Project-Based Learning

Some of you may have heard the term Project-based learning over the last few years and wondered what exactly does it mean?  Project-based learning is defined as a comprehensive instructional approach to engage students in sustained, cooperative investigation.

The project starts with a driving question or problem that serves to organize and drive activities, which taken as a whole, amount to a meaningful project. Within this framework students collaborate, working together as a team, to pursue the solution to a problem or an answer to a question. This is a student-centered approach that allows each student to build his or her own body of knowledge.

Typically, students pursue solutions to nontrivial problems by:

* Asking and refining questions
* Debating ideas
* Making predictions
* Designing plans and/or experiments
* Collecting and analyzing data
* Drawing conclusions
* Communicating their ideas and findings to others
* Asking new questions
* Creating artifacts

Recently, we posted a quick article about a project that Mr. Sartori coordinated for his Problems in Technology class. This is an example of a project-based learning environment in Saline High School.  Our staff has become more tech savvy and more cognizant of the ways technology best helps instruction.  As we march steadily into the 21st century, our ability to embrace technology and project-based learning will be key.