Educators Blog

Differentiating Instruction through Project-Based Learning

Editor's note: This is part one of a two-part blog series on differentiation.  

By Kelsey Bednar

Differentiation is an instructional strategy used at all levels of K-12 education to meet the needs of students with diverse abilities. Though widely […]

Project-Based Learning and Problem-Based Learning: Can They Co-Exist?

Working with schools around the country, educators frequently refer to PBL in their discussions. When I ask whether they are referring to Project-Based Learning or Problem-Based Learning, some are definitive in their answer and others ask “What’s […]

School & Community Partnerships Showcase the Power of Real-World PBL

At the beginning of the school year, our school district announced a new strategic plan that called for deeper and expanded partnerships within our community. Our goal, at the District's Office of Community Engagement, was to communicate something […]

Two Creative Ways to Engage English Language Learners

Educators share their strategies for teaching academically challenging (and fun) lessons that support native and non-native English speakers.

Transitions can be challenging for any student, whether that is moving from elementary to middle school, […]

3 Benefits of Using PBL in a Special Education Classroom

The project-based learning (PBL) trend is sweeping schools across the nation, and my special ed (SPED) classroom is no exception. Students in my classroom have a variety of disabilities, which makes specialized instruction in content areas […]

Why Parents and Teachers Should Treat Students Like Employees

As a language arts and STEM research teacher, I use project-based learning (PBL) to bring relevance to my lessons so students can learn to apply their knowledge in real-world settings. One way I connect the classroom to the outside world is by […]

3 Tips on Connecting Social Studies and STEM

Just because the "s" in STEM does not stand for "social studies" does not mean that social studies does not have a place. Economic, geographic, and civic knowledge are crucial components to good citizenship and deserve an equal place in terms of […]

3 Tips for Engaging English Language Learners with Project-Based Learning

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 4.5 million public school students (9.3 percent) were English language learners (ELLs) in the 2013-2014 school year. This means that almost 1 in 10 students have the difficult challenge of […]

3 Strategies for Preparing Today's Students for Tomorrow

Are we really doing all we can in our current educational system to prepare today’s students for the careers of tomorrow? Since I started in education, I’ve used the motto, “The transition to adulthood starts in preschool.” Today, the phrase is the […]

Why the Transition to Adulthood Should Start in Preschool

Are we really doing all we can in our current educational system to prepare today’s students for the careers of tomorrow? Think of your current job. Are you tasked with memorizing facts, filling out worksheets, and taking formal exams? Probably not.