by John Larmer November 8, 2018 Posted in General PBL

PBL World logoHere’s a quick survey for you - please answer yes or no:

  1. Are you interested in beginning or deepening your practice of Project Based Learning, or coaching or leading teachers to do so?
  2. Are you interested in connecting with other educators who share your interest in PBL?
  3. Are you interested in sampling the delights of Napa, California?
  4. Can you travel to Napa and stay from June 17-20, 2019?
  5. Are you at least one of the following: a loving teacher or leader, a deep thinker, an equity warrior, a creative innovator, a willing-to-try explorer, a collaborative team member?

If you answered “yes” to all of the above, we’ve got just the thing for you.

PBL World 2019 is happening June 18-20 and registration has now begun, with limited Early Bird pricing available. The event will take place at American Canyon High School, on a beautiful campus set against the golden California hills at the southern end of the Napa Valley. We expect over 1300 attendees from all over the U.S. and many other countries, so there will be a high energy level, a diverse range of perspectives, and many networking possibilities. Check out this video for an overview of the conference.

PBL World is not like other conferences that have a variety of short sessions by many different presenters—it’s more like an institute, where participants go through a continuous multi-day experience. All workshops are three days and conducted by our expert National Facultyor Buck staff, and are based on our model for Gold Standard PBL. Participants in all workshops develop plans they can put to immediate use when they return home. To learn more about what it's like to attend PBL World, here's a nice post from a 2018 attendee.

Travel planning note: Please arrange your trip so you can stay in your workshop until 3:30pm on Thursday—it’s important for maximizing the benefits for you and your colleagues!

You’ll register for one of the following workshops:

  • PBL 101 (newly revised version), an interactive, hands-on introduction to project design, assessment, and management.
  • PBL 201, which features in-depth work on specific Project Based Teaching Practices for participants who have already been to a 101. You can attend one of two options: one focuses on improving the quality of student work, and the other on creating a learner-centered classroom.
  • PBL Coaching for instructional coaches, teacher-leaders, or school/district leaders who coach teachers. Participants create toolkits with strategies for supporting teachers in each of the seven Project Based Teaching Practices.
  • PBL Leadership (newly revised version) for school and district leaders, in which participants design their own strategy for creating the conditions needed for PBL to thrive in classrooms, and moving themselves forward along the Buck Institute’s PBL Leadership Progression of Practice.

June 17 is the pre-conference, where you can attend:

  • A “Project Slice” workshop, with two options this year. Participants experience a sample project as students, working in teams to conduct inquiry and concluding the day with a public product that expresses their answer to a driving question.
  • A full-day “PBL+” workshop, for those who already know BIE’s model for Gold Standard PBL, on specific topics such as Global Competency, Elementary Literacy, Mathematics, NGSS, Personalized Learning, Technology Integration, and Restorative Practices.

And… in the “new features for 2019” category, you’ll find:

  • Hot food at lunch, locally sourced.
  • Live music and a DJ before keynotes and at lunch.
  • Lunchtime activities for networking (and fun).
  • More social events. In addition to wine-tasting Tuesday evening at Chardonnay Golf Club among the vineyards, on Wednesday evening you can quaff craft beer at Stone Brewing Company in a recently restored historic riverside building in downtown Napa.

We can’t yet announce the keynote speakers who have been lined up for the event, but they’re sure to be thought-provoking and inspiring (like this one and this one from 2018). Stay tuned!

Join us, won’t you?

 

Registration has now begun; visit pblworld.org for details. Limited Early Bird Pricing is available.

John Larmer, Senior Fellow
John is a key builder of PBLWorks (Buck Institute for Education), having served as editor in chief, director of publications, and director of product development. He co-developed the model for Gold Standard PBL that is the foundation of PBLWorks’ products and services, and oversees the quality of all its written materials and website content.