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E11 - Rigor and Relevance

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PBL Brings the Rs

This episode focuses on rigor and relevance in Project Based Learning (PBL).

  • Ryan uses the example of Dixie Elementary, a Title 1 school in Kentucky that improved its rating from a D to an A using PBL.
  • Ryan emphasizes that Dixie Elementary achieved this success not through rote learning but through best practices, engagement, and empowerment.
  • Ryan highlights that Dixie Elementary incorporated community partners, workshops with content-based practices, need-to-knows, formative assessments like quizzes and tests, and presentations to authentic audiences.
  • Ryan stresses the importance of authenticity and relevance in PBL, arguing that it's challenging to have a rigorous problem without a community partner.
  • Ryan outlines three steps to increase rigor in PBL:
    1. Start with standards, emphasizing the need to unpack them and be intentional about their implementation.
    2. Create a Depth of Knowledge (DOK) level four driving question, which is non-googleable, requires in-depth research, and uses higher-order thinking verbs.
    3. Develop rigorous performance tasks as benchmarks, ensuring students synthesize ideas rather than merely regurgitate facts.
    4. Presentations are a key element of PBL, as they prepare learners and enhance transparency.
    5. Ryan suggests analyzing presentations to gauge the rigor of the performance task, noting that if students are merely repeating facts, the task might lack depth.
    6. Ryan encourages teachers to identify power standards within their district or school, suggesting a collaborative approach to developing them if they don't already exist.
    7. There are three steps for increasing rigor, emphasizing the importance of evaluating driving questions and developing challenging benchmarks.
    8. Ryan argues that rigor and relevance are intertwined, with the real-world problem driving deeper exploration of content.
    9. The episode concludes with a call to action, directing listeners to an on-demand course on end products within the PBL Movement online community.

      10. The PBL Movement Online Community, highlighting features:

      • Access to on-demand courses on various PBL topics like driving questions and group contracts.
      • A private and active Facebook group for members with paid moderators to answer questions.
      • A project library with resources such as rubrics and product examples.
      • Live support from PBL experts to assist with implementing the resources.

        • The next episode will focus on intentionally designing learning spaces to facilitate collaboration.

        Resources

        PBL Movement Online Community

        Magnify Learning - www.magnifypbl.com

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