Choose a workshop...

• Project Slice (1 day pre-conference)

  A project slice demonstrates what it’s like to be a learner in Project Based Learning, by engaging participants in an immersive PBL experience—a “slice” of a project. Schools and districts can use it to build understanding of PBL in a staff or school community. At the PBL Ohio Institute, it’s also a great networking opportunity. Project slice participants will engage as learners in a transformative one-day project that models the key features of the PBL process. The day will mirror the flow of a larger project, beginning with an engaging launch/ entry event and authentic driving question. Teams will work together to build knowledge, understanding and success skills, and develop and critique products and answers to the driving question. The day culminates with team presentations of their products, followed by structured reflection on what they have learned about PBL. At key moments throughout the day, participants will be encouraged to “put on their teacher hats” and reflect on the pedagogical moves they are experiencing as PBL learners, as well as implications for their own contexts. Learn more about the power of project slices.

  Making Space for Change
  Participants in this Project Slice explore the driving question: “How can we redesign a public space to promote a social benefit?” Each team focuses on creating a plan for a public space (park, library, etc.) that facilitates a different goal, such as increasing opportunities for civil and democratic discourse, or enhancing public health and physical fitness.

• PBL 101: Introductory PBL Workshop (3 days)

  For teachers,  instructional coaches and school and district leaders

  The PBL 101 Workshop is the best way to begin your journey into Project Based Learning. This workshop is based on tried and true strategies for developing learning experiences for educators that lead to sustained changes in practice.

  The PBL 101 is PBLWorks foundational course, based on our model of Gold Standard PBL. The workshop itself models the project process. It provides participants with the knowledge and skills needed to design, assess, and manage a rigorous, standards-based project. Educators consistently rate our PBL 101 Workshop as exceptional.

• PBL 201: Improving the Quality of Student Work

  For teachers, coaches, curriculum specialists, school & district leaders
  Prerequisite: PBLWorks (BIE) PBL 101 Workshop

  In this engaging and interactive workshop, participants will investigate and apply teaching practices and strategies that can help to strengthen the quality of student work in a PBL classroom.  How do we ensure that the products we ask students to create are rigorous and align to significant content and skills? What project-embedded strategies can help deepen student thinking and elicit evidence of this thinking? How can we coach students toward ever-increasing levels of intellectual rigor and quality work? Participants will develop and reflect on a high-quality project, and will plan for project implementation in order to improve student products and enhance learning.

• PBL Leadership Workshop

  For leadership teams consisting of district/school/teacher leaders
  Prerequisite: None

  The PBL Leadership workshop is a three-day intensive dive into how school and district leaders support the conditions for Project Based Learning to thrive in their systems. Reflecting on their current reality, participants will design their strategy to implement PBL and foster a project based mindset for teaching, learning and leading that moves them forward along the PBL Leadership Progression of Practice.  ​Facilitated by one of PBLWorks’ expert National Faculty, this workshop is a balanced blend of direct instruction, videos from the field, hands-on work, resource sharing, and peer collaboration and feedback.  

  During this workshop, you will:

  • Experience PBL as a learner
  • Identify key actions that will guide PBL implementation and move the school as well as advance leadership practices along the PBL Progression of Practice continuum
  • Understand and explain how Gold Standard PBL aligns to your district vision/strategic plan
  • Collaborate as a network of leaders to build coherence and capacity to move PBL implementation forward