The document discusses strategies for effectively managing problem/project-based learning to enhance student learning. It emphasizes the importance of social learning, prior knowledge, and cognitive accelerators like cognitive conflict, metacognition, and social construction. Challenges in project-based learning include lack of problem-solving guidance and moderators. Recommendations include facilitating the problem-solving process, accessing student prior knowledge, designing for cognitive development, establishing routines, and responding flexibly to emerging situations. Project management involves launching projects, teaching processes, critiquing products, and presenting final projects.

1. PROJECT
MANAGEMENT
D.Q. How do we effective manage the problem/project
based process to substantially enhance student
learning?

2. Enduring Understandings related to
cognition
• Social Learning Theory: Human learners benefit
enormously from social examples, from directed
instruction, and from corrective feedback. Learning from
exposure to the information provided by other people
represents a fundamental aspect underpinning human
adjustment and evolution; the more expert these ‘other
people’ are in understand the progression of learning, the
more effective is the learning.
• Hattie and Yates (2014)

3. Enduring Understandings related to
cognition
• Role of Prior Knowledge: We naturally learn from
exposure to information detected by our senses. But to
increase our knowledge base, this information has to
possess a level of organization which matches how our
minds are structured and organized.
• Hattie and Yates (2014)

4. Cognitive Accelerators
• 1- Cognitive Conflict- The mind develops in response to
disequilibrium
• 2- Metacognition-The mind has a growing ability to be
conscious of, and take control over its own processes.
• 3.- Social Construction- high-quality discussion with
peers and mediated by teachers are critical for cognitive
development

5. Challenges in PrBL/PBL
• E.g.
• Problem Solving Teaching E.S. .61 (221 studies, 15,235 students)
• Problem-based learning E.S. .15 (285 studies, 38,090)
• Powerful moderators are found in the literature; these
moderators are predicated on the cognitive elements
discussed prior.

6. Research Guidance
Strategy Effect
Teachers working together to evaluate their impact and responding to
that impact 0.93
Teachers conduct pre-assessments, utilizing data to inform instruction,
and providing students with a clear understanding of expectations for
meeting learning outcomes (Where are we going?, where are we now?,
and what’s next?
0.77
Teachers using practices in the classroom that values errors and trust 0.72
Teachers receive feedback on their impact on student learning 0.72
Teachers are providing an appropriate proportion of surface and deep
level knowledge 0.71
Providing students with challenge and practice at the right level 0.60

7. Impact on PrBL/PBL: Intervention Practitioner
• Facilitate the problem solving process, direct the learning
unapologetically.
• Access and utilize student’s prior knowledge in daily
practice.
• Students learn from experience, but that experience
perceived differently by all students.
• Design the learning experience to focus on the cognitive
aspects of the work.

8. Building Blocks of Pedagogy
• Content/Skill Development- How do I develop student
content knowledge and skill over time?
• Routines- What patterns of practice to I/we infuse in the
classroom to enhance student learning over time?
• “Just in Time” Responses- When situations emerge in the
classroom how I do/we respond to enhance student learning
over time?

9. Project
Launch
Teaching and
Learning
Process
Critique and
Product
Finalization
Project
Presentation
Critique

10. PBL: Students are pulled through the curriculum by a driving question or
realistic problem that provides a “need to know”. Lectures, readings, and
skill building are integrated into the problem as the students need the
information.
Know/ Need to Know

11. Project-Based Learning Unit:
Project
Launch
Entry Event and
Rubric Create
“Need to Knows”
and Next Steps
Activities
Workshop
s
Lectures
Homework
Benchmark
Research
Labs
Simulation
s
Discussio
ns
Modeling
Reading
Benchmark
Interviews
Quiz
Reflection on
Learning
P
R
E
S
E
N
T
Creating
Feedback
Building
Writing
Preparing
Drafts

12. Project
Launch
Teaching and
Learning
Process
Critique and
Product
Finalization
Project
Presentation
Critique

13. Content/Skill Development- How do I develop student content knowledge and
skill over time?
Design
•Develop a performance task and entry event aligned to “applying
understanding” requirements.
Implementation
•Develop workshops for content and skill progression levels
•Align workshops to ‘need to knows’
•Develop a project calendar
• Access technology, maximize adult connections, and utilize collaborative
tools

14. The Nairobi Decision
• D.Q.: How do you argue for the “Nairobi Proposal” to the
Kenyan National government?
• Task: Present an argument, including a submitted
literature review, to a committee that represents the
interests of local communities, business, tourism, and
science and technology.
• Expectations: The presentation will held on________ and
the government expects the following guidelines are
adhered to_________.

15. Goals/Scales
• 4.0 Level Expectations
• Predict changes to an ecosystem’s structure if the current human
activity continues and if it changes.
• Analyze how development sin science and technology- such as
agriculture, medicine, or resource availability impact the human
population
• Calculate growth rates to predict future population size

18. Project Management

20. Build my calendar
• 1. Phases
• 2. Pedagogical Elements- content and routines

24. Assessment Types
Unobtrusive Obtrusive
Student
Generated
Applying
Understanding
Making Meaning
Building
Knowledge

25. Next Steps- Teachers
Single/Multiple Ideas- What instructional approaches
will support students in understanding foundational
knowledge (e.g. facts, vocabulary terms) related to
learning outcomes?
Relating ideas- What instructional approaches support
students in connecting and contrasting ideas? What
are generalizations and principles that can be made
about these ideas?
Extending ideas- What instructional approaches support
students in applying the learning outcomes to other
contexts

26. Aligning “High Probability Strategies” from
the Art and Science of Teaching to
Progression Levels.
Outcome Questions Activities
Applying understanding What do I typically do to
engage students in
cognitively complex
tasks involving
hypothesis generation
and testing?
Experimental-inquiry
tasks
Problem-solving tasks
Making meaning What do I typically do to
organize students and
deepen knowledge?
Venn diagrams
Comparison matrix
Building knowledge What do I typically do to
identify critical
information?
Identifying critical input
experiences

27. Progression Level

28. Next Steps- Students
Single/Multiple Ideas- What strategies am I using that
will support me in building knowledge and skills (e.g.
facts, vocabulary terms) related to learning outcomes?
Relating ideas- What approaches appear to be working
or I should attempt to connect and contrast ideas? How
am I going as related to making generalizations and
principles?
Extending ideas- What approaches support me in
applying the learning outcomes to other contexts?

29. Next Steps- Students
Single/Multiple Ideas- What strategies am I using that
will support me in building knowledge and skills (e.g.
facts, vocabulary terms) related to learning outcomes?
Relating ideas- What approaches appear to be working
or I should attempt to connect and contrast ideas? How
am I going as related to making generalizations and
principles?
Extending ideas- What approaches support me in
applying the learning outcomes to other contexts?

30. A few key items to consider
• Identify ‘lessons’ or activities and products that are
anchored in the content
• Align to the learning process
• Establish routines that engage learners on the cognitive
aspects of a problem or project
• “Just in Time” and routines are anchored in your cultural
agreements
• Teams are put together to enhance learning through
dialogue not for the sole purpose of work flow efficiency

31. Building Blocks of Pedagogy
• Content/Skill Development- How do I develop student
content knowledge and skill over time?
• Routines- What patterns of practice to I/we infuse in the
classroom to enhance student learning over time?
• “Just in Time” Responses- When situations emerge in the
classroom how I do/we respond to enhance student learning
over time?

32. Routines are…
• to form strong relationships, articulate expectations,
identify current progress, and enable learners and
teachers to co-construct next steps in the learning
process.

33. E.g.s
• Entry Event
• Twists
• Know/Need to Know Lists
• AfL- cups, strips, whiteboards, open/closed, (basically
anything other than hands up or blurt out).

34. “Just in Time” Responses are..
• to actualize the strength in our relationships, to articulate
our expectations, identify current progress, and enable
learners and teachers to co-construct next steps in the
learning process.

35. “Just in Time” Responses are..
• Breaking protocol
• Enhance conversations

36. Learning Centered Culture and Climate
• Project based learning requires a unique set of
classroom strategies to support all students in meeting
content and 21st Century skill knowledge and skill
based transfer level requirements.

37. Learning Centered Culture and Climate
Sub-Feature Steps
Group
Parameters
•Create and implement agreements, roles and intervention
processes
•Establish a language of learning and empathy
•Inspect culture and climate through an intervention process
•Structural devices and processes for conversations
Organization Organize room, meetings, and teams to leverage collaboration

38. Model, Model, Model
#vlconf2014

39. • Create an agreed upon decision-making process
• Use that process to check for disagreements and to discuss
“undiscussables”
• Use questions to address potential conflicts and to explore ideas
• Always check in on each member of the group to make sure they
understand group process
• Each group member will explain their actions or beliefs to the group
• Each group member is responsible for all other group members in
understanding the task and coaching each other to perform at a high
level
• Each group member will explain important words and provide specific
examples when needed
• All group members will question other members when they encounter
“jump to conclusion” comments
• When sharing ideas all members will advocate their ideas and ask
questions about other ideas.

40. • Be behaviorally specific (e.g. look fors) , e.g. each
group member will explain their actions or beliefs to the
group.
• Stay small, stay focused: test drive a few agreements,
2-3

41. • Focus on conversational agreements- no need for “be
on time”, everyone knows that
• Create roles- create a viewpoint coach (summarizes
what folks are saying) and a process observer (reviews
agreements and monitors process)
.

42. • Use agreements to intervene: The strategy I’ve seen
work the best is the following: state facts, test
assumption, ask if assumption is correct, discuss
infraction OR move on.
• Call out “critical moments”- think of those moments
where the use of agreements are critical, did you or your
teammates take action? Process these critical moments,
they are usually in the undiscussable range.
• Arrange meetings for tough conversations, nuts and
bolts go into memos or in short 5-10 minute sequences.

43. • Be behaviorally specific (e.g. look fors) , e.g. each group member
will explain their actions or beliefs to the group.
• Stay small, stay focused: test drive a few agreements, 2-3
• Focus on conversational agreements- no need for “be on time”,
everyone knows that
• Create roles- create a viewpoint coach (summarizes what folks are
saying) and a process observer (reviews agreements and monitors
process)
• Use agreements to intervene: The strategy I’ve seen work the best
is the following: state facts, test assumption, ask if assumption is
correct, discuss infraction OR move on.
• Call out “critical moments”- think of those moments where the use
of agreements are critical, did you or your teammates take action?
Process these critical moments, they are usually in the undiscussable
range.
• Arrange meetings for tough conversations, nuts and bolts go into
memos or in short 5-10 minute sequences.

44. Project
Launch
Teaching and
Learning
Process
Critique and
Product
Finalization
Project
Presentation
Critique

45. Next Steps
• I. Pre-Work:
• Review your performance task, entry event, and scales- are they
aligned?
• Does your entry event have enough “breadcrumbs” to elicit “need
to knows”?
• II. Management- Content Scope and Sequence
• Develop a series of workshop at the 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0 level
• Craft potential assessments at those levels
• Craft a calendar
• III. Management- Identify one or two routines to utilize
tomorrow.