition to project-based learning

The transition to project-based learning is a daunting proposition for many teachers, but we often overlook that this style of learning, which relies on big ideas, collaboration, and student self-direction, can also be a big leap for learners. Assuming that students already have the skills they need to succeed as soon as you implement PBL is likely to leave everyone frustrated.

A project-based approach to learning is a great way to engage students in high-level, curriculum-focused learning, providing contexts in which students master content while also honing 21st-century life skills such as teamwork, learning to monitor and evaluate progress, and thinking critically instead of simply following directions.

I am an ardent proponent of jumping in and learning by doing, but running headlong into a project without providing the requisite skills can frustrate learners. Be sure to evaluate whether skill-building is needed before you implement PBL to ensure students have the tools they need to thrive in a PBL environment.

1. Complete team-building exercises.

Collaboration isn't easy. In fact, it is often regarded as one of the most difficult aspects of great PBL. PBL should engage students with a project that matters. Having learners work on tasks they care about helps ensure engagement, but it also increases the likelihood of interpersonal conflict. A project will sour quickly if students feel that not all team members are on board or if the project doesn't go exactly as planned.

Middle- and high-school students (and, let's face it, most adults!) don't yet understand the subtleties of their own motivations and interpersonal skills, so it's not realistic to expect that they will intrinsically understand how to get the most out of their teammates. This can result in anxiety and awkwardness when working in a group, which is the fundamental reason that many people (not just students) hate to work collaboratively.

Team-building exercises are designed to get groups of people to rely on one another, help them see the value in working together, to get the most out of each individual, and to model strategies to help ensure success during collaboration.

We have all participated in some awful team-building activities in the past, so stop rolling your eyes, start thinking about the skills you want to engender, and choose activities that are appropriate for those goals. For example:

Goal: Teamwork
Focus on activities that require teamwork to accomplish a task, such as the Balloon Line Race. Have teams of equal numbers of students form a line. Place a balloon between each person in both lines, and have them teams race from one location to another. The team that arrives first, with all of their balloons still in place, wins.

Goal: Think Outside the Box
Focus on activities that require and reward creative thinking, such as the Birthday Line Up. In this quick activity, the whole class or small teams must line up in order of their birthdays...without talking! It usually doesn't take long for someone to start writing, using fingers to indicate months, or even singing!

Goal: Embrace Failure and/or Fail Forward
If your goal is to teach students to fail forward, consider the Marshmallow Challenge. Pass out sticks of spaghetti, tape, string, and one marshmallow per student to see who can build the tallest tower in the allotted time. Research shows that Kindergarten students do this best, since they start building immediately, fail and then try again based on what they have learned. Adults tend to discuss, plan, and overthink the perfect solution, which invariably fails and leaves them too little time to try again.

2. Develop norms for group work.

After performing a few team-building exercises and sharing past experiences with collaboration, work with your students to establish protocol for group work in your classroom. Establishing norms isn't about providing a set of rules; rather, the goal is to work together to establish a contract that makes sense. This process works best when done immediately after team-building exercises. They provide context for concepts like "take risks," "ask questions," and "be nice."

To create a full foundation for this task, ask students to turn in a list of three behaviors they consider crucial to team success as they leave the room or as homework. Use these lists as the basis for a discussion the next day.

Alternatively, ask them to name one thing they hate about group work Use this list as the foundation for discussions around group behaviors that will prevent these problems, such as taking risks, listening, and sharing ideas freely.

3. Practice asking and discussing open-ended questions.

Many students feel that the focus of education is simply knowing the right answer. The focus of PBL isn't on being able to correct answer a single question; rather, project-based learning encourages asking many questions and exploring innumerable potential answers.

It may surprise you to learn that PBL is usually most difficult for the high achievers in your classroom. Students who are driven to always have the "right" answer may be frustrated by questions that have many potentially correct answers, some of which may even contradict others.

Work to familiarize your students with this aspect of PBL by making it a habit to ask open-ended questions and by providing time and space to explore questions together.

Blogger Rachel Lynette has a great list of 20 open-ended questions you can ask students that don't necessarily have a curriculum focus. For example, "What is the hardest thing about being a kid?" Because they aren't obviously tied to curriculum, these questions may be a good place to start. Students aren't shy about sharing their opinions, especially when there is no academic risk.

Once students are comfortable with open ended questions, start bringing the focus back around to the curriculum. Educator Paula Denton wrote a great article for the Responsive Classroom Newsletter that includes examples and strategies for getting started. One of my favorite passages is her description of what makes open-ended questions so powerful:

"Children's learning naturally loops through a cycle of wonder, exploration, discovery, reflection, and more wonder, leading them on to increasingly complex knowledge and sophisticated thinking. The power of open-ended questions comes from the way these questions tap into that natural cycle, inviting children to pursue their own curiosity about how the world works."

As we consider project-based learning, it's worth reflecting back on the higher-order thinking skills in Bloom's Taxonomy. When we look at verbs like describe, apply, analyze, evaluation, and create, it becomes easier to formulate open-ended questions that begin with words like organize, generalize, connect, arrange, and rank.

4. Build skills and establish routines for project work.

Even if you haven't implemented PBL in your classroom before, you will find that most students have completed a long-term project or performance task. At the beginning of the year, come up with opportunities to practice brainstorming and set goals. Develop routines for storing work-in-progress and procedures for check-ins to monitor progress.

Ask students to provide feedback on the success of a lesson you have implemented with them. Ask for more than one word answers and "I liked it" or "I didn't like, it." What could you have done differently to make it more effective? This can provide opportunities for your students to evaluate content, delivery, and process.

It's always helpful to share examples of what you consider high-quality work. Ask them to help you define why an example is especially good. If work they are doing is evaluated against a rubric, ask them to use the rubric to assess their own work. Self-assessment is most common in PBL, but it can be done after nearly any project. Consider asking students questions like:

"What new content knowledge did you learn in this activity?"

"How did your work contribute to your team's success?"

5. Build awareness of resources and possibilities.

As you and your students grow in project-based learning, the tasks and problems will become more complex and diverse. Work together to brainstorm and develop a list of ways they can share their learning and artifacts they can produce to solve a problem.

Work to provide students with a range of experiences creating and communicating through different media forms and products. You may find it helpful to focus shorter activities and tasks on a single product, such as a poster, to give students experience with one approach for raising awareness they may choose to use in a future project.

If you have access to technology tools, consider creating movies, presentations, printed brochures, and other media resources to provide students with examples and experiences they can draw on when the time comes for them to decide how best to solve a problem and present their learning.

Learn to forgive yourself, and teach this skill to your students.

PBL is a journey, not a destination. Learning through PBL is messy, and sometimes it's uncomfortable. Don't focus on failures. Think about what you are learning and what IS working. Learning what didn't work is still progress.

Creative Educator can help bring PBL to your school or district. Find out more

Embrace where you are in the journey right now. This allows you to see your progress and helps you make changes that will benefit your bright future with project-based learning.

Popular Topics

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Get Students Ready for Project-based Learning

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The transition to project-based learning is a daunting proposition for many teachers, but we often overlook that this style of learning, which relies on big ideas, collaboration, and student self-direction, can also be a big leap for learners. Assuming that students already have the skills they need to succeed as soon as you implement PBL is likely to leave everyone frustrated.

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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Teaching the Declaration of Independence as Break Up Letter

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Free Team Building Activity: Balloon Tower

This team building energisers gets teams working together and thinking creatively.

Overview

Small teams are asked to build the tallest, most cost-effective, free-standing tower using just balloons and some sticky tape within a set time.

To download the Balloon Tower instructions as a PDF click here.

Key themes: Teamwork, Creative Thinking, Time Management.
Participants: 6 - 50
Timing: 15 - 30 minutes

Prework and Equipment

Buy enough balloons for 50 per team plus some spare.

Buy enough Sellotape for 1 per team plus some spare.

Pack a tape measure to help you measure the towers.

Running the Activity

1. Split the group into small teams (of 2 - 4).

2. Introduce the exercise by stating that the challenge is to build the tallest, most cost effective free standing tower.

3. Explain the 10 minute time constraint.

4. Explain the costs involved for the materials (see PDF download).

5. Assign each group their balloons. Also provide each team a briefing sheet (see PDF download).

6. Reinforce the rules that the tower must be unsupported and freestanding after 10 minutes.

7. Start the activity and the timer. Give the teams a time check after five minutes and a one and two minute warning.

8. After 10 minutes, call time or give an extension at your discretion.

9. Ask the teams to work out and calculate their points (as on the PDF download). The team with the highest number of points is the winning team. Do not show the team the scoring procedure before the activity takes place.

10. Give a prize if necessary.

Review and Conclusions

Ask the teams if they had a strategy

Explore the various approaches

Ask whether their design changed during construction and why

Ask what each team (starting with the least successful) would do differently if they were to repeat the exercise

To download the the Balloon Tower instructions as a PDF click here.

We hope you enjoy using this team building energiser and if you have any suggested activities for our blog do contact us.

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Free Team Building Activity: Balloon Tower

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This team building energisers gets teams working together and thinking creatively. Small teams are asked to build the tallest, most cost-effective, free-standing tower using just balloons and some sticky tape within a set time. To download the Balloon Tower instructions as a PDF click here. Key themes: Teamwork, Creative Thinking, Time Management.

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August 2, 2017
Roles in PBL: 3 Approaches For Organizing Group Tasks

One of the most common features of any PBL project is group work. Even if the product is individual, there should always be some form of group work within the project to give students the ability to receive critique and revision, to share resources and think deeper about what they're learning, and to practice and develop the 21st century skill of collaboration. Not only should they be able to work as a group during the project, they should also find time to work as a group but independent and absent any direct instruction by the teacher. This can be a daunting challenge for even experienced classroom practitioners as they may not know how to scaffold a gradual release for their students or may have concerns about specific students in their class being able to work without derailing an entire group.

One of the easiest ways to structure work is to provide roles for students during the project. There are many different ways to construct these roles, so before you launch your project you may want to consider which best describes your project design:

1. Do you want your students to complete tasks based on static, unchanging roles?

2. Do they need the ability to be more dynamic day to day with their roles, or think of roles as task-based?

Whichever way you structure roles in the context of your project, they generally fall in one of these two categories, and each has specific advantages/disadvantages:

Static Roles: In this system, students always have the same job or role, so there is very little chance for misunderstanding or confusion even if the student happens to be absent for a day or two or miss the initial phases of the project. Static roles are particularly useful in longer, more investigative projects or for short group discussions where you want these discussions to be carried on in a certain way. For example, a science teacher I work with always displays the same group roles for every lab on the board and then mixes them up by divvying out cards playing cards where each suit corresponds to a specific role. These roles include an explainer, a recorder, the timekeeper, and the materials manager. This approach provides a strongly defined foundation for lab work. This system forms a foundation for the culture of her classroom and after the first few attempts her students are well aware of what the expectations are for lab and group tasks once the playing cards come out. As a result, there is very little wandering or off task behavior during her projects.

The danger with static roles is they must be well thought out and must have some sort of job during the entire part of the project. For example, if you were doing a project that required video recording, and you had a student whose role was to be the camera person, what do they do after the project has been recorded and moved onto the editing phase? In a situation like this, more dynamic, task-based roles may be more appropriate.

Dynamic Roles: With this model, groups start off each work period by filling out a task list and assigning specific jobs to each person. A teacher can ask for this task list at any time in order to learn exactly who is doing what in each group. At the end of each work period, students sign off that their task has either been completed, or they write down the next step that they need to complete in order to finish the assignment the next time they work on it. In this model students will take on multiple roles in each project depending on what has to be done during a given work period. It also gives students a chance to experience different roles and practice different skills throughout the project.

An added bonus to this approach is the paper trail that is left behind. Task lists are very helpful in providing information for the teacher as to the effectiveness of the group over a long period of time or for students when they reflect on the project process at the end.

The danger with dynamic groups is that it is the responsibility of the students to divide the work up evenly, and sometimes they may need more coaching and guidance for this to happen before it becomes automatic. Also, since each group is free to find their own path to the end product, this form of role-creation can result in a chaotic classroom.

Hybrid Approach: If neither of the above seems like the right fit, don't worry, there is also a third option that combines aspects of the other two. Some students will be given static roles that do not change, while others will be given dynamic roles where their job or responsibilities change throughout the course of the project. This helps support learners who excel or need an additional challenge while scaffolding for learners who need the more consistent checks that are provided by dynamic grouping.

For example, I have my students complete a constitution project where they run their own mock campaign for president, where certain students take on a management role. One student actually takes on the role of party chairperson and essentially keeps the rest of the class on task and working by checking in and providing coaching. This student keeps their role the entire time while other students move between roles based on the goals of the project. This system works well in the context of the project, but it is important to think about the best way of introducing this model to the class so that those with static roles aren't seen as superior.

If you're not sure what approach to roles is best for your project, consider these questions before you launch.

What are the different phases of your project?

In order for your students to complete your project, what kinds of things will they all need to do?

What roles or responsibilities could best encapsulate the steps?

Is one of these roles more key, more crucial to completion of the project than the others? (It may be helpful to give groups a heads-up about this, in case someone is interested in taking more of a leadership role while others would like to just simply be a part of the group work)

What 21st century skills will each role require?

Would a tool for reflection help your students?

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One of the most common features of any PBL project is group work. Even if the product is individual, there should always be some form of group work within the project to give students the ability to receive critique and revision, to share resources and think deeper about what they're learning, and to practice and develop the 21st century skill of collaboration.

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North-South-East-West Activity: What is your personal style?

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North-South-East-West Activity: What is your personal style?

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One of the most common features of any PBL project is group work. Even if the product is individual, there should always be some form of group work within the project to give students the ability to receive critique and revision, to share resources and think deeper about what they're learning, and to practice and develop the 21st century skill of collaboration. Not only should they be able to work as a group during the project, they should also find time to work as a group but independent and absent any direct instruction by the teacher. This can be a daunting challenge for even experienced classroom practitioners as they may not know how to scaffold a gradual release for their students or may have concerns about specific students in their class being able to work without derailing an entire group.

One of the easiest ways to structure work is to provide roles for students during the project. There are many different ways to construct these roles, so before you launch your project you may want to consider which best describes your project design:

1. Do you want your students to complete tasks based on static, unchanging roles?

2. Do they need the ability to be more dynamic day to day with their roles, or think of roles as task-based?

Whichever way you structure roles in the context of your project, they generally fall in one of these two categories, and each has specific advantages/disadvantages:

Static Roles

In this system, students always have the same job or role, so there is very little chance for misunderstanding or confusion even if the student happens to be absent for a day or two or miss the initial phases of the project. Static roles are particularly useful in longer, more investigative projects or for short group discussions where you want these discussions to be carried on in a certain way. For example, a science teacher I work with always displays the same group roles for every lab on the board and then mixes them up by divvying out cards playing cards where each suit corresponds to a specific role. These roles include an explainer, a recorder, the timekeeper, and the materials manager. This approach provides a strongly defined foundation for lab work. This system forms a foundation for the culture of her classroom and after the first few attempts her students are well aware of what the expectations are for lab and group tasks once the playing cards come out. As a result, there is very little wandering or off task behavior during her projects.

The danger with static roles is they must be well thought out and must have some sort of job during the entire part of the project. For example, if you were doing a project that required video recording, and you had a student whose role was to be the camera person, what do they do after the project has been recorded and moved onto the editing phase? In a situation like this, more dynamic, task-based roles may be more appropriate.

Dynamic Roles

With this model, groups start off each work period by filling out a task list and assigning specific jobs to each person. A teacher can ask for this task list at any time in order to learn exactly who is doing what in each group. At the end of each work period, students sign off that their task has either been completed, or they write down the next step that they need to complete in order to finish the assignment the next time they work on it. In this model students will take on multiple roles in each project depending on what has to be done during a given work period. It also gives students a chance to experience different roles and practice different skills throughout the project.

An added bonus to this approach is the paper trail that is left behind. Task lists are very helpful in providing information for the teacher as to the effectiveness of the group over a long period of time or for students when they reflect on the project process at the end.

The danger with dynamic groups is that it is the responsibility of the students to divide the work up evenly, and sometimes they may need more coaching and guidance for this to happen before it becomes automatic. Also, since each group is free to find their own path to the end product, this form of role-creation can result in a chaotic classroom.

Hybrid Approach

If neither of the above seems like the right fit, don't worry, there is also a third option that combines aspects of the other two. Some students will be given static roles that do not change, while others will be given dynamic roles where their job or responsibilities change throughout the course of the project. This helps support learners who excel or need an additional challenge while scaffolding for learners who need the more consistent checks that are provided by dynamic grouping.

For example, I have my students complete a constitution project where they run their own mock campaign for president, where certain students take on a management role. One student actually takes on the role of party chairperson and essentially keeps the rest of the class on task and working by checking in and providing coaching. This student keeps their role the entire time while other students move between roles based on the goals of the project. This system works well in the context of the project, but it is important to think about the best way of introducing this model to the class so that those with static roles aren't seen as superior.

If you're not sure what approach to roles is best for your project, consider these questions before you launch.

What are the different phases of your project?

In order for your students to complete your project, what kinds of things will they all need to do?

What roles or responsibilities could best encapsulate the steps?

Is one of these roles more key, more crucial to completion of the project than the others? (It may be helpful to give groups a heads-up about this, in case someone is interested in taking more of a leadership role while others would like to just simply be a part of the group work)

What 21st century skills will each role require?

Would a tool for reflection help your students?

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Roles in PBL: 3 Approaches For Organizing Group Tasks

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
One of the most common features of any PBL project is group work. Even if the product is individual, there should always be some form of group work within the project to give students the ability to receive critique and revision, to share resources and think deeper about what they're learning, and to practice and develop the 21st century skill of collaboration.

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Free Team Building Activity: Balloon Tower

This team building energisers gets teams working together and thinking creatively.

Overview

Small teams are asked to build the tallest, most cost-effective, free-standing tower using just balloons and some sticky tape within a set time.

To download the Balloon Tower instructions as a PDF click here.

Key themes: Teamwork, Creative Thinking, Time Management.
Participants: 6 - 50
Timing: 15 - 30 minutes

Prework and Equipment

Buy enough balloons for 50 per team plus some spare.

Buy enough Sellotape for 1 per team plus some spare.

Pack a tape measure to help you measure the towers.

Running the Activity

1. Split the group into small teams (of 2 - 4).

2. Introduce the exercise by stating that the challenge is to build the tallest, most cost effective free standing tower.

3. Explain the 10 minute time constraint.

4. Explain the costs involved for the materials (see PDF download).

5. Assign each group their balloons. Also provide each team a briefing sheet (see PDF download).

6. Reinforce the rules that the tower must be unsupported and freestanding after 10 minutes.

7. Start the activity and the timer. Give the teams a time check after five minutes and a one and two minute warning.

8. After 10 minutes, call time or give an extension at your discretion.

9. Ask the teams to work out and calculate their points (as on the PDF download). The team with the highest number of points is the winning team. Do not show the team the scoring procedure before the activity takes place.

10. Give a prize if necessary.

Review and Conclusions

Ask the teams if they had a strategy

Explore the various approaches

Ask whether their design changed during construction and why

Ask what each team (starting with the least successful) would do differently if they were to repeat the exercise

To download the the Balloon Tower instructions as a PDF click here.

We hope you enjoy using this team building energiser and if you have any suggested activities for our blog do contact us.

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Free Team Building Activity: Balloon Tower

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This team building energisers gets teams working together and thinking creatively. Small teams are asked to build the tallest, most cost-effective, free-standing tower using just balloons and some sticky tape within a set time. To download the Balloon Tower instructions as a PDF click here. Key themes: Teamwork, Creative Thinking, Time Management.

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Build skills that promote a successful transition to project-based learning

The transition to project-based learning is a daunting proposition for many teachers, but we often overlook that this style of learning, which relies on big ideas, collaboration, and student self-direction, can also be a big leap for learners. Assuming that students already have the skills they need to succeed as soon as you implement PBL is likely to leave everyone frustrated.

A project-based approach to learning is a great way to engage students in high-level, curriculum-focused learning, providing contexts in which students master content while also honing 21st-century life skills such as teamwork, learning to monitor and evaluate progress, and thinking critically instead of simply following directions.

I am an ardent proponent of jumping in and learning by doing, but running headlong into a project without providing the requisite skills can frustrate learners. Be sure to evaluate whether skill-building is needed before you implement PBL to ensure students have the tools they need to thrive in a PBL environment.

1. Complete team-building exercises.

Collaboration isn't easy. In fact, it is often regarded as one of the most difficult aspects of great PBL. PBL should engage students with a project that matters. Having learners work on tasks they care about helps ensure engagement, but it also increases the likelihood of interpersonal conflict. A project will sour quickly if students feel that not all team members are on board or if the project doesn't go exactly as planned.

Middle- and high-school students (and, let's face it, most adults!) don't yet understand the subtleties of their own motivations and interpersonal skills, so it's not realistic to expect that they will intrinsically understand how to get the most out of their teammates. This can result in anxiety and awkwardness when working in a group, which is the fundamental reason that many people (not just students) hate to work collaboratively.

Team-building exercises are designed to get groups of people to rely on one another, help them see the value in working together, to get the most out of each individual, and to model strategies to help ensure success during collaboration.

We have all participated in some awful team-building activities in the past, so stop rolling your eyes, start thinking about the skills you want to engender, and choose activities that are appropriate for those goals. For example:

Goal: Teamwork
Focus on activities that require teamwork to accomplish a task, such as the Balloon Line Race. Have teams of equal numbers of students form a line. Place a balloon between each person in both lines, and have them teams race from one location to another. The team that arrives first, with all of their balloons still in place, wins.

Goal: Think Outside the Box
Focus on activities that require and reward creative thinking, such as the Birthday Line Up. In this quick activity, the whole class or small teams must line up in order of their birthdays...without talking! It usually doesn't take long for someone to start writing, using fingers to indicate months, or even singing!

Goal: Embrace Failure and/or Fail Forward
If your goal is to teach students to fail forward, consider the Marshmallow Challenge. Pass out sticks of spaghetti, tape, string, and one marshmallow per student to see who can build the tallest tower in the allotted time. Research shows that Kindergarten students do this best, since they start building immediately, fail and then try again based on what they have learned. Adults tend to discuss, plan, and overthink the perfect solution, which invariably fails and leaves them too little time to try again.

2. Develop norms for group work.

After performing a few team-building exercises and sharing past experiences with collaboration, work with your students to establish protocol for group work in your classroom. Establishing norms isn't about providing a set of rules; rather, the goal is to work together to establish a contract that makes sense. This process works best when done immediately after team-building exercises. They provide context for concepts like "take risks," "ask questions," and "be nice."

To create a full foundation for this task, ask students to turn in a list of three behaviors they consider crucial to team success as they leave the room or as homework. Use these lists as the basis for a discussion the next day.

Alternatively, ask them to name one thing they hate about group work Use this list as the foundation for discussions around group behaviors that will prevent these problems, such as taking risks, listening, and sharing ideas freely.

3. Practice asking and discussing open-ended questions.

Many students feel that the focus of education is simply knowing the right answer. The focus of PBL isn't on being able to correct answer a single question; rather, project-based learning encourages asking many questions and exploring innumerable potential answers.

It may surprise you to learn that PBL is usually most difficult for the high achievers in your classroom. Students who are driven to always have the "right" answer may be frustrated by questions that have many potentially correct answers, some of which may even contradict others.

Work to familiarize your students with this aspect of PBL by making it a habit to ask open-ended questions and by providing time and space to explore questions together.

Blogger Rachel Lynette has a great list of 20 open-ended questions you can ask students that don't necessarily have a curriculum focus. For example, "What is the hardest thing about being a kid?" Because they aren't obviously tied to curriculum, these questions may be a good place to start. Students aren't shy about sharing their opinions, especially when there is no academic risk.

Once students are comfortable with open ended questions, start bringing the focus back around to the curriculum. Educator Paula Denton wrote a great article for the Responsive Classroom Newsletter that includes examples and strategies for getting started. One of my favorite passages is her description of what makes open-ended questions so powerful:

"Children's learning naturally loops through a cycle of wonder, exploration, discovery, reflection, and more wonder, leading them on to increasingly complex knowledge and sophisticated thinking. The power of open-ended questions comes from the way these questions tap into that natural cycle, inviting children to pursue their own curiosity about how the world works."

As we consider project-based learning, it's worth reflecting back on the higher-order thinking skills in Bloom's Taxonomy. When we look at verbs like describe, apply, analyze, evaluation, and create, it becomes easier to formulate open-ended questions that begin with words like organize, generalize, connect, arrange, and rank.

4. Build skills and establish routines for project work.

Even if you haven't implemented PBL in your classroom before, you will find that most students have completed a long-term project or performance task. At the beginning of the year, come up with opportunities to practice brainstorming and set goals. Develop routines for storing work-in-progress and procedures for check-ins to monitor progress.

Ask students to provide feedback on the success of a lesson you have implemented with them. Ask for more than one word answers and "I liked it" or "I didn't like, it." What could you have done differently to make it more effective? This can provide opportunities for your students to evaluate content, delivery, and process.

It's always helpful to share examples of what you consider high-quality work. Ask them to help you define why an example is especially good. If work they are doing is evaluated against a rubric, ask them to use the rubric to assess their own work. Self-assessment is most common in PBL, but it can be done after nearly any project. Consider asking students questions like:

"What new content knowledge did you learn in this activity?"

"How did your work contribute to your team's success?"

5. Build awareness of resources and possibilities.

As you and your students grow in project-based learning, the tasks and problems will become more complex and diverse. Work together to brainstorm and develop a list of ways they can share their learning and artifacts they can produce to solve a problem.

Work to provide students with a range of experiences creating and communicating through different media forms and products. You may find it helpful to focus shorter activities and tasks on a single product, such as a poster, to give students experience with one approach for raising awareness they may choose to use in a future project.

If you have access to technology tools, consider creating movies, presentations, printed brochures, and other media resources to provide students with examples and experiences they can draw on when the time comes for them to decide how best to solve a problem and present their learning.

Learn to forgive yourself, and teach this skill to your students.

PBL is a journey, not a destination. Learning through PBL is messy, and sometimes it's uncomfortable. Don't focus on failures. Think about what you are learning and what IS working. Learning what didn't work is still progress.

Creative Educator can help bring PBL to your school or district. Find out more

Embrace where you are in the journey right now. This allows you to see your progress and helps you make changes that will benefit your bright future with project-based learning.

Popular Topics

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Get Students Ready for Project-based Learning

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The transition to project-based learning is a daunting proposition for many teachers, but we often overlook that this style of learning, which relies on big ideas, collaboration, and student self-direction, can also be a big leap for learners. Assuming that students already have the skills they need to succeed as soon as you implement PBL is likely to leave everyone frustrated.

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Please press the "+" below and answer the following three questions. Thank you!

1.) Share an "I like", an "I wonder", and an "I know" about the Project-Based Learning PD.

2.) If you have tried implementing Project-Based Learning in the past, write a brief description of the PBL you have created for your students. Answer the following questions: What did you like about it? Was there anything new you learned today that you could add or change in your PBL? If so, what was it?

3.) Is there anything preventing you from creating a PBL for your students?

Please Note: We will address your thoughts and questions at our next PD on PBL and on this Padlet.