The Student-Centered Shift: Empowered International Schools and Classrooms Through Project-Based Learning

As an edu-transformer, if someone asked you point blank, what are the top 10 ways to re-imagine the schooling experience, what would you tell them?

That's what I asked longtime experiential educator, innovator, school designer, podcaster and project-based learning practitioner Steve Shapiro. And because Steve believes in continually being counter-culture, he gave me 11.

This episode unpacks those lessons. From obvious lessons around having a growth mindset, to less obvious lessons like making questions in the community, not grades the common motivator for learning. Steve contextualizes each lesson with stories from his career as a long time disruptor and edu-innovator. You will leave with new insights on how to do the same in your classroom or school!

Get in Touch with Steve: LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook.

Steve's Website: https://www.steventshapiro.com/

Get the Project-Based Design Certificate Asynchronous Course for 30% off: Course Link

Enroll in the Synchronous PBL Design Certificate Course: Sign Up Link

Steve's Bio: Steve Shapiro is a veteran classroom educator. In his 34-year career, Steve has taught sixth grade through graduate school, but his main work has been as a high school teacher and school reimaginer. Regardless of his role, Steve has been committed to providing experiential learning opportunities that transform students' lives. Having completed his public school career, Steve now focuses his time on coaching, providing professional learning, and keynote speaking on experiential/authentic learning and school change. He also continues to produce episodes of his highly acclaimed podcast Experience Matters with Steve Shapiro.

Why do we still use traditional transcripts to report on learning?

As if academic marks are all that matter.

Transcripts don't tell the story of a learner's strengths, special talents, competencies, certifications, or skills. Or their abilities as critical thinkers, leaders, creators and collaborators.

But what if they did? What if in a highly visual way, they created a narrative for the WHOLE CHILD?

That's what Hamza and his team at 'Start Up Early' have developed in their co-curricular transcript; and it's already making headway in several schools. Learners are gaining special insights into their strengths, passions and possible pathways to explore, while teachers and administrators are assemlbing something more impactful to pass on to parents and universities.

In this interview we unpack the co-curricular transcript and share tips for how you might use it in your own learner-centred environment.

The Co-Curricular Transcript

Get in Touch with Hamza: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter

'Start-Up Early' Website: https://startupearly.com

Hamza's Bio:

My name is Hamza Ansar, Founder at Start Up Early. I attained my MSc in Entrepreneurship & Innovation from the University of Southern California after founding my first startup, for which we raised angel investment locally as well as crowdfunding internationally. After returning to Pakistan in '19, I founded Start Up Early, an education technology platform. Our focus is on helping students identify and pursue their passion in an effort to optimise their career trajectories. Our flagships product is the Student Success Management System. Student Success Management System (SSMS) is a mobile-first student engagement & success software that helps schools increase student participation outside the classroom, track and assess extra-curricular activities and empower all students to tell their unique stories with our modern individualised co-curricular transcripts. A co-curricular transcript (CCT) is an official set of record, past and present, of a student's co-curricular and extra-curricular activities (clubs, organizations, activities), awards, accomplishments and honors received during a student's schooling years.

The co-curricular transcript will include:

• Co-curricular transcript overview of all past student data
• Graphical representation of all co-curricular activities divided in to various categories
• Gamified badges unlocked at milestone achievement
• Co-curricular effort mapped against top tiered students from previous years
• Roadmap and suggestions on how students can improve their co-curricular score
• Competency mapping from prior experiences
• Easy-to-read visual timeline of all activities

As learner-centered practitioners, I imagine we are all firm believers in the benefits, and postive outcomes project-based experiences have on our students. But what about our learners? Do they feel the same way?

In this short podcast interview, I chat with two learners, Stanley and Flora at experimental PBL School VIS Better World Lab in Taiwan to get their take on how project-based experiences have IMPACTED them. From how they have grown as people, to how it has affected their view of learning.

But it's not all rainbows and butterflies. We also discuss PBL's shortcomings, and the challenges they have faced adapting to this new model. Through a learner's lens, you will gain new insight into:

1. The major differences between PBL and a traditional approach
2. How to support project teams that collaborate and illuminate invidividual interests
3. Supporting students in the process of investigation
4. The IMPACT project-based experiences has on learners
5. Potential pitfalls of project-based learning, and how to overcome them
6. Adopting the mindest it takes to transition from classroom teacher to a project facilitator

Learn more about VIS: Instagram: (@vis_betterworldlab), Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/betterworldLAB?mibextid=LQQJ4d Website: https://vis.tp.edu.tw

Follow VIS Radio: Instagram (@vis_radio_channel), Website: www.vis-radio.com

Comprehensive Overview of PBL Benefits: Report here.

PBL Collab and Grab Monthly Discussion Interest Form: https://forms.gle/zY2iG6XBvXqzDTtk7

Oscar and Flora's Bio:

Flora Lin has been a student in VIS experimental High School for 2 years, over which she has not only attended but been selected team leader for many of the PBL projects that she has been involved in. Stanley Pang is currently in 11th grade and finishing up his first year in VIS. Despite only being here for year Stanley has already achieved many great accomplishments like winning the Entrepreneurship award as well as starting his own gym club, of which he leads many of his classmates onto the journey to building better fitness habits Together, Stanley and Flora have proved themselves to be strong VIS as well as strong PBL students. Together they have not only been selected leader in their PBLs and won recognition for their in-school performance. They have also entered a business competition together and got 8th place, out of hundreds of other applicants. Stanley and Flora are both hardworking and diligent students who aim to always put their best effort both in and out of school. We hope that their interview provides listeners more insight into what PBL is like and inspires them to learn more about incorporating PBL in their schools in the future.

What do all of these assessments have in common?

💡 A field guide to the of the local flora and fauna in the region. 💡 A community garden. 💡 A recipe book for healthy meals using only 5 ingredients. 💡 A tourist handbook of the 'hidden gems' of the city. 💡 A podcast featuring community stories of hope. 💡 A published paper in a professional magazine around how to protect the local wetlands.

They are all authentic products created by students to demonstrate learning, and make a difference in their community. And they CAN'T be replicated by ChatGpt or AI.

In this episode I provide insights for how to develop and authentically assess learning experiences using the 4 'A's' of assessment. Bonus resources available below:

50+ Alternatives to Paper/Pencil Exams: 50+ Ideas ways you might assess student learning in project-based experiences

PBL Collab and Grab Forum: Fill out this short interest form to apply for our monthly discussion forums around the most pressing questions and answers to PBL challenges.

Why do we grade students?

Is it to measure and evaluate learning? Provide students an incentive to do their work? Reflect the 'rigour' of our classroom?

Research shows that grades don't accomplish any of these things.

What if there was a better way to measure, monitor and evaluate student growth? And share a story of their learning journey...

What if we eliminated grades entirely?

That's exactly what Gary Heidt, 10th Grade Humanities and Social Entrepreneurship Teacher, did in his high school's 'Nova Lab' learning space. And his students soared to new heights because of it.

Learn more about the alternative system he co-designed, and how it can help your students:

• Increase work ethic and production
• Become more reflective and meticulous with their work
• Provide detailed descriptions of their learning journey and growth
• Take charge of their learning

Gary's Blog: https://onlyconnects.wordpress.com

Going Gradeless Resources

Nova Lab: https://pvhsnovalab.com

Connect w/ Gary: Twiter (@Ed_by_design) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-heidt-6146656/)

Gary's Bio: Garreth Heidt has taught middle and high school students via a unique instructional approach to creativity and design thinking for the better part of 30 years. His curricula seek to develop skills in critical viewing, question formation, civil discussion, problem finding, and problem solving. The learning process is driven by design-minded means to a unique educational end for his students, and is focused around two simple questions: "Why are things the way they are? How can we make them better?"

He currently teaches a 10th grade Gifted Humanities class, and is the Lead Learner and co-designer of his high school's innovation and social entrepreneurship space, NOVA Lab.

Mr. Heidt has spent time teaching and developing classes at the middle school, high school, and college level. He is a graduate of Temple University with a degree in English and a Masters in Curriculum, Instruction and Technology. His work has appeared in or been featured by: School Arts, A Gathering of the Tribes, the Industrial Designers Society of America, The Design Learning Network, Bard College's "Institute for Writing and Thinking", and in a forthcoming book on experiential learning in museums entitled, The Museum as Experience.

He blogs infrequently on his own sites, Only Connect (www.onlyconnects.wordpress.com) and Innovation Lab (pvhsnovalab.com). He is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Association of the Delaware Valley, Design-ed Coalition, the Design Learning Network, and he is the Director of Learning for the Educational Design Consultancy, Form & Faculty (www.formandfaculty.com ).

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have become a focal point for many schools.

But few are taking real ACTION on a local level to make these goals become a reality.

What would happen if we shifted the focus away from seemingly out of reach global goals, to more tangible local goals?

'Think global, act local,' is the motto Paul Karpawich as adopted to achieve this aim through REAL project-based experiences on the ground level. Paul has narrowed his sights on projects that help schools in his area tackle the global food waste problem (SDG #12). Through cafeteria composting, waste management programs, and advocacy, Paul is empowering learners and educators to make a real difference in their communities, one project at a time.

Learn more about Paul's story and how you as an edu-transformer can:

• Organize mandated curriculum around the Sustainable Development Goals
• Co-develop project-based experiences that help students address them on a local level
• Empower your learners to become real environmental scientists, engineers, and community organizers
• Incoporate multiple stakeholders
• Create more sustainable schools and communities

Article on 6th Grade Food Waste Project: https://concordmonitor-nh-app.newsmemory.com/?publink=06815ae25_134aa62

Compost and Food Waste Diversion in Amherst Presentation:

https://tinyurl.com/fcrnxvdx

Connect with Paul: Linkedin, Instagram (@paulkarp). Email: [email protected].

Register for the 'Tackling SDGs through local, student-driven projects' 21CLHK Workshop: https://www.21clconf.org/presentations/pre-conference-tackling-global-sustainable-development-goals-through-local-student-driven-community-projects/

Paul's Bio: Paul Karpawich spent 25 years in high tech working for startups and established tech companies. He most recently transitioned to learning about how to lead communities through change to sustainable outcomes. In taking a think global, act local mindset in his own community in Southern New Hampshire, Paul has been drivng food waste initiatives around PBL's in the schools. Through a grant from WWF and his partnership with the Hollis NH school system and Helsingborg Sweden, he has implemented food waste diversion projects that are leveraing a "manage what you measure" approach to getting food waste numbers down. The project has been focused on getting K-6 students to recogize food waste and to understand how it can converted to energy through an anerobic digester. The Hollis and Helsingborg 6th graders have done multiple joint global classrooms to learn not only about how food waste is used to power transporation in Helsingborg Sweden, but they also learned about where their food comes from around the globe. Taking it a step further, the town of Hollis and surronding towns are getting into the act by setting up food waste collection services at transfer stations to divert waste from the landfills. Paul's future goal is to build upon this foundation to allow towns and schools to take on pathways to transition to more sustianble outcomes including waste diversion across the state.

It's not unusual to find MakerSpaces popping up on several school campuses as a way to offer students hands on learning opportunities.

But does 'making' have to be confined to the MakerSpace for only a few classes per week? What would happen if ALL educators adopted a 'maker' mindset, and provided hands on opportunities that spanned all classrooms, subjects and learners?

My guest and MakerSpace Founder Mark Loundy discusses how to adopt this mindset, and the transformations we can see in schools as a result. We learn how to:

• Develop project-based experiences that allow for 'making' across all subjects
• Help the MakerSpace be accessible to all parts of the school depending on the learning experience
• Build the WHY for the MakerSpace before the HOW
• Develop a school culture that values flexibility, innovation and tinkering
• Transition from 'MakerSpace' to 'MakerMindset'

Get in touch with Mark: LinkedIn, Twitter (@markloundy), Facebook, Website.

Story of the 'CREATE' MakerSpace: https://k5create.blogspot.com/p/the-story-of-create.html

Apply for the PBL Collab and Grab Monthly Forums: https://forms.gle/2vzPknQbeuzTE3h47

Mark's Bio: Mark Loundy is a former journalist, photographer and social media pioneer. As an online community manager at GeoCities at the turn of the century, he helped build the foundations of what we now call social media. He brings all of those skills to education as an innovative instructional technology specialist in Silicon Valley. He is a three-time Ignited Fellow, working at Lockheed Martin on classified military communications satellites and at Meta (Facebook,) exploring global supply chain issues. He founded and operates the first makerspace in the Cupertino Union School District and lead both the video production team and after-school tech team. The tech team created a coding language to operate a human "computer" in a virtual reality environment.

It's easy in project-based experiences to get caught up in the shiny final 'product' at the end. But just like the tip of an iceberg, the product is only a small part of a much deeper PROCESS of learning taking place underneath.

How do we capture that process, and make it more visible? What simple tool might allow learners to document that process on their own?

Welcome to Unrulr, a social learning app that makes holisitic learner growth visible through capturing authentic moments throughout the PBL process.

In this short podcast interview, I sit down with Unrulr's Head of Growth, Aaron Schorn to learn how we as edu-transformers can:

• Better elicit student reflection through the PBL process
• Capture evidence of learner growth
• Make learning experiences feel more social, and community driven
• Help learners create 'learning journeys' to share their story of learning through meaningful project-based experiences

Connect with Aaron on LInkedIN and Twitter.

Learn more about Unrulr: Unrulr.com

Learn more about the upcoming PBL Collab and Grab global forums and submit an interest form. https://forms.gle/mHo16AJoKMVHQJe8A

Aaron's Bio: Aaron is Head of Growth and Learning at Unrulr, where he works to make learning visible and joyful. He is also a teacher, program director, and co-designer of student-agency-driven learning communities around the globe. His work is focused on apprenticeship, craftsmanship, storytelling, and providing youth with the space, time, resources, and methodologies to turn their ideas into iterative realities. Aaron's professional background includes education, international business, digital storytelling, and operations/management. At the Nalukai Foundation, Aaron creates and implements entrepreneurship schema and curriculum rooted in culture, hustles to find mentors, and waxes poetic on authentic storytelling. Aaron was also the former K-12 Capstone Coordinator at HPA on Hawai'i Island. Read more about his journey in this Getting Smart article.

Many powerful project-based experiences are borne inside Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, electives, STEM or after school classes. But for most of these PBL experiences, that's where they stay.

What would happen if these project-based experiences moved beyond the walls of these progams and into the mainstream curriculum and broader community? What IMPACT might they have then?

In this podcast interview I chat with Stacey Duchrow, the Director of workforce solutions at KTEC technical school, to chat around how she enlarges the impact of PBL by moving it beyond the walls of CTE, and how we as edu-transformers can as well by:

• Building strategic industry partnerships
• Collaborating across disciplines to align on a common vision/graduate profile
• Empowering learners to continue projects long past their due date
• Framing assessment around key competencies like problem solving, cognitive flexibility, team collaboration and more

Learn more about KTEC: www.ktecschools.org

View their profile of a graduate: https://www.ktecschools.org/what-sets-us-apart/

List of Learner Competencies

Connect with Stacey: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacey-duchrow-a068a5140/

Join the Global Community of PBL Practioners for Monthly Forums: Interest Form

Stacey's Bio:

Stacey Duchrow was appointed to KTEC High School's Director of Workforce Solutions, a new career and technical education focused charter school. She brings numerous years of educational and industrial experience to the position. Although Duchrow started her industry career as a Microbiologist at Abbott Labs, she soon discovered her passion for education. An experienced science teacher with Kenosha Unified School District and Union Grove High School, Duchrow also served in numerous roles outside the classroom. At Union Grove she was STEM coordinator, career & academies coordinator, district assessment coordinator, and RTI coordinator, all while developing three STEM pathways and working to strengthen the school's college and career-ready culture.

Following Union Grove, Duchrow was the manager of Business and Educational Partnerships for Milwaukee 7 Regional Economic Development (M7). She worked to foster career pathways, career-based learning, and STEM education throughout Southeastern Wisconsin during her tenure. In addition, she partnered with numerous organizations throughout the region to strengthen business and educational partnerships. After leaving M7, she returned to KUSD, serving as the assistant principal at KTEC East. During her time at KTEC East, she created a Festo Mechatronics camp that allowed 8th-graders to gain industry-driven skills in automation technology by gaining an NC3 certification. Her passion is creating a curriculum pathway that helps all students find their future through robust career exploration and unique skill-based learning opportunities.

Many schools spend millions of dollars on state of the art learning environments, yet few of them have the desired impact on learners.

Why?

Because they weren't designed WITH the learners, and integrally connected to learner-centered EXPERIENCES.

In this episode, I sit down with Ashley Durdle of world renowned Verso Inernational School to discuss how to seamlessly connect the two.

Learn how their flexible, modular, and dynamic environments supports dynamic project-based experiences, and you might adapt yours to do the same.

This video is part of a '12 days of PBL' holiday series. Get access to all 12 videos here: www.transformschool.com/12daysofpbl

Connect with Ashley: [email protected]

Learn more about Verso: https://www.verso.ac.th/

Tour the Verso Campus and Design Dynamic Learning Experiences during the 21st Century Learning Conference: https://www.21clconf.org/item/tackling-global-sustainable-development-goals/