Project Based Learning (PBL) is a teaching method that, when implemented successfully, can prepare our students for a world we can’t yet imagine. With PBL, we can teach our students the 21st century skills they’ll need for the jobs of the future. PBL focuses teaching and learning around engaging, real-world contexts and problems. Tying content to real-world issues makes the rationale for learning transparant to students, and set them up to draw connections between what they’re doing in school to what they’ll need to do in life and career later on.
The goal of this course is to show participants that PBL is possible with any group of students, in any setting, under any conditions, and to teach participants how to plan and implement PBL with their unique group of students. After dispelling some common myths about PBL and building a case for PBL and 21st century learning, the course walks participants through each step of the PBL planning process, from brainstorming an authentic project idea to planning a culminating product that showcases what students know. It’ll also cover how to ground a project in standards, to how to differentiate for different learners, how to assess students throughout a PBL project, and how to build a culture of inquiry that makes the work of PBL possible. The course wraps up by showing participants how to convince various stakeholders of the many benefits that PBL can provide to every student, and suggesting strategies for implementing PBL at a school- or district-wide level.
This course’s final project asks participants to write their own PBL project plan to bring back to their own setting. Participants will be prompted to complete certain steps of the planning process throughout the course, which will culminate in the writing of a project plan for implementing their project idea.
Objectives
- Justify the importance of PBL and 21st century skills, particularly in relation to issues of equity and the future of jobs.
- Modify PBL to work for any student, in any setting, and over any period of time, and give examples of how to start small with PBL and cultivate a culture of inquiry.
- Generate ideas for authentic projects, public products, and driving questions that are grounded in both standards and 21st century skills.
- Plan backwards from standards and learning goals to design authentic assessments and student-driven inquiry.
- Determine whether your own PBL project meets the standard of “Gold Standard PBL” by judging it against the Eight Essential Elements of PBL.
To Enroll in a Course:
- Select the salary advancement or recertification course or courses for Washington State teachers you wish to take.
- Choose the version of this course you would like to take: Course + Credits (you will receive an official University transcript) or Course Only (you will receive a Certificate of Completion).
- If you want Clock Hours, select the Course Only option of the course you wish to take.
- Add the course to your Cart and continuing shopping, if you’d like to purchase more courses.
- When you are ready to check out, go to your cart. You will be asked to log-in to your account or create a new account.
- Follow the enrollment and payment prompts. If you have a coupon/discount, you will be asked to enter it during the enrollment process.
- Upon purchase, you will receive an email receipt and be able to login to your course in our eClassroom. You have 180 days from your purchase to complete your course.
- If you have any questions, check out our FAQs or email support@cecreditsonline.org.
Course + Credits Courses
- We have partnered with regionally-accredited universities to provide graduate-level professional development credits for our courses. See University Partners tab for more information on our university partners. All courses taken for graduate credit receive both a Certificate of Completion and an official University Transcript.
- Select Course + Credits option of the course(s) you wish. Credit fees are included in the cost of the course.
- Upon completion of your course, CE Credits Online will forward all the required documentation to the University you selected.
- The University partner will process your course completion and provide a transcript that includes the name of the course, course number, number of credits, and your grade.
- You will receive directions on how to receive your transcript in email form, and you can also review the University Partners section of our website for more information.
- Note: If you would like to receive your academic credits from Adams State University, please purchase the Course Only option of the course, and, upon completion, email support@cecreditsonline.org informing us you wish graduate credit from Adams State University. We will email you instructions. Each graduate credit costs $55.
- You must check with your district to ensure the credits received will meet your specific requirements. We will not be held responsible if your school, district or state does not accept the credits issued.
Course Only Courses
- We offer all of our courses as a Course Only option that can be used to meet your Washington State recertification or professional development needs, such as Clock Hours. (Check with your district to verify eligibility).
- Upon successful completion of your course, you will receive a Certificate of Completion for your records that will include the name of the course and number of professional development hours completed.
- The Certificate of Completion acts as a record that verifies that a professional development course was taken and passed.
Obtaining Clock Hours:
- Upon completion, you will automatically receive your Certificate of Completion via email.
- Submit your Certificate of Completion to: registrar@oesd114.org and request a Clock Hour Form.
- Send your Clock Hour Form and payment for Clock Hours to:
Registrar Registrar at Olympic ESD 114
105 National Avenue N
Bremerton, WA 98312
Angela Wageman Registrar
Angela Wageman at (360) 405-5801
Email: angelaw@cksd.wednet.edu
Bridgette Golden Registrar
Bridgette Golden at (360) 478-6868
Email: bgolden@oesd114.org
