What+is+PBL?

**Introductory presentation (see below)** ==
 * //Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh the thinks you can think up if only you try." //** **~ Theodor Seuss Geisel**

**//What is PBL?//** Project/Problem Based Learning (PBL) is a method of teaching authentic learning activities that engage student interest and motivation. Project characteristicsinclude students working together in groups toward a common goal. Assessment is based on individual and group work, the depth of the understanding of content and the quality of the final product. It allows students to reflect upon their own ideas and opinions and make decisions based on the success of the project outcome. It addresses these 21st Century skills:
 * Learning and Innovation skills (creativity, innovation, critical thinking, problem solving, communication and collaboration)
 * Information, Media and Technology skills (information literacy, media literacy and technology literacy)
 * Life and Career skills (flexibility, adaptability, initiative, self-direction, cross-cultural skills, productivity, accountability, organization, time-management, leadership and responsibility)

Studies show that today's students are not prepared for real-world situations that require problem-solving and critical thinking skills. At a business leader/educator summit hosted by DPI, the following are 21st Century skills that employers say are important to today's workforce, but find that today's students are lacking:
 * //Why is it important to our students? //**
 * 1) Problem-solving: students need to know how to identify a problem and decide what to do to solve the problem, not ignore the problem or stop working because of an unanticipated roadblock
 * 2) Collaboration and Communication: students need to be able to work together as a team and learn to listen to each other's opinions without judgement
 * 3) Work Ethic: understand that tasks need to be completed timely and efficiently

//**Example of a lesson that has been changed from traditional to PBL (example from Intel Teaching Modules): **// __Before__: Middle school math teacher instructs her students on probability and statistics using examples of probability on the blackboard. Students work from math textbooks to practice new concepts and take quizzes.

__After__: Students explore the concepts of probability and fairness. Their task is to research and answer the essential question – //What is the likelihood that certain events will occur//? Students begin by participating in chance activities and examine games of fairness. Then, student groups are formed and they become game designers who design a fairness game for a toy company. The must describe the playing rules of their game and explain why mathematically their game is fair. They then meet with a fictional board of directors from the toy company where each group presents their game in hopes of convincing the board of directors that their game is the best. Throughout the project, students are engaging in questioning, write math journals and use rubrics and checklists to guide their learning, self-assess and stay on task.

//**16 Habits of the Mind:**// A concept developed by Arthur L. Costa, Ed.D. and Bena Kallick, Ph.D. of how students "//produce// knowledge rather than merely //reproduce// knowledge". This is a perfect companion to PBL.
 * Narrative of the 16 habits
 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 160%;">Blog of examples of the 16 habits