Project-Based Teaching: Fine-Tuning Instructional Strategies for Deep Learning

Momentum for project-based learning (PBL) is building across the United States and internationally as school systems seek better ways to prepare students for college, careers, and citizenship. This shift to student-centered learning puts new demands on teachers. How does their role change with the adoption of PBL?

In this interactive webinar, Suzie Boss and John Larmer, coauthors of Project Based Teaching, will unpack the seven teaching practices that set the stage for successful teaching and learning during PBL. Following the framework developed by the Buck Institute for Education, the authors will explain the importance of each teaching practice: design and plan, align to standards, build the culture, manage activities, scaffold student learning, assess student learning, and engage and coach. Classroom examples will bring the practices to life, showing how specific teacher moves help students realize the full potential of PBL for deep and meaningful learning.

During the webinar, participants will be prompted to reflect on their own practice and consider tools and strategies to improve the PBL experience for their students. The webinar will also offer suggestions for school leaders and instructional coaches as they support teachers in adopting PBL.

Suzie Boss is a member of the Buck Institute for Education's National Faculty. She is a writer and educational consultant who focuses on the power of teaching and learning to improve lives and transform communities. She is the author or coauthor of several books on education and innovation.

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John Larmer is editor in chief at the Buck Institute for Education. He authored and/or edited BIE's project based curriculum units for high school government and economics and was a contributing author of the Project Based Learning Handbook. He codevelops professional development workshops and materials for teachers, including 21st century skills rubrics and project exemplars.

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