Project+Based+Learning


 * Project Based Learning**


 * __City Experience, Broken Hill and Enlightenment__**


 * Our CEV involves an analysis of the current curriculum/learning experiences for each of these programs to determine what 21st century pedagogical umbrella they align to, and to what extent they align. The idea is to further develop the sense of connectedness between the 3 experiences.**


 * Hence, our focus questions are:**


 * How can MLC better integrate the 3 key learning experiences of Years 8,9,10 (City Experience, Broken Hill and Enlightenment) to ensure that students are developing and exhibiting skills that encompass project-based, challenge-based and enquiry-based thinking? How can the experiences be improved to better connect them in the minds of students?**



- These 3 experiences have traditionally sought to bring in the principles of cross-curricular learning experiences. Our proposal seeks to maintain these principles, and bring in connectedness to the real world by providing and engaging students with service learning experiences.

- Service based approach: students remember learning that is meaningful. What makes the deepest impact? What is the most memorable? Conversations with year 11 students revealed that they remember the service learning the best. They look back on that fondly and felt that they made a real impact on society.

This led us to think further. What if each of these key experiences could become truly memorable? What if the end product was not knowledge, but action? What if knowledge became a by-product of action? Students need to see a learning path, a road-map that shows them the way ahead, and their achievements to date.

We propose a service learning model for these 3 key experiences. City Experience --> service learning, based on solving problems in the city.

Ethical Intelligence --> Reggio Emilia




 * Resources**
 * [|Students co-design]**
 * Students co-designing**

Introduction to Inquiry Based thinking

How do 3 key learning experiences of Years 8,9,10 (City Experience, Broken Hill and Enlightenment) align to 21st century pedagogical models of project/challenge/enquiry/problem based learning? How can the experiences be improved to better connect them in the minds of students?

Cross faculty implementations of project based learning

Cross-faculty = cross-curricular? YES?

In order to implement cross-curricular projects, a clear vision is needed as to how outcomes map/overlap --> ATLAS project is essential.

ATLAS containing matrix of outcomes and projects

Vision of students looking at their own learning, what outcomes have been met in the past and what is yet to be met. Students can select particular outcomes and then see in which ways those outcomes can be met (i.e. project ideas). Students can then be able to combine groups of outcomes in order to create their own project with a project advisor.

Project based learning: - best practice models for designing curriculum for City experience, Broken Hill and Enlightenment. - preparing for MYP, service focussed learning?


 * What does this look like?
 * Students
 * Staff
 * External experts/advisors
 * Designing the project
 * Which model?
 * Project based on student interests, then map to outcomes
 * Map outcomes to be targeted, design project based on interests and outcomes that can be met
 * Co-design of projects
 * Scaffolding
 * Guiding
 * Revising

- Enlightenment - Who is the audience for project based learning? - what is the best audience for each situation? - how do we capture the audience, and maintain authenticity (when most of the audience will tend to be parents/MLC community members)?

MLC has purchased a number of Lego Mindstorm Robot kits in the last few terms, and a few members of staff have received preliminary training in robotics. Here are some resources we are looking at when developing a comprehensive, cross-curricular, engaging and challenging robotics teaching program for Junior School.

http://www.damienkee.com/ejournal/ - Students "gain better competencies in logical and critical thinking, mathematics, collaboration among peers, communication, etc" - Previous teaching experiences have shown that grouping students (or preselecting them for learning robotics) based on mathematical results or aptitude is bound for only limited success. The preselection was done to combat (or perhaps weed out) attitudes amongst many younger students that the goal of study in robotics is to build commercial-standard robots in little time and zero effort.

What works?