[RE]LEARN 2020 - The Learning Innovation Festival

As education moves into a new era, Project Based Learning also needs to adapt. Rather than teaching curriculum, it is now best seen as a method for ‘teaching the person.’ Fortunately, that is what PBL is designed to do. It is a human development method that begins with authentic challenge and purpose, relies on human centered design principles, requires deep collaboration and enhanced communication skills, and results in meaningful work that is shared with others.

It’s necessary now to redefine PBL as a strengths-focused journey that melds inquiry, wellbeing, and positive contribution into a meaningful ‘experience’ rather than into a conventional unit or a curriculum driven outcome with concepts and standards that are ‘covered.’ This requires a careful design process, rapport-building approaches with students, identification of community and global issues for investigation, and a co-construction between teacher and student that focuses results with a measurable positive impact.

This workshop will provide an in depth look at the methods and design principles that lead to meaningful, strengths-based and passion-driven projects designed by students, teachers, or as a partnership, in both remote and classroom based environments.