Implementing Project-Based Learning

by Suzie Boss

Deepen learning experiences in every classroom. Project-based learning (PBL) has the potential to fully engage students of the digital age, changing student-teacher dynamics and giving students greater influence and agency in their learning. Discover user-friendly strategies for implementing PBL to equip students with essential 21st century skills, strengthen their problem-solving abilities, and prepare them for college and careers.

Genres: Education

83 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 27, 2015

Reviews

[Caitlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boss explains what project-based learning is and provides examples of some fantastic examples of projects. She does not explain how to convince a school or administration to transition to this type of learning. She also does not provide any advice for helping reluctant students. Overall, the book would might be helpful for someone who has never heard of project-based learning but it will not help anyone create a project.

[Becky Shattuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suzie Boss discusses how to make learning authentic, including advocating for finding local issues to address with PBL. Some of the project ideas she covers are incredibly innovative, like the students in Hawaii who designed an "air scrubber" to neutralize the sulfuric acid in the air from a nearby volcano. I really appreciated the chapter on media literacy. She argued that students need to create their own media in order to be able to be critical of the media they see every day, and that really pushed my own thinking about digital literacy.

I wasn't sold on presenting PBL with a step-by-step process, though. In her engineering section, she also advocated for using a step-by-step process while also touting the importance of allowing kids to problem solve. I thought those ideas were a bit contradictory. Aside from those issues, I thought this book was an excellent resource.