The Student-Centered Shift: Empowered International Schools and Classrooms Through Project-Based Learning

What do all of these assessments have in common? 💡 A field guide to the of the local flora and fauna in the region. 💡 A community garden. 💡 A recipe book for healthy meals using only 5 ingredients. 💡 A tourist handbook of the ‘hidden gems’ of the city. 💡 A podcast featuring community stories of hope. 💡 A published paper in a professional magazine around how to protect the local wetlands. They are all authentic products created by students to demonstrate learning, and make a difference in their community. And they CAN'T be replicated by ChatGpt or AI.  In this episode I provide insights for how to develop and authentically assess learning experiences using the 4 'A's' of assessment. Bonus resources available below: 50+ Alternatives to Paper/Pencil Exams: 50+ Ideas ways you might assess student learning in project-based experiences PBL Collab and Grab Forum: Fill out this short interest form to apply for our monthly discussion forums around the most pressing questions and answers to PBL challenges. 

Why do we grade students?  Is it to measure and evaluate learning? Provide students an incentive to do their work? Reflect the ‘rigour’ of our classroom?  Research shows that grades don’t accomplish any of these things.  What if there was a better way to measure, monitor and evaluate student growth? And share a story of their learning journey... What if we eliminated grades entirely?  That’s exactly what Gary Heidt, 10th Grade Humanities and Social Entrepreneurship Teacher, did in his high school's 'Nova Lab' learning space. And his students soared to new heights because of it.  Learn more about the alternative system he co-designed, and how it can help your students: Increase work ethic and production Become more reflective and meticulous with their work Provide detailed descriptions of their learning journey and growth Take charge of their learning   Gary's Blog: https://onlyconnects.wordpress.com  Going Gradeless Resources Nova Lab: https://pvhsnovalab.com    Connect w/ Gary: Twiter (@Ed_by_design) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-heidt-6146656/)   Gary's Bio: Garreth Heidt has taught middle and high school students via a unique instructional approach to creativity and design thinking for the better part of 30 years. His curricula seek to develop skills in critical viewing, question formation, civil discussion, problem finding, and problem solving. The learning process is driven by design-minded means to a unique educational end for his students, and is focused around two simple questions: “Why are things the way they are? How can we make them better?” He currently teaches a 10th grade Gifted Humanities class, and is the Lead Learner and co-designer of his high school’s innovation and social entrepreneurship space, NOVA Lab. Mr. Heidt has spent time teaching and developing classes at the middle school, high school, and college level. He is a graduate of Temple University with a degree in English and a Masters in Curriculum, Instruction and Technology. His work has appeared in or been featured by: School Arts, A Gathering of the Tribes, the Industrial Designers Society of America, The Design Learning Network, Bard College’s “Institute for Writing and Thinking”, and in a forthcoming book on experiential learning in museums entitled, The Museum as Experience. He blogs infrequently on his own sites, Only Connect (www.onlyconnects.wordpress.com) and Innovation Lab (pvhsnovalab.com). He is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Association of the Delaware Valley, Design-ed Coalition, the Design Learning Network, and he is the Director of Learning for the Educational Design Consultancy, Form & Faculty (www.formandfaculty.com ).

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have become a focal point for many schools.  But few are taking real ACTION on a local level to make these goals become a reality.  What would happen if we shifted the focus away from seemingly out of reach global goals, to more tangible local goals? 'Think global, act local,' is the motto Paul Karpawich as adopted to achieve this aim through REAL project-based experiences on the ground level. Paul has narrowed his sights on projects that help schools in his area tackle the global food waste problem (SDG #12). Through cafeteria composting, waste management programs, and advocacy, Paul is empowering learners and educators to make a real difference in their communities, one project at a time.  Learn more about Paul's story and how you as an edu-transformer can:  Organize mandated curriculum around the Sustainable Development Goals Co-develop project-based experiences that help students address them on a local level  Empower your learners to become real environmental scientists, engineers, and community organizers Incoporate multiple stakeholders Create more sustainable schools and communities Article on 6th Grade Food Waste Project: https://concordmonitor-nh-app.newsmemory.com/?publink=06815ae25_134aa62  Compost and Food Waste Diversion in Amherst Presentation:  https://tinyurl.com/fcrnxvdx   Connect with Paul: Linkedin, Instagram (@paulkarp). Email: pkarp7691@gmail.com.  Register for the 'Tackling SDGs through local, student-driven projects' 21CLHK Workshop: https://www.21clconf.org/presentations/pre-conference-tackling-global-sustainable-development-goals-through-local-student-driven-community-projects/  Paul's Bio: Paul Karpawich spent 25 years in high tech working for startups and established tech companies. He most recently transitioned to learning about how to lead communities through change to sustainable outcomes. In taking a think global, act local mindset in his own community in Southern New Hampshire, Paul has been drivng food waste initiatives around PBL's in the schools. Through a grant from WWF and his partnership with the Hollis NH school system and Helsingborg Sweden, he has implemented food waste diversion projects that are leveraing a "manage what you measure" approach to getting food waste numbers down. The project has been focused on getting K-6 students to recogize food waste and to understand how it can converted to energy through an anerobic digester. The Hollis and Helsingborg 6th graders have done multiple joint global classrooms to learn not only about how food waste is used to power transporation in Helsingborg Sweden, but they also learned about where their food comes from around the globe. Taking it a step further, the town of Hollis and surronding towns are getting into the act by setting up food waste collection services at transfer stations to divert waste from the landfills. Paul's future goal is to build upon this foundation to allow towns and schools to take on pathways to transition to more sustianble outcomes including waste diversion across the state.  

It's not unusual to find MakerSpaces popping up on several school campuses as a way to offer students hands on learning opportunities.  But does 'making' have to be confined to the MakerSpace for only a few classes per week? What would happen if ALL educators adopted a 'maker' mindset, and provided hands on opportunities that spanned all classrooms, subjects and learners?  My guest and MakerSpace Founder Mark Loundy discusses how to adopt this mindset, and the transformations we can see in schools as a result. We learn how to:  Develop project-based experiences that allow for 'making' across all subjects  Help the MakerSpace be accessible to all parts of the school depending on the learning experience  Build the WHY for the MakerSpace before the HOW Develop a school culture that values flexibility, innovation and tinkering Transition from 'MakerSpace' to 'MakerMindset'  Get in touch with Mark: LinkedIn, Twitter (@markloundy), Facebook, Website.  Story of the 'CREATE' MakerSpace: https://k5create.blogspot.com/p/the-story-of-create.html Apply for the PBL Collab and Grab Monthly Forums: https://forms.gle/2vzPknQbeuzTE3h47  Mark's Bio: Mark Loundy is a former journalist, photographer and social media pioneer. As an online community manager at GeoCities at the turn of the century, he helped build the foundations of what we now call social media. He brings all of those skills to education as an innovative instructional technology specialist in Silicon Valley. He is a three-time Ignited Fellow, working at Lockheed Martin on classified military communications satellites and at Meta (Facebook,) exploring global supply chain issues. He founded and operates the first makerspace in the Cupertino Union School District and lead both the video production team and after-school tech team. The tech team created a coding language to operate a human "computer" in a virtual reality environment.

It's easy in project-based experiences to get caught up in the shiny final 'product' at the end. But just like the tip of an iceberg, the product is only a small part of a much deeper PROCESS of learning taking place underneath. How do we capture that process, and make it more visible? What simple tool might allow learners to document that process on their own? Welcome to Unrulr, a social learning app that makes holisitic learner growth visible through capturing authentic moments throughout the PBL process.   In this short podcast interview, I sit down with Unrulr's Head of Growth, Aaron Schorn to learn how we as edu-transformers can: Better elicit student reflection through the PBL process Capture evidence of learner growth    Make learning experiences feel more social, and community driven   Help learners create 'learning journeys' to share their story of learning through meaningful project-based experiences  Connect with Aaron on LInkedIN and Twitter.  Learn more about Unrulr: Unrulr.com  Learn more about the upcoming PBL Collab and Grab global forums and submit an interest form. https://forms.gle/mHo16AJoKMVHQJe8A  Aaron's Bio: Aaron is Head of Growth and Learning at Unrulr, where he works to make learning visible and joyful. He is also a teacher, program director, and co-designer of student-agency-driven learning communities around the globe. His work is focused on apprenticeship, craftsmanship, storytelling, and providing youth with the space, time, resources, and methodologies to turn their ideas into iterative realities. Aaron's professional background includes education, international business, digital storytelling, and operations/management. At the Nalukai Foundation, Aaron creates and implements entrepreneurship schema and curriculum rooted in culture, hustles to find mentors, and waxes poetic on authentic storytelling. Aaron was also the former K-12 Capstone Coordinator at HPA on Hawai'i Island. Read more about his journey in this Getting Smart article.

Many powerful project-based experiences are borne inside Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, electives, STEM or after school classes. But for most of these PBL experiences, that's where they stay.  What would happen if these project-based experiences moved beyond the walls of these progams and into the mainstream curriculum and broader community? What IMPACT might they have then?  In this podcast interview I chat with Stacey Duchrow, the Director of workforce solutions at KTEC technical school, to chat around how she enlarges the impact of PBL by moving it beyond the walls of CTE, and how we as edu-transformers can as well by: Building strategic industry partnerships Collaborating across disciplines to align on a common vision/graduate profile Empowering learners to continue projects long past their due date  Framing assessment around key competencies like problem solving, cognitive flexibility, team collaboration and more   Learn more about KTEC: www.ktecschools.org View their profile of a graduate: https://www.ktecschools.org/what-sets-us-apart/  List of Learner Competencies Connect with Stacey: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacey-duchrow-a068a5140/  Join the Global Community of PBL Practioners for Monthly Forums: Interest Form Stacey's Bio:  Stacey Duchrow was appointed to KTEC High School’s Director of Workforce Solutions, a new career and technical education focused charter school. She brings numerous years of educational and industrial experience to the position. Although Duchrow started her industry career as a Microbiologist at Abbott Labs, she soon discovered her passion for education. An experienced science teacher with Kenosha Unified School District and Union Grove High School, Duchrow also served in numerous roles outside the classroom. At Union Grove she was STEM coordinator, career & academies coordinator, district assessment coordinator, and RTI coordinator, all while developing three STEM pathways and working to strengthen the school’s college and career-ready culture. Following Union Grove, Duchrow was the manager of Business and Educational Partnerships for Milwaukee 7 Regional Economic Development (M7). She worked to foster career pathways, career-based learning, and STEM education throughout Southeastern Wisconsin during her tenure. In addition, she partnered with numerous organizations throughout the region to strengthen business and educational partnerships. After leaving M7, she returned to KUSD, serving as the assistant principal at KTEC East. During her time at KTEC East, she created a Festo Mechatronics camp that allowed 8th-graders to gain industry-driven skills in automation technology by gaining an NC3 certification. Her passion is creating a curriculum pathway that helps all students find their future through robust career exploration and unique skill-based learning opportunities.

Many schools spend millions of dollars on state of the art learning environments, yet few of them have the desired impact on learners. Why?  Because they weren't designed WITH the learners, and integrally connected to learner-centered EXPERIENCES.  In this episode, I sit down with Ashley Durdle of world renowned Verso Inernational School to discuss how to seamlessly connect the two.  Learn how their flexible, modular, and dynamic environments supports dynamic project-based experiences, and you might adapt yours to do the same.  This video is part of a '12 days of PBL' holiday series. Get access to all 12 videos here: www.transformschool.com/12daysofpbl  Connect with Ashley: ashley.d@verso.ac.th  Learn more about Verso: https://www.verso.ac.th/ Tour the Verso Campus and Design Dynamic Learning Experiences during the 21st Century Learning Conference: https://www.21clconf.org/item/tackling-global-sustainable-development-goals/

The SDGs (sustainable development goals) have become a huge focal point for many schools.  With climate change, water pollution, and elimination of biodiversity effecting the entire planet, it makes complete sense. But how do we address these HUGE issues on a local level?  In this podcast episode, I sit down with Margo LaPointe, director of award winning Seaview Learning, to hear how her students are addressing these issues through hands-on projects in Kingston, Massachussetts. Students are lowering their carbon footprint by co-constructing log cabins from damaged, indigenous trees; and improving water quality, by creating natural filtration systems in their local pond. They are infusing mandated curriculum and key 21st century skills through each home grown project.  Learn how to design these kind of experiences, and build the local and global partnerships that ensure they fly!  Find out more about Seaview Learning: www.seaviewlearning.org  Connect with Seaview Learning and Margo: Twitter (@margo25893202), Facebook (@seaviewlearning), Instagram (seaview_learning). LinkedIn  Margo's Bio: Margo LaPointe is the Founder of an award-winning innovative education model which strives to answer the question, "If the purpose of education is to prepare students for their future, how can we best deliver?" The model delivers project based learning mapped to students developing a resume and portfolio of real-world experiences including working on projects with a Boston architect in applying STEM to build a green design eco-friendly building, a Massachusetts State Representative to develop a student-led initiative based on The James Ward Act,, and the United Nations COP 27 in Egypt on The Global Water Crisis. The innovative education model includes whole child education experiential learning, and wellness practices incorporated into the school day in developing Social Emotional Learning and work-life balance as a means to fuel academic success. Marrying the work of Ted Dintersmith ("Most Likely To Succeed", "What School Could Be") with The Boy Scouts of America properties as a school campus, the model has won Top 5 Private Middle Schools in Boston, Massachusetts and Greater New England by Boston Parents Family Favorite, and placed BOSS 2022 Best Private Elementary School on the South Shore with a feature in South Shore Home, Life & Style magazine. LaPointe was named, "Most Influential Women Leaders of 2022" by global business magazine, The Victory, and is currently developing innovative education models for students nationally across the United States, as well as a Student Ambassador program for the United Nations which will create opportunities for students on a global scope. Margo LaPointe has accepted an invitation to support educators working in all education models internationally, as a Facilitator in the Transform Education PBL Network so that as many children who would benefit from what we do, and how we do it, can access this opportunity across the world. 

Lots of large international schools are seeking ways to make learning experiences more relevant, interdisciplinary and project/problem-based.  Yet between fixed timetables, a demanding curriculum, large student bodies, and siloed subjects, they are finding it difficult to do more than offer a few lessons per week.  What if there was a way to make experiences like these the main course?  In this podcast, I sit down with Amber Kotcher and Jeff Harwood, coordinators of the PRAXIS program, a small micro-learning commmunity in the International School of Kuala Lumpur that does just that. Through a flexible timetable and learner-centered approach, it develops creative, collaborative problem-solvers by organizing Science, English, Social Studies and Art/Design around complex and compelling problems that demand an interdisciplinary approach to address.  Learn more about the program and how you too can: Re-organize your curriculum around complex and compelling problems Help students become IB, AP, Citizen, Career and most importantly 'Happinness Ready.'  Integrate siloed subjects seamlessly through meaningful questions Transform learning from artificial learning activities, to REAL life experiences   Learn more about the Praxis Program: https://www.iskl.edu.my/learning-at-iskl/high-school/praxis-program/  Hear a student perspective: https://youtu.be/04x8tFtSueQ.  Connect w/ Amber Kotcher, Program Coordinator: akotcher@iskl.edu.my  Connect w/ Jeff Harwood, Assistant Principal: jharwood@iskl.edu.my Amber's Bio: Amber Kotcher is the PRAXIS Program Coordinator at the International School of Kuala Lumpur (ISKL). “PRAXIS is an integrated learning program which reimagines the school experience at ISKL. Learning is anchored in complex, real-world challenges, empowering students to thrive in a dynamic present and future. PRAXIS 2030 fosters creative exploration, effective collaboration, and active problem-solving through a differentiated and flexible thinking space. Students reflect deeply and act with agency and empathy to make a positive difference in our world”. Amber has taught Art and Design K-12 in the USA, S Korea, Vietnam, and Israel for the past 15 years. Along with teaching she has held various leadership roles in schools and is an advocate for student leadership, student voice, and student agency in learning in high schools. Jeff Harwood is the High School Assistant Principal at the International School of Kuala Lumpur. Prior to his role at ISKL Jeff worked as the Dean of Students, College/Pastoral Counselor and Literature Teacher at the Rabat American School in Morocco. Before moving overseas and working in private schools, Jeff worked as a public school teacher and counselor. He has experience in implementing alternative education programs that are rooted in problem based learning that foster student agency and connect academic learning to the world beyond academia.  Jeff's Bio: Jeff Harwood is the High School Assistant Principal at the International School of Kuala Lumpur. Prior to his role at ISKL Jeff worked as the Dean of Students, College/Pastoral Counselor and Literature Teacher at the Rabat American School in Morocco. Before moving overseas and working in private schools, Jeff worked as a public school teacher and counselor. He has experience in implementing alternative education programs that are rooted in problem based learning that foster student agency and connect academic learning to the world beyond academia. 

Imagine your most challenging students- The ones who can't sit still, blurt out, submit low- quality work, have difficulty working with others, and seem totally checked out suddenly self-managing, coming in voluntarily after class, submitting polished work, and leading teams. That's what happened in several classrooms when they were transformed into canvases for student-run businesses.  These forward thinking educators are making the magic happen with the support of an organisation called ‘Real World Scholars.’ And their ‘EdCorps’ model has garnished national attention. To date over 600 student businesses have been created, 600 + classrooms transformed, and more than 50,000 young lives forever changed. I sat down with founders John Cahalin and Elyse Burden to learn more about the model, and how we as learner-centered practitioners can use it to: Make our classroom come alive Tranform our students into real entrepreneurs and business 'co-founders' Give our boring ‘standards’ a real world lens Empower our traditionally disengaged learners Help learners discover their passions, interests, and most importantly how to make a difference Connect with John: Twitter (@JohnCahalin1)  Connect with Elyse: Twitter (@LyzBurden), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/elyse-burden/) Learn more about Real World Scholars Success Stories: Wicked Soap Company: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2FXk2kNEhQ), Articles: 'Non-Profit Brings Business to Life', Sugar Kids Beauty John Cahalin's Bio:  Elyse Burden's Bio: