Thom Markham is a founding father of Project Based Learning.

Started in the mid-90s at a high school trying to reclaim the positive name of the school.

Formed charter high school - envision schools.
Wrote the handbook on PBL
PBL Global
PBL = problem to be solved, investigating process, end of process - defining what they did to solve their problem.
Lots of variations in that definition.
Inquiry, research, facilitated
One of the misnomers is the notion is that it is discovery only.
Teacher has a strong role in PBL, but it changes.
3 roles: direct instruction, mentor, designer.
To be a designer, need to have a better idea of whose role is what?
What do you need to learn from someone else, and what do you need to discover yourself?
Sensitive to students, need to know them.
PBL works better in a personalized culture in the classroom.
Getting teams to work well is challenging.
We don’t teach teachers known coaching protocols.
Skillset is changing dramatically.
Teaching 21st century skills.
Goal of working with teams is welcoming disruption.
Critique as designers.
Focus on some personal skills.
Every teacher candidate in personality profile to learn what their strengths and weaknesses are.
Having very serious conversations about mindset and skillset.
Self-analysis and inquiry into the teaching profession.
You have to look at yourself and see if you can handle it.
Take an inward look and not just an outward look.
What is high quality PBL
6 essential principles of PBL
Social Emotional learning
Human performance method, not a content acquisition method.
If you’re going to have kids working in teams, how are they going to work in teams?
Chief characteristic is humility.
Teams of students create quality work.
Accountability, becoming a leader.
Breaking down collaboration skills.
What happens in the middle of the project?
Teaching design thinking process.
Social good-focused PBL projects.
the standards are not capable of containing what we can learn in the world.
Intelligence as successful behavior
Z school
Deep performance rubrics that kids can judge themselves against.
What’s the nature of intelligence in today’s world?
The curriculum is the world.
You’re in one of the most creative professions in the world.
In places where the PBL is happening, the teachers.
How to be a transformative principal? Have some basic training in project based learning. How to become an inquiry-based teacher?

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