In this episode, I am sharing a session I was asked to present at the IASB conference. I have provided both the video and audio versions of this session. The beauty of this session is that we brought in a robust powerhouse of project based learning experts from around the country to help shape the narrative around why this work matters so much.

The session description is as follows:

Looking for ways to transform learning for your students? Join Pleasant Valley Schools and Mississippi Bend AEA to explore how they innovated to engage students and educators in authentic learning experiences and project-based learning. Attendees will examine real-world scenarios where teachers are weaving content standards, universal constructs and social-emotional competencies together—all while remaining collaborative and providing rigorous and authentic work. Give your students voice and choice, showcase their learning, and understand how this type of work can happen in YOUR classroom.

Check out the perspectives and the challenges to enhance learning experiences for all students.

The show is on Spotify!

Video Version

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcDoocL9AQI

TOPICS WE EXPLORE

1. Quick overview of the session and goals
2. 06:00 Chris Welch, administration perspective on authentic learning and students owning the learning
   1. Students owning the learning changes the narrative around engagement
   2. Universal Constructs that is so important
3. 10:00 rest of introductions and persepctive from Sarah Vice a 6th grade teacher
   1. Failure is a gift
   2. The importance of human experience
   3. Process over product
4. 14:24 Steven Smith, NASA perspective
   1. 8 most dreaded words "When am I ever going to use this?"
   2. Our students are going to be part of the space economy
   3. Failure is vital lesson we don't learn well
5. 19:21 Chris Welch, Administrator on providing context of how instructional design of
   1. How does civilizations from ancient history survive?
   2. What does survival look like present day with All Thirteen book?
   3. How do we then work with experts to think about the future that will be "present day" for our students?
6. 22:30 Jeff Robin and how to really think about projects from a real perspective
   1. Teachers need to do the project first
   2. Students don't want dumpster projects
   3. You only remember when learning is fun and exciting
7. 25:50 Amanda Clark and importance of strong leadership
   1. Need to provide space for teachers to be creative and to give teachers space to try things out.
   2. We need to do more than just teach standards
   3. Teachers need support and love from leaders, community, school boards, etc.
8. 27:41 Erin Starkey and her story how pbl brought joy back to her teaching
   1. PBL was a lightbulb for Erin because she was passionate and that is contagious
   2. PBL was a gamechanger because she found joy and in students from age of 4 and above
9. 29:30 Beth Campbell, librarian perspective on how to build school community to do the work
   1. Isolated spaces in schools are gone. PBL brings opportunities to team because together we are better
   2. Library should be alive and vibrant with co-teaching and co-design for learning opportunities
   3. Incredible research on the brain and heart
10. 31:45 Chad Uhde, elementary principal and form PBL instructional coach
    1. Power of taking risks and see what we can do. Be brave to change identity of students
    2. PBL provides new outlet for students to showcase who they are and their why
11. 35:00 How do you assess and measure and quantify success?
    1. Jeff Robin
       1. Can the students explain what they have learned?
       2. Do we need an easy number?
       3. Are we doing education for ourselves or for the students?
    2. Erin Starkey
       1. Requires intentional integration
       2. UBD and designing formative flags around the way
       3. Constantly meet needs of students naturally in PBL
       4. Rubrics for learning not a checklist of tasks
    3. Steven Smith
       1. Lots of standards are performance based on what students can do
       2. Challenge the paradigm that we need a numerical value for everything
          1. Life does not work that way
          2. Preparing students for a world that they will be creating
          3. We are not helping our students by creating widgets
          4. Are we here for our students or ourselves?
          5. Why go through all the nonsense of teaching if we want each student to fit a single mold?
          6. We are in the space age and students will decide if they want to go to Disney in Florida, California, or space?
          7. We need to either start preparing our students for the future or stop pretending like we are trying
    4. Chris Welch
       1. Focus on standards and conversation on "How do you know?"
       2. Where is the learning visible?
       3. We end up with not just standards but thinking progressions on how to think at deeper cognitive rigor and DOK.
       4. Exchange not just instruction but facilitation

YOUR CHALLENGE

Share ideas you gathered from the conversation with us on the socials.

What resonated with you?

RESOURCE MENTIONED IN SHOW

• Everything can be found here - https://sites.google.com/view/creatingauthenticlearning/power-of-authentic-learning
• Universal Constructs