PBL Pro Tips from John Larmer: How Can Students Make Their Work Public in PBL?

In a typical classroom, who sees a student’s work? Who gives them feedback on it? When they complete an assignment, what happens to it? The answer to these questions is usually (a) the teacher (b) the teacher, and (c) the teacher returns it, with a […]

Ensuring All High-Schoolers Have a Chance at College: How Rhode Island Enacted Historic New Equity-Based Graduation Standards

ChatGPT & PBL: How Project Based Learning Can Help Teachers Battle (or Befriend) the Bots

In a remarkably short time - since it was released by OpenAI on November 30, 2022 - the artificial intelligence-driven writing tool ChatGPT has sent shock waves through the education world. You can enter a prompt and voila–in mere minutes the […]

PBL Pro Tips from John Larmer: How Can Teachers Effectively Facilitate and Coach in PBL?

If you’ve ever been involved in organized sports, I hope you had a good coach. It’s almost impossible to succeed without one. If you did, think about what an effective coach does:

• Motivates and focuses athletes by sharing a vision of success
• Shares […]

PBL Pro Tips from John Larmer: How Can You Provide Scaffolding for Students in PBL?

“Scaffolding” has become one of those edu-speak terms that catch on and become part of our vocabulary, but what does it really mean? Is it like the scaffolding on a building when it’s being repaired or painted? To test your understanding of it, take […]

Building Career Aspirations in STEM: Helping Students See Their Future Selves

For almost a decade I’ve started the school year by asking my urban elementary students to draw a picture of what they think a scientist does at work all day. When I walk around the room, I often see pictures of white-haired men dressed in lab coats […]

Students Leading PD, a Powerful Shift in Learning

As I dive back into my imperfect journey of writing, I will attempt to capture a shift in learning that I hope all of you experience as soon as possible. If you have already experienced it, I encourage you to recreate it or hand your students the […]

STEM is for Everyone

She may be the granddaughter, niece, and daughter of a math teacher and the twin sister of a math/science-oriented brother, but Jennifer Donais, K-8 STEM Coach at Amesbury Public Schools in Amesbury, Massachusetts did not consider herself a “STEM […]

Genius Hour- Beyond a Class Period

It’s not often that students find themselves unable to move, caught in a state of disbelief at something they’ve just discovered.  It’s even rarer that they sprint across the classroom to share their discoveries with their teachers and classmates. […]

3 Ways to Foster Strong Student Relationships

Jed Stefanowicz, a human being I am lucky enough to call my colleague, encouraged me to write a post a few years ago as it had been a while since I had written.  Like any new teacher, I was wrapping my head around exactly what it was I was doing.  […]